How to Give Up Caffeine

If you're a Red Bull-loving, coffee-swilling caffeine junkie, the idea of giving up America's most popular stimulant may seem absurd, even impossible. Fortunately, cutting back on caffeine isn't nearly as hard as you think. All it takes is time, patience and a few well-chosen alternatives.

Caffeine and the Brain

Have you ever wondered how caffeine affects the human body, and why it causes you to feel more awake? This video walks you through the process of how caffeine reaches the stomach, moves into the bloodstream, and finally reaches the brain. It then discusses how caffeine works on the brain, causing it to keep you more alert for up to two hours after drinking a cup of coffee.

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Step 1: Determine If You Need to Give Up Caffeine
- According to the Mayo Clinic and researchers from the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University, moderate caffeine consumption of 300-400 milligrams a day (approximately 3 cups of coffee) carries "little evidence of healthy risks and some evidence of health benefits."WebMD: Pros and Cons of the Caffeine Craze Those benefits include not only the decrease in fatigue most anyone who's ever had to pull an all-nighter is familiar with, but also include help in the prevention of Parkinson's disease, liver disease and type 2 diabetes.WebMD: Pros and Cons of the Caffeine Craze
- So, why give up caffeine at all? Well, like most everything else in life, moderation is the key. The Mayo Clinic recommends cutting back on caffeine if you consume unhealthy amounts. How much is too much though?Mayo Clinic Caffeine: How much is too much?:
Consuming Unhealthy Amounts
- According to the Mayo Clinic, heavy daily caffeine use of more than 500-600 milligrams per day (approximately 4 to 7 cups of coffee) can causeMayo Clinic: Caffeine: How much is too much?:
- Restlessness
- Anxiety
- Irritability
- Muscle tremors
- Sleeplessness
- Headaches
- Nausea, diarrhea or other gastrointestinal problems
- Abnormal heart rhythms
- If you need help gauging your daily caffeine intake, caffeine-free herbal coffee maker Teeccino offers an online version of Caffeine Blues author Stephen Cherniske's "Caffeine Addiction" Quiz.
Approximate Amounts of Caffeine
- Coffee, regular (1 cup): 138 mg
- Espresso (1/4 cup): 125 mg
- Cappuccino, regular (1 cup): 60 mg
- Latte, regular (1 cup): 60 mg
- Tea, brewed, hot (1 cup): 47 mg
- Nestea Iced Tea, Earl Grey (1 cup): 33 mg
- Cola Soda, regular or diet (12 oz): 42 mg
- Mountain Dew (12 oz): 52 mg
- Chocolate, semisweet (1 oz): 18 mg
- Chocolate milk (1 cup): 5 mg
- Cocoa powder (1 tablespoon): 12 mg
- Source: WebMD
Step 2: Determine Why You'd Like to Quit
- If you're a coffee-buzzing, Red Bull-swilling soda junkie, you're going to have a hard time quitting. Even if you experience nary a withdrawal syndrome, just changing your habits can be difficult. So, you really have to want to quit.
- The first step to making your caffeine-free dreams a reality is pinpointing why you want to quit. People quit drinking coffee, soda or energy drinks for a myriad of reasons from yellowing teeth to a desire to save money to wanting to live a healthier lifestyle. Be honest with yourself; do you really want to quit and why? Once you've done that bit of soul-searching, you're ready to begin the weaning process.
Step 3: Gradually Cut Back on Caffeine
- Giving up caffeine is not going to be easy. While there is some debate in the medical community as to just how addictive caffeine is and you may or may not experience any withdrawal symptoms, the fact of the matter is that making any significant change in our daily routine can be difficult.
Withdrawal Symptoms
- Regardless of whether you are "addicted" or just have a seriously ingrained habit, you may experience one of the following well-documented caffeine withdrawal symptoms as you eliminate the drug from your dietWebMD: Are You Addicted to Caffeine?:
- Headache, fatigue or drowsiness
- Depressed, irritable mood
- Difficulty concentrating
- Flu-like symptoms of nausea and/or vomiting
- Muscle pain or stiffness
- According to the Hopkins' study, people's experience of these symptoms ranged from "mildly annoying" to flu-like in intensity.WebMD: Are You Addicted to Caffeine? Withdrawal symptoms "typically began 12 to 24 hours after the last dose of caffeine, became most severe after one to two days and lasted for two to nine days."
Caffeine Reduction Strategies
- All of the following caffeine elimination strategies require that you cut back on caffeine gradually. It is not advisable to go cold turkey.
- According to Dr. John Hughes, director of the Human Behavior Pharmacology Laboratory at the University of Vermont, even light coffee drinkers can have withdrawal symptoms.MotherNature.com: Caffeine Dependency "It's best if you gradually give up caffeine over the course of several weeks, rather than giving it up abruptly."
1. Gradually Reduce the Amount: Dr. Hughes recommends reducing your caffeine intake by 10 to 30 percent every few days.MotherNature.com: Caffeine Dependency "If you drink 3 cups of coffee a day, drink 2 or 2 1/2 for three or four days, then decrease by another 1/2 cup a few days later and so forth. Give yourself plenty of time."
2. Switch to Tea: Tea has a lower amount of caffeine than coffee. Switch over one of your daily servings from coffee to tea. Slowly transition completely to tea, then to caffeine-free or herbal tea.
  - Blogger Jay White recommends switching to a flavored tea that you A) love and B) comes in a caffeinated and decaffeinated version so that your eventual transition to the caffeine-free lifestyle is less dramatic.
3. Brew Tea for Less Time: According to the Mayo Clinic, brewing tea for less time cuts down on its caffeine content.Mayo Clinic: Caffeine: How much is too much?
4. Use a Coffee Alternative: Cut your coffee with a healthful alternative like soy-based coffees Rocamojo and Soyfee or an herbal caffeine-free coffee like Teeccino.
Tips for Achieving Success
- The following tips will help you cut caffeine out of your diet regardless of which "caffeine fading" strategy you adopt as your own:
1. Establish a Baseline: In order for any weaning process to work, you have to know what your intake was to begin with. Establish a baseline by documenting the amount of caffeine you take in over the course of the week. Don't forget to include caffeine-laced pain relievers, weight loss pills, chocolates and sodas in your count.
2. Don't Use Pain Relievers Containing Caffeine: When you suffer from a caffeine withdrawal headache, don't reach for a caffeine-filled pain reliever. Several over-the-counter products, like Excedrin and Anacin, are loaded with caffeine. Read the labels carefully, and choose a pain reliever that will help rather than hinder your progress.
3. Give Up the Drug, Not the Ritual: You're giving up coffee, not your coffee break. If coffee, an energy drink or soda is part of a daily ritual for you like reading the paper or taking a mid-day break at work, keep the ritual. Replace the drink with water, juice or another caffeine-free alternative.
4. Stay Healthy: Drink lots of water, get some fresh air and exercise. Aerobic exercise, in particular, creates a natural high that can help start your day in a more healthful way than coffee ever could.
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