The benefits of quitting coffee
Could giving coffee a miss be the key to better health?
Does the day only begin when you’ve had your first sip of coffee? Coffee, when drank in moderation, opens in a new tab (the equivalent of two espressos a day), is unlikely to damage your health, though there are still good reasons for giving it up altogether.
Yes, coffee might put a bounce in your step and kick-start your morning but giving it up could lead to more natural energy and better all-round health.
The advantages of quitting coffee
Here are seven great reasons to bypass the coffee pot – though, as with all decisions about your health, it’s best to talk to your doctor, opens in a new tab about what’s right for you.
1. You might have more balanced energy levels
Drinking caffeinated beverages is like running your body on credit. This is because caffeine works by binding to adenosine receptors, opens in a new tab in the brain.
Adenosine is a neurotransmitter involved in storing and releasing energy. Normally, adenosine levels rise during the day before eventually binding to their receptors towards the evening. This is when we start to feel drowsy. When caffeine blocks the receptors, this can prevent the drowsy effect but the adenosine is left to circulate until the coffee molecules break down. The adenosine then homes in on its receptors and – yes – you feel tired again, and probably will the next morning because you’ve lost out on sleep. You’re literally borrowing energy that has to be repaid later.
Caffeine also increases your stress response, which releases the stress hormone cortisol. “An increase in cortisol will cause an increase in blood sugar levels which then increases insulin,” says nutritionist Melissa Smith. “This increases inflammation, making you feel tired and lousy.”
2. You might have a better sleep
Caffeine is a stimulant, which means it increases activity in your brain and nervous system and is unlikely to promote quality sleep. Removing it from your diet lets the hormones that affect your sleep (cortisol and melatonin) follow their natural rhythms.
Caffeine is also a diuretic which means it can cause you to urinate more often, opens in a new tab. Depending on when you your last cup, it could disturb your sleep by waking you at night.
Without coffee, you should be able to enjoy better quality sleep, opens in a new tab and feel less tired during the day.
3. It may help shift belly fat
As we’ve seen, caffeine can increase production of cortisol. Cortisol plays a bit part in the development of belly fat, opens in a new tab by causing fat to be stored centrally around the organs. You won’t magically lose weight by simply cutting out caffeine, but it does contribute to regulating the system that creates and maintains more fat around your middle.
For more tips on how to maintain a healthy weight, check out more Healthy Eating, opens in a new tab and Body, opens in a new tab related articles on The Check Up.
4. It may reduce anxious feelings
Caffeine consumption increases lactic acid, which can lead to anxiety, opens in a new tab. “Many of my clients who have suffered anxiety for years simply removed caffeine, and their symptoms disappeared almost immediately,” Melissa says.
If you’re currently suffering from anxiety and unsure where to turn, we provide eligible members with mental health management programs, opens in a new tab to support you and promote positive behaviour change and mental wellbeing.
5. It might help with vitamin and mineral absorption
Research shows caffeine can cause depletion, opens in a new tab of important nutrients, like vitamin B6 and other B vitamins. It can interfere with the absorption of essential minerals including calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese, zinc and copper, and increase the excretion of magnesium, potassium, sodium and phosphate.
By inhibiting the amount of calcium absorbed through the intestinal tract, coffee can also deplete the amount retained by the bones. The University of South Australia, opens in a new tab found that people who consume 800 mg of caffeine over a typical working day will have a 77% increase in calcium in their urine, creating a potential deficiency that could impact their bones.
6. Fewer calories from milk and sugar
This one depends on how you take your coffee and what you plan to replace it with when you stop. While coffee with no milk or sugar barely registers on the scale, an average small latte with no added sugar could contain approximately 502 kJ, opens in a new tab. And if you prefer an iced coffee with whipped cream, you’re generally consuming over 2000 kJ, opens in a new tab, so you’re effectively drinking a meal! Replacing your coffee with caffeine-free herbal tea or hot water with lemon could make a big difference to your daily energy intake. <h3> 7. Save yourself some money Before COVID-19, opens in a new tab, a cup of coffee in major cities like Sydney and Melbourne typically cost between $4 and $4.50. Costs associated with the pandemic pushed this up and, since then, a number of uncontrollable factors such as supply chain issues and severe weather events that damaged crops and reduced yields have pushed prices up to $5.50 or more. Even if you buy just one coffee a day, that’s approaching $2,000 a year.
How to quit coffee or caffeine
Struggling to cut down on caffeine? Here are Melissa’s top tips for quitting coffee:
If you feel tired when you first wake up, drink a warm cup of water with some lemon juice. For bonus points, drink it by a window with the sun streaming in. Sunlight shuts off melatonin and increases cortisol naturally, which is needed to feel awake in the morning.
Get to the root of your fatigue, as it might be stress or diet related. When it comes to your diet, consume a protein-based breakfast, avoid refined carbohydrates (like cereals, bread, pasta and baked goods), and eat plenty of fresh vegetables and fruit as well as healthy fats like avocados.
Consume plenty of B vitamins, which are necessary for energy production. Foods rich in vitamin B include meat and fish, mushrooms, green leafy vegetables, berries, avocados, nuts and seeds, eggs, beans and oats.
Prioritise sleep. Caffeine is often used to try to counteract a lack of sleep so make sure you catch plenty of Z’s.
Possible side effects from quitting coffee
Because caffeine is a drug, some people develop withdrawal symptoms, opens in a new tab when they give up coffee. These will generally start a day or so after quitting and may last up to a week. They can include:
Headaches
Tiredness
Irritability
Nausea
Depression and anxiety.
If you’re thinking about quitting coffee, gradually reduce the amount you consume. This helps your nervous system, opens in a new tab adapt to functioning without caffeine. Try replacing coffee with decaf to ease the transition. Research from the University of Sydney, opens in a new tab found that caffeine withdrawal symptoms diminished after participants drank decaf, regardless of whether they knew it was decaf. If you need help or are concerned about your withdrawal symptoms, speak with your doctor. At nib, we believe that keeping fit and healthy all year round is how it should be. Complete your free Health Check, opens in a new tab at any time and get personalised health insights and actionable recommendation from sources you can trust.
The information on this page is general information and should not be used to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease. Do not use the information found on this page as a substitute for professional health care advice. Any information you find on this page or on external sites which are linked to on this page should be verified with your professional healthcare provider.
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