3 Signs it’s Time to Quit Caffeine

Practically everywhere you look there’s an opportunity to get caffeine. Coffee shops, convenience stores, the place you work, and most likely your own home are just some of the places. Many people claim that caffeine is the only way they can start, and make it through, their day. Few question their caffeine consumption and consider if it may in fact be harming them. Some signs you should quit caffeine are:

Sign 1: You feel tired all the time

Caffeine is commonly perceived as a bastion of energy and tasks cannot be performed without it. But the more you rely on caffeine to give you energy, the more exhausted you’re going to feel. The “energy” you get from caffeine is nothing more than the release of stress hormones, like adrenaline. Caffeine stimulates the nervous system and adrenals in a way that mimics the “fight or flight” response. Do you want to be in that state when there’s no real danger?

The long-term elevation of stress hormones in your body has subtle, yet powerful, effects. You may notice that you don’t get enough sleep, or lack sleep quality sleep. It can become easy to find yourself in a cycle where you bounce between feeling tired and remedying that feeling with caffeine. This cycle builds up your tolerance so you have to consume more to feel the same effect. The irony can be that you feel tired because you can’t get good/enough sleep because of the caffeine you consume to feel less tired!

Given that the average half-life of caffeine is around 5 hours, it’s likely that caffeine will affect your sleep even if you have it earlier in the day. Consequently, even just a bit of caffeine can lead to a toxic cycle of constant fatigue. 

Sign 2: You have Anxiety/Depression

Anyone who’s used caffeine can tell you about what happens when they withdraw from it: headaches, irritability, and fatigue among other things. But caffeine also messes with mental health because it tends to aggravate anxiety and depression.

Caffeine increases adrenaline levels in your body and your thoughts may become scattered as a result. The external stresses, like responsibilities at work, are magnified by caffeine. Many panic attacks have their roots in caffeine use. If you’ve ever taken too much, then you know how uncomfortable the feeling is and why someone might have a panic attack episode. Even low or moderate use (less than 300mg a day) is often enough to make someone abnormally anxious.

Substances like caffeine are addictive because they release a pleasure hormone called dopamine. When you consume caffeine, large amounts of dopamine are released. Since the human body doesn’t have an infinite storehouse of dopamine, it’s going to take some time to replenish. During this time period, you’re not going to be feeling one hundred percent. For habitual caffeine users, the constant dopamine exhaustion is an invitation for depression. And it’s even worse for those who already suffer from depression.

Mental health issues like anxiety and depression may be dramatically improved by avoiding caffeine.

Sign 3: You have a mineral deficiency 

It can seem surprising that in places like the United States, where there is plenty to eat, mineral deficiencies are extremely common. According to the Dietary Reference Intakes, up to 92% of Americans have some kind of mineral deficiency. The most common deficiencies are iron, vitamin B12, and calcium. Caffeine is known to disrupt the absorption of these and other minerals in the body.

In the book Caffeine Blues by Stephen Cherniske, M.S., he writes about how caffeine sabotages your body’s absorption of nutrients. He cited a 1983 American Journal of Clinical Nutrition study that found a single cup of coffee “reduced iron absorption from a hamburger meal by 39%”. Another study he used was published in Haematologica and found that “anemia was incurable until the patient stopped consuming caffeine”. 

How to stop caffeine

Quitting caffeine is no walk in the park. It can be both physically, and mentally, difficult. It’s can be especially difficult if you’ve been habitually using it for a long time. Additionally, caffeine can be found pretty much everywhere so it is hard to avoid. The good news is that none of this has to get in the way of you successfully quitting. 

Depending on how much you consume, it may be a good idea to ween off caffeine instead of going cold turkey. Keep track of how much caffeine you have each day and set goals to gradually reduce it. Switching to tea can help in quitting because tea typically doesn’t have as much caffeine as coffee or energy drinks. Caffeine-free herbal teas are a good option as well. If you truly want to quit caffeine, then at some point you’re going to have to go cold turkey. The greatest benefit to gradually reducing how much caffeine you consume is that you avoid dramatic withdrawal symptoms.

Conclusion

It may be hard to imagine life without caffeine. Some people may underestimate the effect caffeine has, especially on mental health. If that’s something you struggle with, quitting may be just what you need. What do you have to lose by quitting caffeine? You’ll have more natural energy, better mental and physical health, a bigger wallet from saving money, and you’ll be free from the prison of addiction.