Nowadays, caffeine is included daily in the life of millions of people around the world, mainly in the United States. According to a 2019 study in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, about 90% of American adults consume caffeine on a daily basis; most of it is in the form of coffee. While caffeine can provide a much-needed boost to help you get through the day, quitting caffeine may have a profound impact on your body, both in the short and long run.
Whether you’re planning to quit caffeine cold turkey or gradually reduce your intake, understanding the changes your body may experience can help you prepare for the journey ahead. Below, we’ll explore the positive and negative effects that happen when you quit caffeine and provide insight into whether this decision is beneficial for your overall health.
Caffeine Withdrawal Symptoms: What to Expect
One of the first things to note when you quit caffeine is that you may experience withdrawal symptoms. Caffeine is a drug, and just like any other substance your body gets accustomed to, its quitting can trigger withdrawal. Even people who consume as little as one cup of coffee per day can experience withdrawal symptoms. It is advisable, for one not to be in a complete discomfort, to wean oneself from caffeine rather than to quit it suddenly.
Following are some of the general caffeine withdrawal symptoms:
You May Experience Headaches
Caffeine is a vasoconstrictor; that is, it reduces the size of the blood vessels and allows less flow of blood. Once you quit caffeine, the blood vessels return to normal, which results in headaches. Headaches may vary from mild to extreme but happen to disappear within a few days.
You may Feel little Fatigue
As it acts like a stimulant, the cessation can result in temporary tiredness or lethargy. It might take some time for your body to get used to being without that artificial boost of energy.
Irritability
Mood swings and irritability are other complaints when you quit caffeine. You are likely to feel more stressed or anxious during the initial stages, but these too are the effects that would wear off soon as your body sets in.
Positive Changes After You Quit Caffeine
Despite the initial withdrawal, there are numerous advantages of quitting caffeine that will help in betterment of health in the long run.
1. You May Sleep Better
Among the most valuable changes that come when one quit caffeine is improved sleep quality. A study published in 2018 in the journal Risk Management and Healthcare Policy determined that caffeine can disrupt the body’s natural sleep-wake cycle. Caffeine has an awfully long half-life, which really only means it might hang around inside your system for several hours. Where you might be affecting your ability to fall and stay asleep is if you are consuming caffeine late in the day.
You decrease the chances of insomnia and improve your sleep quality by giving up caffeine, and hence, you are better off in energies throughout the day.
2. You Feel More Relaxed
It can also increase anxiety symptoms and bring about feelings of restlessness or jitteriness. Often, people feel that their anxiety is greatly reduced and they are less anxious overall during their day once they quit caffeine. If one suffers from high levels of stress and/or an anxiety disorder, then the elimination of it will be highly advantageous.
3. Whiter Teeth
Besides soda, coffee is also infamous for staining your teeth over time. Once you quit caffeine intake, you are no longer exposing your teeth to those tannins responsible for those unsightly yellow stains. Also, both kinds of sodas-caffeinated and non-caffeinated-are acidic and thus capable of eroding enamel. Quitting caffeine could keep your teeth protected and ensure your smile is brighter and whiter.
4. Healthier Weight Management
Quitting caffeine helps with weight loss indirectly, especially if one usually consumes sweet or calorie-laden coffee drinks. For instance, one serving of black coffee contains just about 2 calories. Adding sugar, cream, or sweet syrups can greatly increase the calorie count of one serving. A 2021 study published in JAMA Network reported that diet soda, often caffeinated, by introducing artificial sweetness into the body, may heighten cravings for high-calorie foods, especially savory foods, which in turn lead to weight gain over time.
These can be cut out and will reduce your overall calorie intake to more effectively control your weight.
Possible Drawbacks of Abstaining from Caffeine
Although there are quite a number of advantages of quitting caffeine, there are also a few minor drawbacks that may be experienced when trying to give up the stimulant in one’s body.
1. Constipation
Generally, caffeine hastens the digestive process and, in so doing, normalizes bowel movements. When you quit caffeine, you may experience constipation for a short period as your body adjusts. This side effect can be tolerated if you drink enough water and consume fiber-rich foods like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
2. Feeling Lethargic or Foggy
Because caffeine provides energy directly, quitting it can sometimes lead to feelings of lethargy or sluggishness in the first days. A little more difficult to deal with is the ability to focus. Your brain may feel a little foggy. In most cases, these symptoms only last a few days, after which your energy will normalize on its own.
Should You Quit Caffeine?
We’ve heard how giving up caffeine can both work for and against us, but a question remains: Should you quit caffeine?
Caffeine is a substance you may consider avoiding if frequent headaches are caused by it, if it disrupts your sleep, or if it contributes to anxious feelings and general restlessness. Quitting caffeine can help improve your general well-being if you feel that you use either coffee or energy drinks too much during the day.
On the other hand, if one is able to consume it in moderation and without adverse effects, one may not necessarily have to quit it altogether. In fact, a few studies even mention that moderate intake of caffeine can be healthy as it improves cognitive functioning and boosts metabolism.
Tips for Quitting Caffeine
In case one decides to quit caffeine, following are a few tips that will help manage the process smoothly:
- Instead of quitting caffeine cold turkey, try tapering off. For example, if you normally drink three cups in a day, reduce to two, then one, and so forth.
- Plenty of water helps decrease withdrawal symptoms like headaches and fatigue.
- Your body will balance the energy loss one has after quitting caffeine by getting enough rest.
- Instead of drinking coffee in the morning, take up herbal teas, which are naturally caffeine-free, or make a switch to decaf versions of drinks taken.
Conclusion
In this sense, quitting caffeine is quite an uphill battle when one gets used to taking it regularly. However, the advantages of quitting caffeine outnumber the short-term effects of withdrawal in terms of better sleep, reduced anxiety, and good dental health. Whether you choose to quit caffeine or reduce it, an educated decision by just listening to your body will bring you closer to a healthier life, full of balance.
