Headaches, sleepless nights, and panic attacks are only some of the negative sides of drinking coffee. Caffeinism is a real thing, and so is caffeine withdrawal. A proven way to beat both is to simply stop drinking coffee.
Most bonafide coffee drinkers end up ditching coffee because the side effects that come with it can be overwhelming. Luckily, there’s a plethora of healthy alternatives, i.e., green tea, golden milk, and lemon water.
You know it’s time to lay off the Java when you need more than the recommended amount to feel the effects or when you’re constantly experiencing a series of caffeinism symptoms. Now let’s explore why people stop drinking coffee.
What are the Most Common Reasons People Cut Out Coffee?

Most people who quit coffee do so for health reasons. Coffee is a double-edged sword, it offers a wide array of benefits, but it can also wreak havoc on your health. A tell-tale sign that you need to cut out coffee is when you reach a point when the side effects overshadow the perks. The following are compelling enough reasons to ditch coffee:
Medication
Coffee interacts with some elements found in certain medications. This interaction can be hazardous as it can either create a toxic drug or dilute the effects of medication. Common prescription medications that react to caffeine are asthma, antidepressants, and antibacterial drugs.
Digestive Conditions
The effects of caffeine will only intensify typical symptoms of gut conditions such as acid reflux or nausea.
High Blood Pressure
One of coffee’s most notable adverse effects is it raises blood pressure. Ditching that Joe can help stabilize your blood pressure.
Better Absorption of Nutrients
Studies have proven that high caffeine consumption hinders the absorption of some nutrients. More specifically, calcium and iron.
Sleep Pattern
Coffee has been proven to alter your sleep pattern. Cutting out coffee drastically improves the sleep cycle. It reduces daytime drowsiness and sleepless nights.
Anxiety
In addition to boosting energy, caffeine activates the “fight or flight” hormone. Left unchecked, this hormone may worsen chronic anxiety, stress, and even depression symptoms. Conversely, capping caffeine intake can lower anxiety significantly.
Headaches
Coffee drinkers become so dependent on coffee to get them through the day or even the morning that skipping out on their Joe for a few hours gives them headaches.
Improved Bowels
Coffee prompts the stomach to produce more acid, and being acidic itself; it also contributes to the stomach’s acid levels. On the other hand, caffeine in coffee has laxative effects. All these factors slowly deteriorate the bowels.
Caffeine Dependence
The more caffeine is consumed, the more it loses its effects. This is the case with people who’ve developed a dependence to caffeine. The only way to beat this is to cut out coffee for a while and adopt healthier coffee-drinking habits. On average, caffeine dependence takes 6 to 8 weeks to disappear.
Caffeine Sensitivity
Some people metabolize caffeine faster than the average Joe. As a result, typical coffee effects impact them more severely. Experts claim that from drinking one cup of Jitter Juice, caffeine-sensitive people experience the effects equivalent to 5 to 6 cups of regular coffee.
What Happens When Caffeine Enters the Body?
Mainly two things happen when caffeine enters the bloodstream; the caffeine travels to the adrenal glands to stimulate them, which causes them to release adrenaline. Caffeine also travels to adenosine receptors to block them.
Adenosine controls the sleep cycle, and blocking its receptors reduces your need to sleep. Once both things happen, coffee’s “good” effects kick in. As a result, you feel energized, awake and alert.
Things go south when adrenaline is released excessively, and adenosine receptors are constantly being blocked. As a result, people tend to feel overly anxious and restless with higher than normal adrenaline levels in the bloodstream. Add blocked adenosine receptors to the mix, and that’s when the adverse effects take over.
What are the Common Side Effects of Caffeine?
Unless you’re considerably sensitive to caffeine, it’s improbable that you’ll experience any side effects from keeping your coffee consumption within the recommended amount. Capping your intake to 3 to 4 cups daily will help you clear the pitfalls. Anything beyond that will result in a wide array of side effects.
Mild Side Effects
Coffee typically causes the following adverse effects:
- Nervousness
- Panic attacks
- Anxiety
- Increased heartbeat
- Frequent urination
While these symptoms can be the cause of worry for many people, they’re considered to be on the mild side.
Serious Side Effects
Depending on your overall health, more severe and even life-threatening symptoms can occur. Any of the following side effects should be regarded as a medical emergency:
- Altered blood circulation to the heart
- High levels of blood acidity
- Seizures
- Speedy and irregular heartbeat
The good thing about coffee-induced side effects is that they will disappear once caffeine consumption stops. That is, assuming they were mild symptoms like headaches and so forth. However, any of the more alarming side effects will require medical attention.
How Much Caffeine is in a Regular Cup of Coffee
The caffeine content in one cup of coffee averages about 95mg. Several factors may lower or drive up this number. For instance, using coffee beans with more caffeine will inevitably result in a more caffeinated cup of Joe. Whereas diluting coffee with water or milk takes away from the caffeine content.
With the recommended daily intake set at 430mg, a single cup of coffee makes up a quarter of what you should consume. Since brewing coffee primarily extracts caffeine, aroma, and oils, the method of brewing vastly affects the caffeine concentration in a cup.
Cold brewing is generally prepared from a coffee-to-water ratio of 1:4. The acceptable standard for regular coffee is about 1:16. Evidently, cold brew is more concentrated and therefore has a higher caffeine content than other coffee varieties.
What is Decaf Coffee?
Decaf coffee refers to coffee with significantly low caffeine content. All coffee types lose a bit of their caffeine during preparation. Roasting coffee beans, for instance, burns off up to 70% of the beans’ caffeine. However, nearly 98% of the caffeine is removed with decaf, leaving only 2 to 3%.
The purpose of decaffeinating coffee is to separate caffeine, the “bad part of coffee,” from the other elements. This way, people can enjoy coffee without worrying about the side effects, or at least that’s the idea.
Coffee beans can be stripped of their coffee in a variety of ways. One way to go about it is with a solvent comprising water, carbon dioxide, or any other chemical solvent.
The coffee beans are then soaked in the solvent; then, they’re thoroughly washed in that solution. This process removes the caffeine. Another popular caffeine extraction method is the Swiss Water Process. This process is less abrasive; it mainly uses water and heat to extract caffeine slowly.
How Much Caffeine is in Decaf Coffee?
So exactly how much caffeine is in a cup of decaf coffee? A cup of decaffeinated Java contains only 2 mg of caffeine, not even a quarter of the content in a regular cup. But, here’s the kicker: decaf coffee can still cause several side effects.
According to research and observations, 2mg is apparently enough to cause some chaos in the human body, especially the digestive system. The caffeine levels of decaf may be lower, but the nutritional value is nearly identical to its caffeinated counterpart.
How to Pick Your Decaf
Picking the best decaf coffee isn’t as simple as it sounds. There are several factors to consider, such as the decaf process, the coffee bean type, and the roast degree. Also, since you’re getting nearly no caffeine, you want to ensure your pick excels in other areas.
The last thing you want is to end up with dull, lackluster coffee. The flavor profile and aroma should be able to compensate for the lack of caffeine. Anything like Kicking Ass Decaf dark Horse (on Amazon) should do the trick.
Is it Common to Experience Withdrawal Symptoms When Cutting Out Coffee?
Using or ingesting substances, usually stimulants, increases the level of specific hormones in your body. This leads to more efficient and effective performance in various functions, depending on the type of stimulant.
Over time, the body and brain become accustomed to relying on these stimulants to perform specific functions. And when the supply of these stimulants is suddenly curbed, the brain and body react with a series of effects.
Caffeine is a stimulant; it accelerates activity in the brain and nervous system and speeds up the release of adrenaline and cortisol. People who consume more coffee than is recommended daily usually develop caffeine dependence.
Basically, they require more coffee to get the same effects as a regular person drinking coffee. In addition, they find it challenging to function without their morning Joe. This can happen to anyone, and depending on caffeine sensitivity, caffeine dependence may occur even if consumption is moderated.
Withdraw Symptoms
Withdrawal symptoms vary from mild to more severe symptoms. On the mild side, you may experience irritability, disturbed sleep patterns, and anxiety.
But on the more severe side, symptoms may include sharp headaches, brain fog, and palpitations. These symptoms generally kick in 24 to 48 hours after quitting caffeine and can last up to two weeks.
How to Withdraw from Coffee
The good news is that people often recover from caffeine withdrawal, and the damage is usually reversible. What’s more, all hope isn’t lost. Applying the right approach allows coffee drinkers to “reset” their dependence and start a new, healthier relationship with caffeine.
Here are some helpful coffee-cleansing tips:
- Gradually reduce your coffee consumption.
- Replace your morning Joe with a healthy alternative like organic black tea (from Amazon).
- Write down your progress.
- Stay away from other sources of “bad caffeine” like sodas.
- Keep yourself hydrated.
What are the Healthiest Alternatives to Coffee?
There’s more to picking coffee alternatives than opting for the first hot beverage that comes to mind. Your choice should reflect your reason for drinking coffee in the first place. With that in mind, here are healthy coffee alternatives tailored to a wide array of needs and preferences;
Matcha Tea
Matcha tea is prepared from powder obtained by grinding Japanese green tea leaves. It’s mostly known for improving brain function and promoting weight loss. Much like coffee, matcha tea can boost energy, but the process happens more gradually.
Black Tea
Black tea is an antioxidant powerhouse that boosts heart health and lowers cholesterol. It’s made from the Camellia Sinensis plant. Interestingly enough, it contains more caffeine than most teas but less than coffee. So it’s an option to consider for those not willing to abandon caffeine.
Chai
The first thing people notice about chai tea is its irresistible aroma. Admittedly, it smells nothing like coffee, but that’s the point. It’s a beverage mostly consumed in India for its numerous health benefits. Chai tea isn’t free of caffeine but only packs less than half of what a regular cup of coffee contains.
Mushroom Coffee
Mushroom coffee is the go-to choice for anyone looking for not just a coffee alternative benefits-wise but also something that closely imitates the taste and aroma of coffee.
Mushroom coffee has actually been around for some time. However, due to a lack of coffee beans, the Finnish resorted to making coffee from mushrooms during World War 2.
Golden Milk
Golden milk is another traditional Indian beverage. It’s made from a concoction of non-dairy milk, ginger, Tumeric, cinnamon, and other spices. As the name suggests, it has a golden color to it and tastes quite spicy.
It combines the benefits offered by the spices to create a recipe that provides tons of benefits. For instance, Tumeric is an antioxidant. Resultantly, golden milk also has antioxidant properties.
Lemon Water

Lemon water is an affordable yet effective healthy coffee alternative. It’s low in calories, doesn’t contain any caffeine, and is a great vitamin C source. However, lemon water isn’t just a coffee alternative; its detoxifying properties can also be used for a coffee cleanse.
Conclusion
People are less likely to revert to their coffee ways if the alternatives offer similar feelings and benefits. What’s important is that it’s served hot. A warm coffee alternative can improve mental health and promote productivity.