5 reasons to switch at least one cup of coffee for Soma Cacao in 2024
In my twenties, I was an avid coffee enthusiast, infamously known for my bougie order of a 3/4 full strong extra hot soy latte with a hint of honey at my local cafés in Sydney.
My journey into the world of cacao began during travels in Nicaragua, where expats were sipping it as a coffee alternative. Initially skeptical, I was amazed at how cacao made me feel—alive, open, and free.
Upon relocating to Mexico, where, in some towns, cacao is an integral part of daily life, I incorporated daily doses of cacao, eventually bidding farewell to coffee surprisingly effortlessly, marking an unexpected shift after a decade of hardcore coffee consumption.
This transition wasn't a calculated move; it simply aligned with my preference. Cacao imparted a pleasant and invigorating sensation, while coffee, in hindsight, felt more like an addiction—a quick fix inducing a wired and peculiar feeling, exacerbating a history of anxiety.
As an energy source, cacao is pleasant, gentle, and long-lasting, providing a smooth experience. Coffee, on the other hand, is intense, rapid, and short-lived. With the infusion of meditation and yoga into my routine, and a subsequent stronger recognition of my own mental patterns, it became obvious coffee was more of a hindrance than a help, whereas cacao became a steadfast and comforting companion.
My exploration into the scientific realm confirms that my instinct to replace coffee with cacao is substantiated by a burgeoning body of research. I've distilled my top five reasons why we all should contemplate substituting at least one cup of coffee daily for the enriching embrace of cacao.
Cacao reduces stress, whereas caffeine generates it.
Coffee increases epinephrine (adrenaline) levels in your blood. This is the fight-or-flight hormone, associated with the sympathetic nervous system. To give this some context, we do practices like yoga and meditation to activate the parasympathetic nervous system, the role of which is to help us relax, digest and metabolise food, and undo the effects of the sympathetic nervous system. The sympathetic nervous system is meant only to operate in times of real danger, yet, these days, most people exist in this fear-based mode for the majority of their lives.
So… having a nice cup of coffee right before yoga is counter-productive, and too much caffeine is exacerbating a problem that’s already rife in our modern world: the over-stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system.
Caffeine, especially in the form of black coffee, also produces cortisol, the stress hormone. When cortisol is released into the body, our entire system goes into alert-mode, and a circuit of stress-response is sent back to the brain.
A similar process occurs when we experience stressful emotions and negative thoughts - these all amplify stress responses since the brain doesn’t distinguish between real and imagined threats. Even small increases in cortisol can raise blood sugar and increase insulin resistance. Large amounts of cortisol can cause anxiety, cognitive impairment, decrease in brain activity, and problems with emotional perception, processing and regulation. Extreme agitation, insomnia and bruxism (clenching/grinding teeth) are all signs of heightened cortisol in your body. Chronic stress - defined by high levels of stress hormones like cortisol -cortisol - eventually wears out the endocrine system, weakening the immune system.
By contrast, cacao's active ingredient, theobromine, reduces cortisol, and is a much more gentle stimulant than caffeine. Cacao is also high in magnesium, a mineral chronically deficient in the western diet, which, according to multiple scientific studies, reduces anxiety and helps us relax.
It is important to note that cacao does contain caffeine, but in much smaller quantities (as in, three to five times less per cup).
2. Cacao contains antioxidant flavanoids, and the cardiovascular stimulant theobromine, both of which result in a whole host of heart-related benefits. Caffeine, by contrast, has been linked to heart problems.
Flavanols are a type of plant nutrient found in many foods and drinks, such as tea, red wine, blueberries, apples, pears, cherries, and peanuts. They are particularly abundant in cacao beans, and have been studied extensively. They have been shown to help lower blood pressure, improve blood flow to the brain and heart, prevent blood clots, and fight cell damage.
Similarly, theobromine, cacao’s unique psychoactive compound, stimulates the cardiovascular system, opening our blood vessels. This allows blood to flow more freely and sends more oxygen throughout the body. This may be the reason cacao reportedly (and experientially) generates a heart-opening feeling, and a sense of tenderness.
Regular consumption of cacao has been linked to lowering blood pressure and cholesterol, and may reduce our chances of suffering from heart disease. Cacao has also been shown to decrease arterial stiffness, which is closely linked to the risk of hypertension, chronic kidney disease and stroke.
Take the Kuna Indians, an indigenous population native to islands off the coast of Panama. The Kuna belong to one of the rare cultures that are protected against age-dependent increase in blood pressure and the development of arterial hypertension. The Kunas consume enormous amounts of cacao daily. Clinical studies reveal they have lower blood pressure values, no age-dependent decline in liver function, and substantially lower mortality resulting from cardiovascular events than other Pan-American citizens.
Cacao’s magnesium content helps decrease blood coagulation, reducing the risk of blood clots and subsequently the risk of heart attack or stroke.
By contrast, caffeine has been linked to systolic (i.e. extremely high) blood pressure, especially in those who don’t consume coffee very often. It can also stimulate the intensity of heart contractions, and increase the amount of calcium inside the cells in the heart, which can negatively impact the heart’s pumping action. For some this can make the heart feel like it is pound, racing or beating irregularly.
3. There are well-documented negative side-effects of caffeine. This is absolutely not the case for cacao.
The jury is out on whether coffee is detrimental or beneficial for our health overall, especially given the effects vary greatly between individuals. However, some well-established findings are cause for concern.
Even small amounts of coffee can trigger all too familiar side effects, such as restlessness, jitteriness, and rapid or irregular heartbeat.
Other studies demonstrate the effect of caffeine on sleep, with a clear association between a daily intake of caffeine and reduced sleep quality and increased daytime sleepiness. Higher doses of caffeine (4+ cups per day) have been linked to anxiety, agitation, stomach upset, nausea and vomiting.
There are also some rather alarming links between caffeine and infertility. Alissa Vitta from FloLiving lists the following:
Caffeine is associated with sub-optimal or suppressed fertility and, therefore, difficulties conceiving;
Drinking caffeinated beverages during early pregnancy (before you may know that you’re pregnant) increases the risk of early pregnancy loss;
Caffeine is considered an impairment to fertility alongside alcohol and smoking;
Coffee disrupts ovulation by increasing cortisol levels and stressing the adrenals;
Coffee depletes vital vitamins and minerals needed for ovulation and healthy fertility (including absolutely necessary B vitamins and folate); and
4. Cacao is rich in essential minerals, whereas coffee is virtually nutrient free.
I’ll let the numbers speak for themselves here, but if you want more information on the mineral content of cacao and the associated benefits, have a look at our cacao benefits page.
Cacao contains 80100% more iron than coffee
Cacao contains 2700% more calcium than coffee
Cacao contains 1040.8% more potassium than coffee
Cacao contains 4766.7% more magnesium than coffee
Cacao contains 51300% more copper than coffee
Cacao contains 9950% more zinc than coffee
Cacao contains 6766.7% more phosphorous than coffee
5. Cacao contains vitamins, whereas coffee does not.
Cacao contains +5300% more Vitamin E than coffee
Cacao contains +78.6% more Vitamin B1 than coffee
Cacao contains +279.6% more Vitamin B3 than coffee
Cacao contains +16.9% more Vitamin B5 than coffee
Cacao contains +4100% more Vitamin B6 than coffee
Cacao contains +∞% more Vitamin B12 than coffee
Cacao contains +8000% more Vitamin K than coffee
BUT, coffee does win out on the Vitamin B2 front, with 52% more than cacao.
OUR STANCE.
Cacao helps us relax, and is a gentler, longer-lasting, and more pleasant energy source than coffee. It is also one of the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet, so with every cup you’re not just getting a ‘quick fix’, you’re getting a highly nutritious (and delicious) boost of goodness. Coffee, on the other hand, increases anxiety levels, sends us into ‘flight-or-fight’ mode, and is void of any nutritional value.
That said, studies have shown that coffee can lower the risk of Parkinson’s disease, liver cancer, chronic liver disease, and even Type 2 diabetes, so it’s certainly not all bad in moderation. It also varies from person to person, according to our genetic make-up. We’re not suggesting you should remove coffee from your daily routine altogether, but we do recommend switching out a cup or two of coffee for our Soma Cacao.
Ready to try? Grab a sampler pack for just $25 to find out if cacao is for you, and if so which of our award-winning varieties you love the most.
