You should expect more headaches
One of the most common consequences of quitting coffee is the very annoying headaches that most people know. As soon as you quit coffee and your body doesn’t get the caffeine intake it was used to, one of the most recognizable signs is headache.
Quitting coffee means depriving your body of the natural hormones (adrenaline and dopamine) that are meant to keep you awake. Tiredness and headaches are triggered by adenosine, a hormone that is in charge of rest and fatigue.
You might feel sick for a few days
While experiencing headaches is one of the most common effects after quitting coffee, there’s also a chance you might feel unwell. But don’t worry, this sensation will fade after a few days and everything will get back to normal as soon as your body gets used to the lack of caffeine.
People who cut off caffeine from their lives reported feeling depressed, anxious, and dizzy. Some even experienced flu-like symptoms, insomnia, and mood swings. However, these symptoms aren’t going to last forever, so there’s no need to panic. According to experts, the physical symptoms should fade after three days, while the rest can take up to a week or two.
Your smile could look better
Everyone knows that coffee stains the teeth and it’s quite hard to have a perfect, white smile if you’re a three-cups-per-day coffee drinker. Every sip of coffee you take can leave stains and erode your teeth because coffee is very acidic.
So quitting coffee has its perks as well, your smile could look better than never. “Your teeth won’t get stained as much, which people often don’t think about,” says Angelone.
You could lack important antioxidants
As data from a study made by the University of Scranton shows, coffee is the main source of antioxidants in most American’s diets. Also, a study published in Breast Cancer Research discovered that women who drink coffee frequently (five cups or more) are 57 percent less likely to develop breast cancer later in life, compared who women who drink less than a cup per day.
According to research, coffee acts like an antioxidant, so quitting it might result in a lack of antioxidants and a potential risk to certain diseases. In another 2018 study published in the Journal Frontiers in Neuroscience, coffee drinkers were less likely to get Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s than those who do not consume coffee at all.
Moreover, drinking between three and five cups of coffee a day reduces the risk of heart disease by 21 percent, a recent American Journal of Epidemiology study discovered.
So by quitting coffee, you’ll also lose its important health benefits as well. The good news, however, is that you could get those antioxidants from teas, fruits and veggies. According to Delbridge, green tea is a rich source of antioxidants.
You could have trouble concentrating
Besides giving you mood swings and irritability, quitting coffee can also contribute to trouble concentrating. You can blame the lack of concentration on the caffeine withdrawal and the decrease in adrenaline and dopamine, the hormones responsible for keeping you awake and ready to go.
According to experts, chewing gum has been proven to help with concentration, because it keeps the brain alert. A 2014 study published in the British Journal of Psychology asked participants to chew gum while doing several tasks and resulted in quicker reaction times and better results compared who those who didn’t chew gum.
Moreover, your body will slowly adjust to the lack of caffeine, and in the long run, you won’t feel the unavoidable afternoon crush that most coffee drinkers experience after the first-morning cup of coffee.
You might experience constipation
Letting go of your usual cup of coffee might result in constipation, considering that caffeine promotes contractions in the colon and intestines, Delbridge explains. However, there are many ways that could help you deal with constipation. You can start by adding rich fiber foods to your diets, such as whole grains, vegetables, and beans, drink a minimum of 2L of water, and exercise at least 30 minutes per day.
You will be calmer
If you feel very anxious and constantly jiggling your leg after drinking coffee, then maybe it’s time to stop drinking so much. With caffeine being a stimulant, it’s normal to feel energetic and a little restless after drinking it, as it raises the levels of adrenaline and dopamine in your body.
But if you drink too much coffee, you might experience severe anxiety than can make you jittery and nervous, according to Sonya Angelone, RDN, a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, in San Francisco.
By cutting caffeine off, you’ll probably feel a lot more relaxed and calm, and the anxiety you were so used to might dissipate.
