What happens to your body if you give up coffee?

Coffee in the morning has become a familiar ritual for many people. This drink not only has a pleasant taste and aroma, but also invigorates, helping to start a hard work day. But how to treat coffee, if you feel that the usual preference smoothly turned into an addiction? If it is not one cup a day, but four or more?

The debate about the harm of caffeine has been going on for decades, but the results are still ambiguous. Modern scientists, physicians and ordinary people who have tried a complete refusal of this drink, have come to the conclusion that it is impossible to talk about the exceptional harm of coffee. Of course, the exclusion of coffee from the diet has a number of positive effects produced on the human body. There are also minuses – if you did not know the measures before making a decision and abruptly denied yourself the pleasure. Let’s understand what will happen if you stop consuming coffee, and what it can be replaced with.

Positive effects of giving up coffee

Talking about the tangible negative effects of caffeine on the body, as always, comes down to the concept of measure. If you can clearly characterize yourself as an avid coffee drinker and simply can not live a day without a few servings of your favorite beverage, it is worth thinking about reducing the amount of coffee consumed or abandoning it altogether. You will be able to feel the positive effect in 1-2 weeks after this decision.

Normalization of sleep

It’s no secret that caffeine excites the nervous system when we are awake. It can do this during sleep, if you take it in increased doses: for example, drink more than three cups of coffee a day. And even if you do it six hours before bedtime, your biological cycle is likely to be disrupted.

By completely eliminating the beverage from your menu, your body will not be overexcited, which in turn will affect your sleep. Firstly, you will fall asleep more easily and you are very likely to forget how it is to lie in bed without sleep for half an hour or more. By the way, people who suffer from insomnia, coffee is generally contraindicated. Secondly, you’ll get better sleep, which will make it easier to get up in the morning. And as a bonus – you will simply look more rested, without black eyes.

Emotional stabilization

Of course, we’re only talking about mood swings and increased irritability. As we have already mentioned, caffeine is an excitant for our nervous system. Therefore, it is not surprising that if you consume it in large quantities, feelings of dissatisfaction and irritability will accompany you throughout the day. Excluding the invigorating drink from the diet will lead to stabilization of the emotional background, although those who are really hooked on coffee, at first it will be quite difficult in psychological terms.

Increased energy

Although most people drink coffee to cheer themselves up or simply to wake up, you’ll have a lot more energy without it. Caffeine causes the body to produce adrenaline, which leads to a rush of energy. However, with constant coffee consumption, you need more and more of the stimulant each time so that your body responds to it with equal efficiency.

In addition, coffee can block cortisol, a hormone produced in the body throughout the day that helps you wake up in the morning and fall asleep in the evening. In the morning, cortisol levels in the body are highest: it is usually produced from 6 to 9 am, peaking at 8 to 9 am. Therefore, if you constantly drink coffee in the morning and block the hormone, the invigorating effect will be short-lived and the feeling of sleepiness will catch up with you very soon.

Weight loss

Cortisol also affects the adrenal glands, which act in conjunction with the thyroid gland. The thyroid is an important organ responsible for metabolism. Caffeine slows it down, and giving up coffee can help in losing weight.

Improvement of liver function

Constant coffee consumption can cause the effect of the so-called lazy liver. This organ produces enzymes that help break down harmful chemicals and metabolize them. Coffee also badly needs these processes, so the liver, figuratively speaking, after hard work can become lazy when faced with other harmful substances.

Normalization of blood pressure and blood cholesterol levels

Both high blood pressure and high cholesterol can be caused by too much caffeine in the body. This is achieved at a particularly fast rate if the cup you just drank is combined with smoking a cigarette. We advise you not to do this.

Increase in libido and fertility levels

This may sound surprising, but it really is true. In the first case, it again comes down to the work of the thyroid gland. It is responsible for the hormones on which sex drive directly depends. One of the most important hormones in this regard is testosterone. It is proven that if you stop overloading your thyroid with coffee, you can notice an improvement in your sex life.

In the matter of fertility, everything depends on another hormone – progesterone. It contributes to the onset of pregnancy and its further maintenance. Therefore, during the planning stage and the pregnancy itself, it is not recommended to go heavy on coffee.

Improving the color of teeth

The fact that coffee is a strong coloring agent is certainly no secret. It affects the color of the teeth and is able to shake their whiteness. Abstaining from the beverage, combined with proper care and regular dental visits, can help restore your oral health.

Negative effects of caffeine withdrawal

With all the listed pluses of refusal from constant and excessive use of caffeine, it is worth remembering that it will not be easy for you to come to this decision. After all, in neglected cases, it is comparable to struggling with addiction. There are a number of negative effects that you may encounter in the first stages of excluding coffee from your diet.

Headaches

When you give up coffee, you deprive your body of adrenaline and dopamine. Instead, adenosine – the hormone responsible for rest and fatigue – comes to the fore. It is because of him at first you will be tormented by headaches. To avoid them, experts recommend to “get off coffee addiction” gradually.

General deterioration of health

In addition to headaches, you will experience irritability, anxiety, dizziness, possible flu symptoms, insomnia, mood swings and slowness. Sounds really scary, even akin to the serious side effects of drug addiction. But don’t worry, it’s only limited to the first few days without coffee.

Fatigue and absent-mindedness

It is quite expected that after depriving the body of a sufficiently strong stimulant, at first it will be difficult to cope with fatigue, rapid fatigue and absent-mindedness. It can also lead to slower reactions, loss of concentration, focus and alertness – but, again, only at first.

Weight gain

Indeed, there is a downside to this aspect. The fact is that coffee has the ability to temporarily suppress appetite. Therefore, with a sharp and complete rejection of it in you may wake up a desire to replace the drink with fatty or sweet products – sources of fast sugar, increasing blood glucose levels.

What to replace coffee with?

In connection with the possible negative effects and banal “withdrawal” after giving up coffee, a logical question arises: what to replace it with? These days there are enough drinks that can serve as an excellent alternative.

Green tea. Also a source of caffeine, but in much smaller quantities, so it will only stimulate you and will not cause shivering. In addition, green tea is suitable for people suffering from adrenal insufficiency, those who want to lose weight and cleanse the body, all thanks to the antioxidant catechins.

Matcha. A modern trend that is very often resorted to by people who have eliminated coffee from their lives. This Japanese tea not only tastes great to coffee drinkers, but it also contains many antioxidants and chlorophyll and is invigorating without causing caffeine depletion.

Chicory. Is a worthy substitute for the flavor of coffee. There is no caffeine in chicory at all, yet it is still invigorating thanks to vitamin B. It also contains inulin, which improves the digestive system and metabolism.

Cocoa. Its caffeine content is minimized: only 5 mg. That said, cocoa includes magnesium, calcium, zinc, iron, potassium and antioxidants found in green tea.

Ginger tea. It’s a treasure trove of vitamins C, B1, B2, essential oils and amino acids. And if you add lemon and honey to fresh ginger tea, you can achieve a strong tonic effect and improve blood circulation.

Lemongrass tea. Not only excellent invigorating, but also has a disinfectant effect. Lemongrass contains vitamin E and schizandrin, and is combined with berry syrups and honey.

Fresh citrus juice. It is as invigorating as caffeine. But you need to remember that the juice should be freshly squeezed, from oranges or grapefruits. And on an empty stomach it is highly contraindicated for people prone to gastritis and other stomach diseases, because of the increased acidity.

Green smoothie. This option is suitable for replenishing iron, the lack of which causes anemia and chronic fatigue, as well as lowering cholesterol and protecting the immune system, thanks to the vitamins and minerals contained in it.