According to a 2019 study, Brits drink more than 95 million cups of coffee a day! This has increased by 25 million cups a day in the last 10 years, by us Brits alone. Of these 95 million cups, it’s said 65% are consumed at home, 25% at work or while studying. The rest are drunk in cafes and bars. There’s obviously a bit of an addiction to this warming beverage with us Brits. So, why should we try giving up caffeine?
Firstly, we thought it might be interesting to see what the health benefits are to giving up this oh so popular drink. It might give you the boost you need to help you give up altogether.
Less Anxiety
Although caffeine is great for giving you a burst of energy, what goes up, must come back down. That boost of energy you feel when you drink caffeine, also stimulates you fight or flight hormone. Essentially, caffeine is a drug so it causes the body to react to this toxin. In doing so, it will increase your anxiety levels, feelings of nervousness. It could even give you heart palpitations and panic attacks.
Better Sleep Patterns
Your caffeine habit could be affecting your sleep. Studies have shown daily coffee consumption can drastically alter your sleep cycle. Causing restless sleep at night and a feeling of drowsiness throughout the day. This is even more so if you consume caffeine less than 7 hours before going to bed.
Caffeine has something called a half life. This is the amount of time it takes for half the total amount of caffeine to leave your body. It’s half life is said to be around 5 – 8 hours, depending on the person. So, if you’re drinking a cup of coffee, or tea at 3pm, you could still have half the caffeine in your body at 11pm. The remaining half of caffeine could still be in your body the next morning! Give up caffeine and you could have a more rested night sleep.
Better Absorption Of Nutrients
If you’re not a coffee or tea drinker, it’s highly likely your body will be able to absorb nutrients much better than those who do drink caffeine.
Tannins (found in caffeine) are a class of astringent molecules that bind to proteins, amino acids and alkaloids which inhibit the absorption of – calcium, iron and potassium. Meaning your body can’t absorb these vital nutrients properly. Eliminating caffeine from your diet can help ensure you get all of the nutrients possible from your diet.
Healthier Teeth
As with things like smoking and drinking red wine, coffee and tea can badly stain teeth. This is due to the high levels of tannin found in these drinks. By removing caffeinated drinks from your diet will help your teeth look and feel healthier.
Better Hormone Balance
Women especially, may benefit from going caffeine-free. Did you know, caffeinated beverages can drastically alter our Estrogen levels.
A recent study found that drinking 2 cups of caffeine per day elevated Estrogen levels in Asian and black women, and lower Estrogen levels i white women.
Changing Estrogen levels, especially in women, can have an increased risk for conditions such as – endometriosis, breast cancer, and ovarian cancer. It’s also been known to worsen symptoms in menopause.
Lower Blood Pressure
Drinking caffeine isn’t good for your blood pressure. It has been shown to raise blood pressure levels due to the stimulatory effect on the nervous system. Drinking more than 3 cups per day has also been known to increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
Fewer Headaches
Caffeine withdrawal is such a real thing that many people get on a daily basis. The most common side effect of caffeine withdrawal is bad headaches. Most people who drink caffeine on a daily basis will often wake up with a headache in the mornings.
Others will have symptoms such as – brain fog and irritability until they’ve had their morning cuppa. Removing caffeine from your diet slowly, will eventually remove these symptoms as the caffeine leaves your body.
Healthier Digestion
Caffeine comes with a whole host of unpleasant digestive issues, especially if you have a sensitive stomach. Coffee often creates a laxative effect that stimulates and irritates the bowels (makes you want to poop more).
Better Ageing
You may benefit from not consuming as much, or any caffeine. It interferes with collagen formation, making your skin look more wrinkled and less smooth and supple. So, less caffeine, could mean less wrinkles!
Are you ready to give up caffeine?
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