Is caffeine all bad?

Caffeine isn’t all bad, it actually has some amazing health benefits, but what we seem to forget is that it doesn’t suit everyone. And it definitely isn’t your friend if you’re stressed or needing to heal your body in someway.

Yes annoying I know, because who can resist that sweet aroma of a fresh brew? And I think most of us can relate to the nice little boost we get after our flat white. I know I always feel as though I could smash through my whole to-do list!

But it’s easy to confuse that energy surge as something that’s good for us. When in actual fact you could be sacrificing your long term health for a quick energy hit.

What do I mean by this?

Well when you consume caffeine you are giving your adrenal glands a little kick. So if you were at all stressed, burnt out or have some health issues going on… drinking coffee is essentially like whipping a tired race horse. Even though it needs to rest, it will start to run. 

Because after consuming caffeine your brain tells your body to produce more adrenaline; who’s role it is to keep us alive when faced with danger. It’s the stress hormone that makes us feel as if we could conquer the world. It gears us up with the alertness and sharp thinking to either fight or flee from danger.

So, that revved up feeling we get is actually a hit of adrenaline.

Which short term is ok, but if this is happening everyday we start to run into issues because adrenaline also increases cortisol. Which over time, weakens the immune system and our digestion, can lead to high blood pressure and cholesterol, as well as increased anxiety, decreased progesterone and it also affects the thyroid… just to name a few!

So you need to be honest and ask yourself how you feel after drinking it?

If you feel revved up and still drink it every day it will most likely be having a detrimental effect on your health. Sorry to say.

But this doesn’t happen to everyone. Some people can better metabolise caffeine, meaning they process it quite quickly out of their system. Except, if you’re someone like me - a slow oxidiser, it can take a long time to leave… meaning it’s very likely impacting on your health. I’ve come to learn (the hard way) that caffeine triggers anxiety for me and it definitely affects my sleep.

What is the best way to drink to it to minimise all this?

Firstly, never drink caffeine on an empty stomach. This will only hyper stimulate your nervous system and flood it with that nervous / anxious energy - as opposed to the balanced sustainable energy we really want. If you have it with a meal caffeine can be used for energy and digestion, plus the effects are buffered by the food in your stomach.

So the best time to drink coffee is after breakfast. This is also when your cortisol levels are naturally higher so you are keeping with the rhythms of your body. However, if you have it later in day you will be messing with this natural diurnal rhythm. You also risk having high cortisol in the evening, which is when we want it to be nearing zero so we can easily fall (and stay!) asleep. This is something to seriously think about if you have ANY trouble sleeping! Or if you ever experience anxiety.

If you need a caffeine pick me up in the afternoon this is usually a sign that something is out of balance in the body. Consider exploring this deeper. Or try switch to a green tea instead. It doesn’t cause the same spike as coffee so you might be able to get away with it later in the day. 

Coffee is the most widely used supplement in the world. It is like a drug. Every time you ingest it, it affects your nervous system and can bring you to a high stressed state, even if you’re just sitting at your desk.

So, if you are looking to heal from anything, please keep in mind that you need to cut back on your caffeine consumption. Give your adrenals a break.

Or if you’ve become dependent on it, I encourage you to gently wean yourself down over 30 days. Slowly reducing the amount each week so you don’t shock your system. If you go cold turkey, you will most likely get withdrawal headaches. Ultimately, aim for no more than one small cup after breakfast with a max of 200g caffeine (around a double shot). This is usually ok for most but again knowing YOUR body is important.

But don’t forget, if you’re run down or even slightly burnt out, taking in caffeine will only be putting more artificial energy into your system. Your body needs to recuperate first. This is so important! Heal the body and then begin to enjoy your lovely latte again (in small amounts).

Image Credits; Photo 1: Pixabay / Illustration 2: Madeline Kate Martinez / Photo 3: Christiana Rivers

This post is intended as health education only. It does not treat, cure or prevent disease.