The benefits of quitting coffee
Does the day only begin when you’ve had your first cup of coffee? When you drink coffee in moderation (about two espressos a day), it’s unlikely to impact your health.
But if you drink too much of it, your coffee habit could cause heightened anxiety, a lack of sleep and other health and wellbeing issues. So even if coffee does put a pep in your step, giving it up for good could give you more natural energy and better health.
The advantages of quitting coffee
Quitting coffee can have a range of physical and mental benefits including:
1. You might have more balanced energy levels
Drinking coffee or other caffeinated drinks can feel like a quick energy boost — but it often comes with a crash later.
That’s because caffeine works by delaying your body’s natural tiredness signals. It tricks you into feeling more awake, but once the caffeine wears off, that built-up tiredness can hit harder for some people. Depending on what time of day you consume caffeine, you might also find it harder to sleep, which can leave you feeling extra drained the next day.
2. You might have a better sleep
Caffeine is a stimulant that can increase activity in your brain and nervous system. This makes it harder to have a good night of sleep. Removing it from your diet lets the hormones that help to control your sleep (cortisol and melatonin) follow their natural rhythms.
Caffeine is also a diuretic, which means it can cause you to urinate more often. Depending on when you had your last cup, it could disturb your sleep by waking you at night to run to the loo. Without coffee, you should be able to enjoy better sleep and feel less tired during the day.
Want more tips on how to maintain a healthy weight? Then you can check out our healthy weight management programs or healthy eating and fitness tips.
3. It may reduce anxious feelings
Excessive caffeine intake (around 1–1.5 g/day) can contribute to symptoms such as restlessness, increased anxiety and irritability.
Because anxiety can be influenced by many factors, it’s important to consult a health professional for personalised advice on managing your mental health, including the role diet and caffeine may play.
4. It might help with vitamin and mineral absorption
Some research suggests caffeine can affect how your body absorbs important vitamins and nutrients.
For example, it may reduce how much calcium you absorb, which can be important for your bones.
The University of South Australia found that people who consume 800 mg of caffeine in a typical working day had a 77% increase of calcium in their urine, which could create a deficiency that impacts their bones in the long term.
This doesn’t mean you need to quit coffee or tea completely, it just means that if you're relying on those drinks a lot, it might be worth being more mindful of your overall nutrition or chatting with your GP or a dietitian.
5. 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 this scale, an average small latte with no added sugar could contain approximately 500 kJ. And if you add sugar, flavoured syrups or whipped cream you can quickly increase the calories in a single drink so much that you’re effectively drinking a whole meal! Replacing your coffee with caffeine-free herbal tea or hot water with lemon could make a big difference to your daily energy intake.
How to quit coffee or caffeine
Struggling to cut down on caffeine? Here are Melissa’s top tips for quitting coffee:
Gradually reduce the amount you have: This helps the nervous system adapt to functioning without caffeine. Try replacing coffee with decaf to ease the transition.
Switch up your morning drink: If you feel tired when you wake up, drink a warm cup of water with some lemon juice. This gives you hydration, flavour and some bonus vitamin C to start your day right.
Embrace routines and natural light: Try starting your day by a window with the sun streaming in to shut off melatonin to help you feel more awake. Get plenty of fresh air and daylight, while avoiding screens toward bedtime to regulate your melatonin.
Get to the root of your fatigue: Whether it’s stress or diet-related, knowing the cause of your fatigue can help you fix it. Consider eating a protein-based breakfast and plenty of fresh vegetables and fruit, avoid refined carbohydrates (like cereals and baked goods) and eat healthy fats like avocados.
Consume plenty of B vitamins: These are necessary for producing natural energy. 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 generally used to try to counteract a lack of sleep, so make sure you catch plenty of Z’s.
Possible side effects from quitting coffee
Some people might experience caffeine withdrawal symptoms when they give up coffee. These might start a day or so after quitting and could last for a week. Side effects of quitting coffee cold turkey can include:
headaches
tiredness
irritability
nausea
depression and anxiety.
If you have any concerns about the side effects of quitting coffee, speak with your GP. Talking to your doctor about your risk for withdrawal symptoms means you can get tailored advice on how to best manage them, while safeguarding your physical and mental health.
Need help cutting back on coffee?
nib members can access convenient support for their coffee cutback with telehealth services through our partner hub.health. You can book online and speak with a medical doctor or nurse practitioner from the comfort of your home about reducing your caffeine intake and boosting your wellbeing.
The information contained in this article is provided as general information only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. For personalised medical advice, always consult your qualified healthcare professional.