What caffeine withdrawal does to your body

Help, caffeine withdrawal!

Are you one of those people who can't even get out of the house, let alone go to the office, without a cup of coffee without going nuts? And who equate the sentence "The coffee machine is broken" with the lowest level of hell? Then you have probably thought about cold caffeine withdrawal – After all, coffee is considered very healthy in moderation, but more than four to five cups a day can have negative consequences. And which real coffee junkie drinks just four cups a day?

Health: Am I addicted to coffee?

A daily cup of coffee often becomes a few more over time – and the more we drink, the higher our tolerance to caffeine. In a nutshell: We would have to drink more and more to keep the stimulant effect of the stimulant on a constant level in the long run, because the body gets used to the supply. Although doctors argue about whether caffeine can actually lead to a medical dependency that symptoms can arise from a sudden withdrawal of coffee, it has been proven.

Symptoms: This is how caffeine withdrawal affects your body

If you've tried caffeine withdrawal overnight, you've probably given it up just as quickly and picked up coffee again. Because missing caffeine can be noticeable through some very unpleasant withdrawal symptoms. These include:

Effect: What does caffeine actually do in the body?

It takes just 30 minutes for the beloved cup of coffee to take effect. And it pushes our body up to four hours by:

  • Makes your heart beat faster,
  • increases your pulse and blood pressure,
  • the concentration increases,
  • reduces tiredness
  • the blood vessels constrict, which relieves headache
  • and improves the oxygen supply to the muscles.

No wonder the body starts to whine if the caffeine suddenly stops, right?

But why is this happening?

Different receptors in the brain are responsible for ensuring that we relax and do not overwhelm ourselves. This also includes the so-called adenosine receptors: If the substance adenosine attaches itself to them, we virtually shut down and the production of dopamine and noradrenaline, which normally push us, is reduced. The effect: the heartbeat is calmed, we find it easier to rest. If we drink coffee, caffeine instead of adenosine docks onto the receptors. This has exactly the opposite effect – the body wants rest, but is stimulated.

Whoever drinks a lot of coffee every day The body gets used to it as said and puts it in constant stress. The brain responds to this by producing even more adenosine in order to achieve its required rest. If there is a sudden caffeine withdrawal, there is an imbalance between adenosine and the associated activating messenger substances. This imbalance is noticeable through the symptoms mentioned when withdrawing coffee.

Reduce caffeine: how does withdrawal work properly?

Because of the possible complaints, you shouldn't completely forego coffee overnight. Instead, it makes sense to quasi-taper the caffeine: First replace only one of your daily cups of coffee, for example with herbal tea. You replace one more coffee with tea every two to three days.

Tip: Start weaning one to two days before the weekend so that you don't have to sit at work with the headaches that may result. Also make sure that you generally drink enough fluids – best of course water, but tea is also allowed. Otherwise, it is best to distract yourself from the thought of coffee as well as possible – the withdrawal symptoms should have subsided after a few days, maximum two weeks.

Video tip: 5 wake-up alternatives to coffee