What Are The Symptoms Of Caffeine Withdrawal
If you have developed a dependence on caffeine, an abrupt cutback can cause withdrawal symptoms that may include:
- Headaches.
- Muscle pain.
- Irritability.
In general, the more caffeine you are used to consuming, the more severe the withdrawal symptoms are likely to be. Symptoms of withdrawal begin 12 to 24 hours after the last caffeine intake and can last two to nine days.
Caffeine can be a useful tool for an adult who needs help waking up and concentrating. But, it can also cause problems if youre not careful with it. Dont use caffeine too much or you could become dependent or have insomnia or headaches. Otherwise, enjoy that coffee or chocolate!
Last reviewed by a Cleveland Clinic medical professional on 12/23/2020.
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Lose Weight And Improve Body Composition
Alcohol leads to higher fat levels in the blood, and therefore alcohol consumption is also associated with higher body weight gain, obesity, and the symptoms that can accompany excess weight like type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and metabolic syndrome. Alcohol itself contributes to high calorie consumption, but the calories in alcohol are empty, with no nutritional benefit. Alcohol is processed and stored just like sugar, and like a diet high in refined sugar, it’s closely associated with dangerous weight gain and obesity.
While there’s no direct correlation between the amount of alcohol consumed and the amount of weight gained due to each of us having our own individual metabolism rates, it’s nevertheless true that reducing or eliminating alcohol intake helps lead to successful weight loss and long-term weight-loss management in those with diabetes, as well as avoiding weight gain in the first place.
The conclusion: alcohol can contribute to weight gain and obesity, while abstaining can aid in weight loss.
The Solution
Caffeine Has An Affect On Your Mood
Coffee actually has an affect on your mood. For those who are used to drinking coffee very regularly, you can eventually become so consumed by it, that if you dont have it at the time youre used to, it makes you moody.
Quitting caffeine will remove these fluctuations in your mood, that are being controlled by your addiction for coffee.
Dont let substances and other influences affect your mood and your emotions, and the way you come across to people. They shouldnt have any power of you.
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Negative Side Effects Of Coffee According To Research
When I am not sure about something, I ask my good friend Google. I love to have some research-backed knowledge and act based on that.
I found that caffeine had a 6 hours half-life, meaning that the coffee I had after lunch would still be in my blood for 25% when I went to sleep.
Besides that, I found an article that stated that caffeine can lead to poor concentration, anxiety, increased stress levels, irritability, sleeplessness, rapid heart rate, and stomach ache.
Caffeine can make you feel restless, it can cause nausea, dehydration, and even a dependence on caffeine. Your central nervous system is responding to the stimulating effects of caffeine, which can make it addictive.
Personally, I also experienced an irregular heartbeat, nervousness, and could get an occasional migraine.
For me, there were two main reasons to quit drinking caffeine:
- Poor concentration
- Increased stress levels
What I Learned From Quitting Coffeeand Starting To Drink It Again
One of the biggest things that I realized from this experience was how much I relied on coffee as a crutch. I used it to help me wake up, as a pre-workout energizer, as a mood-booster, and pretty much any time I felt tired, unfocused, or was procrastinating something. It was amazing to finally realize that I didn’t actually need it to write, work out, or be in a good mood. I can be me without coffee.
Something that kept me going through the 21-day program was knowing that I could have my coffee again on day 22. I knew that, realistically, I would go back to it eventually, so I wanted to have a better understanding of how it really affects my body.
According to Dana James, a board-certified nutritionist, functional medicine practitioner, and cognitive behavioral therapist, figuring out if coffee works for you all comes down to how you metabolize it. Since your genetics play a role in this process, you can get genetic testing done to find out, or just drink some coffee and assess the way you feel. If you metabolize it quickly, you’ll generally feel pretty good if you stick to a cup a day, James explains. But if you’re a slow metabolizer, caffeine stay in the body longer, which can create anxiety.
It was amazing to finally realize that I didn’t actually need it to write, work out, or be in a good mood. I can be me without coffee.
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Coffee Beans Are Packed With Antioxidants
But waitbefore you decide to quit your morning cup of coffee, you should know that when done right, coffee is actually a good habit to have. “Caffeine has been shown to be beneficial for your skin,” Goldenberg says. “It has antioxidant properties and has been shown to be anti-inflammatory.” You might be familiar with free radicals, but for the uninitiated, they’re the damaging molecules that cause premature aging, and according to some studies, they can even lead to acne. In other words, they’re the skin enemy. Antioxidants work to fight free-radical damage, and they can be applied topically or also ingested. Bowe recommends that her patients who are particularly prone to breakouts up their intake of antioxidants. If you’re a big-time coffee drinker, good news: Caffeine is a great source of antioxidants. Actually, studies show it’s one of the biggest sources of antioxidants for many people. Who knew?
Your Weight Probably Won’t Change Much
It’s a common belief that drinking coffee increases your metabolism and can help you lose weight. Unfortunately, studies show that there isn’t a big difference in metabolism between coffee and non-coffee drinkers.
If you’re wondering whether you’ll lose or gain weight after eliminating coffee from your diet, it’s important to ask yourself about the types of coffee drinks you’re consuming now. Do you enjoy the daily mocha latte from Starbucks? Well, a grande Caffè Mocha from Starbucks contains 360 calories, 44 grams of carbohydrates, and 35 grams of sugar, so eliminating this every day could be beneficial for your health overall and could result in dropping some pounds . If you’re a black coffee drinker though, you may not see any results in weight loss.
Another thing to consider: How you handle cravings or withdrawal symptoms. If you decide to quit coffee, it will be important to avoid filling those caffeine cravings with other comforting food items that are heavy in sugar.
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Coffee Can Cause Tooth Decay And Staining
It actually only takes 1 cup of coffee a day to begin staining your teeth. This is also the same case for certain types of tea.
Depending on where you get your coffee from, and how much sugar you put in it, coffee can also cause tooth decay. This is normally the case if your drinking flavored coffees and lattes from the likes of Starbucks.
My World Did Not Fall Apart When I Set Health Boundaries
When I started this experimentthe first month of my yearlong wellness projectmy biggest worry was how it was going to affect my relationships. Unfortunately, healthy choices dont happen in a vacuum. And fitting health into your life becomes even more complicated when you share your life with another person. Though my habits as a late-20-something were a far cry from my days of slapping the Franzia bag in college, in many ways I still had an image of “The Cool Girl” in my head. I wanted to be the person who was carefree and down for anything, not the one asking the waiter whether or not their salad dressing contained any cane sugar.
What I learned, though, was that creating these boundaries wasnt a deal breaker for anyone in my life. And had it been, maybe that would have been a deal breaker for me! Friends forgave, hosts adjusted their menus. Waiters gave me the dressing on the side.
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Your Health Could Improve
Despite its purported health benefits, we know coffee can do damage to the stomach lining and send your blood pressure sky high. Coffee is a stimulant, and yes, it makes you more awake but with that immediate turn on effect comes pressure on your heart and blood vessels. As caffeine raises your blood pressure, it forces your body to work harder to maintain status quo. Therefore, eliminating it from your diet means giving your body a bit of a break.
The Health Benefits Of Giving Up Caffeine
So, whatexactly are the health benefits of giving up coffee and tea? For me, Inoticed that I had a renewed sense of energy it felt like my brain hadswitched back on, my body just felt less inflamed, I also experienced fewer IBDflare-ups and when it does flare up itsmuch less aggressive. Success!
But thatsnot all. They are just some of the benefits that I noticed personally.Scientifically speaking, there are a whole host of benefits that you couldexperience, including
- Lower blood pressure
- Better skin
- Reduced inflammation
Caffeinecan really affect your body in negative ways. Your morning cuppa might make youfeel more alert, but its stimulating effects are only temporary. Too muchcaffeine can go on to cause insomnia. It can stay in your system for between1-9 hours, meaning the brain is still stimulated and youll find it much harderto get restorative sleep.
But thats not all. Because youre so much more alert, you may experience more anxiety than normal. Caffeine blocks the effects of adenosine in the brain the chemical that makes you feel more sleepy and releases more adrenaline. Higher doses of caffeine can also mean youre breathing more rapidly and get easily stressed, which is never a good thing. So, youll be glad to know that giving up coffee also has its skin benefits too.
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Why I Gave Up Caffeine
On apersonal level, I have suffered from several health-related issues. Some stress-relatedand others connected to inflammatory bowel disease. These presented themselvesin many different forms exhaustion, hormone imbalances, anxiety, gastritis, physicalaches and pains, bowel problems, nausea, mental fog, puffiness and puffy eyes,along with generally looking under par. You name it, I felt it.
And so, I made many changes including diet and adding in different supplements. Some have been of no benefit, whereas others have been really quite life-changing. The biggest life-changer was making the tough decision to firstly give up coffee, then also my beloved black tea.
But I Dont Want To Give Up My Morning Coffee Ritual
I recognize that coffee is not only enjoyed for its caffeine, but also because the ritual of having a warm cup of coffee is comforting and rewarding. For some people, this ritual is so important in their morning that they cant cut the coffee completely.
Fortunately there are a number of amazing, warm coffee-like drinks on the market these days. With so many creative options, everyone can find something that does the trick. Replace your morning coffee with another warm, nutritive beverage and you can enjoy the ritual of a warm cup in the morning.
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You Could Feel Lethargic
Caffeine is a stimulant, so it’s likely you’ll experience a little dip in energy for at least a few days when you first quit coffee or soda. Several side effects of caffeine withdrawal include reduced alertness and activeness, drowsiness and feeling foggy, so you may want to brace yourself before quitting for good. It may be worth cutting back little by little to lessen your chance of experiencing these unpleasant side effects. This could look like ordering a half-caf latte for a few days, then mixing three parts decaf with one part regular coffee for the next few days before finally ridding of it for good.
You Can Save A Lot Of Money By Quitting Coffee
For most of the working world, in particular those solo entrepreneurs reading this and living the laptop lifestyle, coffee can become an expensive habit.
Its very easy to go and work in Starbucks, and get through a couple of cups. Maybe youre not a laptop entrepreneur but you work in a building close by to some of your favorite coffee shops.
Making a visit there every break or lunch you get quickly racks up. Drinking it at home is obviously less expensive, but most people prefer to drink out. So if youre trying to keep an eye on your bills, maybe cut back on the daily trip to Starbucks.
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How I Got Over My Caffeine Withdrawal Symptoms
Once I was committed to doing the program, I knew I wanted to go all in, which meant for the first time in nearly 10 years I would say goodbye to my constant morning companion. And I’m not gonna liethe first days without coffee were rough. I felt like I was getting the flu for almost a week. I also had brain fog and was in a bad mood most of the time. Not fun.
After a few days of lots of naps, chugging water, and drinking green juice to ease the withdrawal symptoms, I finally started feeling good again. I also started drinking matcha for a gentler caffeine fixbut let me tell you, finding a good-quality matcha that doesn’t break the bank is really hard. After a few false starts, I started Googling and found Mizuba Tea, per blogger Alison Wu’s suggestion. It’s organic, tastes smooth, and works great for matcha lattes. Best of all, Mizuba ships fast. Like, Amazon Prime fast.
By week two of the program, I felt totally different. I loved the smooth, sustained energy I got from matchaI never felt jittery or overly stimulated, like coffee sometimes made me feel, and there was no crash-and-burn feeling afterward. If I was having a stressful day, coffee seemed to add fuel to the fire and make me feel ten times more anxious. But that was never the case with green tea, thanks to its relaxation-promoting l-theanine and other good-for-you antioxidants.
Keep You From Absorbing Minerals
Coffee lowers levels of calming minerals such as calcium and magnesium. It does this by blocking your bodys ability to absorb magnesium from foods or in supplement form.
Symptoms of magnesium deficiency are anxiety, agitation, muscle spasms, tremors, twitches and irregular heart beat. Symptoms that are aggravated by caffeine consumption.
Also, the diuretic effect of coffee causes the loss of 10 mg of calcium per cup of coffee.
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You Could Lose Weight
Your regular Starbucks run could be doing a number on your waistline drinking less coffee could save you money as well as calories. Research at Duke University shows that daily consumption of caffeine in coffee, tea, or soft drinks increased participants daily sugar levels by nearly 10 percent, boosting their risk of cardiovascular disease and obesity. Even if you avoid the loads of sugars and fats dumped in a latte, just adding cream and sugar to your homebrewed coffee could quickly skyrocket to over 200 calories per serving, according to Prevention. Alternatively, cutting out your favorite sugar-packed caffeine drink completely could trim hundreds of calories from your diet in a single day. Here are some signs youre drinking too much coffee.
Your Digestive System Might Change
Overall, research shows that coffee is pretty healthy for you but it depends on the person. Some people, particularly those with gluten-sensitivity, also have a sensitivity to the proteins in coffee beans , which can lead to a number of unpleasant symptoms, Samuels says. This could include digestive problems or even headaches and fatigue. So quitting coffee might help those problems you didnt even know you might have had. If digestion is an issue while weaning your coffee intake, Samuels says hot water and lemon in the morning is the way to go.
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I Stopped Drinking Coffee For 7 Days And Here Is What Happened To My Body
Coffee is a beverage that the majority of Americans, and people around the world for that matter, drink everyday, and for obvious reasons. The first being it catches you with is its amazing aroma. It has a delicious and comforting taste. You can even customize its flavor with flavored creamers, adjust the sweetness with sugar, or keep it black. On top of all this, the caffeine wakes you up and brings on a feeling of productivity, even if just temporarily.
Ive been drinking this amazing drink since I was around 13 years old before I even had anything important enough to do that required that much energy. Whether wed like to admit it or not, caffeine and all the characteristics of it are indeed addictive. As tempting as all of these things about it can be to have every morning , it does come with certain side effects that were beginning to make me feel icky. I felt somewhat dependent on it, almost like I was running off it at times.
Everyones favorite drink has bitter compounds, such as chlorogenic acids, aliphatic acids. and tannins. These bitter compounds make it highly acidic, which is not very good for your bodys natural pH state, which keeps everything in balance. This high acidity also wears down your tooth enamel, staining your teeth everytime you drink it. This left me feeling sort of insecure with my slightly, but still noticeable yellow tinged teeth.