The Shocking Effects of Going Caffeine-free for a Month

Summary

This script discusses the widespread consumption of caffeine, its effects on the body, and the potential benefits of abstaining for 30 days. It explains caffeine's impact on neurotransmitters, leading to increased wakefulness but also potential negative effects like anxiety and adrenal stimulation. The speaker suggests gradual weaning, using alternatives like matcha tea and herbal substitutes, and emphasizes the importance of good sleep for adrenal health, recommending blue light blocking shades to improve sleep quality.

Takeaways

• 😕 Over 85% of U.S. adults consume caffeine daily, often in the form of coffee or tea, with children consuming it through sodas and energy drinks.
• ☕ The speaker admits to being addicted to coffee, but has reduced their intake due to past overconsumption which affected their adrenals.
• 🌐 Caffeine is the world's most widely consumed mind-altering drug, with people consuming it for various reasons including habit, taste, energy, and creativity.
• 🧠 Caffeine affects the neurotransmitter adenosine, which is involved in sleep cycles, by blocking its receptor and thus preventing the onset of sleepiness.
• 🔄 Chronic caffeine consumption can lead to a downgrading of adenosine receptors, necessitating higher amounts of caffeine to achieve the same effect.
• 🚫 Negative effects of caffeine include anxiety, high blood pressure, digestive problems, and potential allergies due to mold present in coffee.
• 🌱 Caffeine inhibits mold growth in plants, making decaf coffee more susceptible to mold and mycotoxins, which can affect the liver.
• 🍃 It's recommended to consume quality, organic coffee in moderation to minimize health risks and vitamin B1 depletion.
• 🔊 Caffeine stimulates the adrenal glands and the production of adrenaline, which can lead to stress and sleep issues with long-term overuse.
• 🌿 Gradually reducing caffeine intake can be achieved by transitioning from coffee to matcha tea, then to herbal teas, and finally to caffeine-free alternatives.
• 🛑 Withdrawal symptoms from caffeine cessation can include headaches, dizziness, fatigue, and mood changes, but can be mitigated with B vitamins, adaptogens, and herbal substitutes.
• 💤 To support better sleep and adrenal health, the speaker suggests using blue light blocking glasses before bed to reduce melatonin disruption from screens.

Q & A

What percentage of adults in the U.S. consume caffeine?

Over 85 percent of adults in the U.S. consume some type of beverage that contains caffeine.

What are common sources of caffeine for children?

Children commonly consume caffeine through sodas and energy drinks.

Why does the speaker claim to be addicted to coffee?

The speaker admits to being addicted to coffee due to its perceived benefits on creativity and the habit formed from excessive consumption in college.

How does caffeine affect the neurotransmitter adenosine?

Caffeine blocks the receptor for adenosine, preventing it from promoting sleep cycles and making a person feel more awake.

What are some positive effects of caffeine mentioned in the script?

Some positive effects of caffeine include increased conceptual memory, reasoning, reaction speed, mood, and spatial memory.

Why do plants produce caffeine?

Plants produce caffeine as a natural pesticide to kill insects either by directly killing them or by stunting their growth.

What are some negative effects of caffeine consumption?

Negative effects of caffeine consumption can include anxiety, high blood pressure, increased pulse rate, arrhythmias, digestive problems, and potential allergies from mold present in coffee.

Why is decaffeinated coffee more likely to have mold issues?

Decaf coffee is more likely to have mold issues because the caffeine, which naturally inhibits mold growth, has been removed during the decaffeination process.

How does coffee affect vitamin B1 levels in the body?

Coffee can deplete the body of vitamin B1, leading to symptoms of anxiety, nervousness, and difficulty relaxing or sleeping if not replenished.

What is the role of adrenaline in the body and how does caffeine relate to it?

Adrenaline is a neurotransmitter involved in the stress response and fight-or-flight mechanism. Caffeine stimulates the production of adrenaline, potentially leading to increased stress and adrenal issues with chronic consumption.

What are some strategies to gradually reduce caffeine intake?

Strategies to reduce caffeine intake include weaning off coffee, using matcha tea as a supplement with half the caffeine of coffee, and gradually transitioning to herbal teas with lower caffeine content.

What are some benefits of reducing caffeine intake as mentioned in the script?

Benefits of reducing caffeine intake include less anxiety, improved sleep, normalization of blood pressure and pulse rate, better dental health, and reduced stimulation of the adrenal glands.

What are some alternatives to coffee that can help with caffeine withdrawal?

Alternatives to coffee that can help with caffeine withdrawal include herbal coffee substitutes like tachino, B1 and B12 supplements, adaptogens like ashwagandha, and lemon balm tea.

How can blue light from screens affect sleep and what is a suggested solution?

Blue light from screens can interfere with melatonin production, affecting sleep. Wearing blue blocker shades in the last two hours before sleep can help filter this light and improve sleep quality.

Outlines

00:00

💡 Effects of Caffeine Abstinence and Its Impact on Creativity and Health

This paragraph discusses the widespread consumption of caffeine, particularly in the U.S., and the speaker's personal coffee addiction. It explains caffeine's role as a mind-altering substance, its effects on creativity, and its impact on neurotransmitters like adenosine, which is linked to sleep cycles. The paragraph also delves into the negative aspects of caffeine, such as increased anxiety, high blood pressure, and digestive issues, as well as the presence of mold in coffee that can cause allergies and liver irritation. The speaker suggests that quality and organic coffee can mitigate some of these issues and emphasizes the importance of vitamin B1 to counteract caffeine's depleting effects.

05:02

☕️ Transitioning Off Caffeine and Its Potential Benefits

The second paragraph explores strategies for gradually reducing caffeine intake, such as weaning off coffee and substituting it with matcha tea or herbal teas. It outlines the potential benefits of caffeine abstinence, including reduced anxiety, better sleep, normalized blood pressure, and decreased heart palpitations. The speaker also mentions the importance of B vitamins in easing withdrawal symptoms and suggests the use of adaptogens like ashwagandha and lemon balm tea to assist in the transition. Additionally, the paragraph highlights the adverse effects of blue light on sleep and melatonin production, offering a tip on using blue blocker shades to improve sleep quality.

Keywords

💡Caffeine

Caffeine is a naturally occurring stimulant found in coffee, tea, and other beverages. It is known for its ability to temporarily ward off drowsiness and restore alertness. In the video, caffeine is discussed as the most widely consumed mind-altering substance globally, with its effects on enhancing creativity, energy, and cognitive functions being highlighted. The script also mentions caffeine's role in blocking the neurotransmitter adenosine, which is crucial for sleep cycles.

💡Adenosine

Adenosine is a neurotransmitter that plays a significant role in promoting sleep and relaxation. It binds to its receptors to induce feelings of tiredness. The script explains how caffeine interferes with this process by occupying the adenosine receptors, thereby preventing the onset of sleepiness and promoting wakefulness.

💡Addiction

Addiction, in the context of the video, refers to the psychological and physical dependence on caffeine. The speaker admits to being addicted to coffee, which is a common scenario for many individuals who consume caffeine habitually. The video discusses the consequences of such dependence, including the need for increasing amounts of caffeine to achieve the same effects over time.

💡Insomnia

Insomnia is a sleep disorder characterized by difficulty in falling or staying asleep. The video mentions that caffeine can exacerbate insomnia due to its sleep-disrupting effects on the neurotransmitter adenosine. People with insomnia are advised to be cautious with their caffeine intake.

💡Adrenal Glands

The adrenal glands are endocrine glands that produce hormones such as adrenaline, which is involved in the body's stress response. The script discusses how chronic caffeine consumption can overstimulate the adrenal glands, leading to issues like sleep disturbances and stress.

💡Adrenaline

Adrenaline, also known as epinephrine, is a hormone released by the adrenal glands in response to stress. The video explains that caffeine not only blocks sleep-inducing adenosine but also increases adrenaline levels, contributing to the fight-or-flight response and potentially leading to stress and anxiety.

💡Withdrawal Symptoms

Withdrawal symptoms are physical and psychological effects experienced when discontinuing a substance to which one has become dependent. The script describes the potential withdrawal symptoms from caffeine, such as headaches, dizziness, fatigue, and irritability, which can occur when an individual stops or reduces caffeine consumption.

💡Molds

Molds are fungi that can grow in certain environments, including coffee. The video mentions that coffee can contain high levels of molds, which can cause allergies and liver irritation, especially in sensitive individuals. The presence of caffeine in coffee naturally inhibits mold growth, making decaf coffee more prone to mold issues.

💡Mycotoxins

Mycotoxins are toxic compounds produced by molds. The script explains that coffee, particularly instant coffee and decaf varieties, can have higher levels of molds and mycotoxins due to the processing methods used, which can potentially affect liver health.

💡Vitamin B1 (Thiamine)

Vitamin B1, also known as thiamine, is essential for the body's energy production and nervous system function. The video mentions that excessive coffee consumption can deplete vitamin B1 levels, leading to symptoms such as anxiety, nervousness, and difficulty relaxing.

💡Adaptogens

Adaptogens are substances that help the body adapt to stress and maintain balance. The script suggests using adaptogens like ashwagandha and certain mushrooms to help manage stress and ease the transition off caffeine, potentially reducing withdrawal symptoms.

💡Melatonin

Melatonin is a hormone that regulates sleep-wake cycles. The video provides a tip on using blue light-blocking shades to reduce exposure to blue light from screens before bedtime, which can interfere with melatonin production and disrupt sleep.

Highlights

Over 85% of adults in the U.S. consume caffeine, often in coffee or tea, while children consume it in sodas and energy drinks.

Caffeine is the most widely consumed mind-altering drug globally.

Caffeine is consumed for various reasons including habit, taste, energy, and creativity.

Caffeine can improve conceptual memory, reasoning, reaction speed, mood, and spatial memory.

Plants produce caffeine as a pesticide to deter insects.

In humans, caffeine works by blocking the adenosine receptor, which promotes sleep.

Chronic caffeine consumption leads to a downgrading of adenosine receptors, requiring more caffeine for the same effect.

Negative effects of caffeine include anxiety, high blood pressure, digestive issues, and increased mold exposure.

Decaf coffee can have higher mold levels due to the absence of caffeine, which naturally inhibits mold growth.

Coffee can deplete vitamin B1, leading to anxiety, nervousness, and sleep issues.

Caffeine stimulates the adrenal glands, increasing adrenaline and potentially leading to stress and sleep problems.

Coming off caffeine can reduce anxiety, improve sleep, normalize blood pressure, and decrease adrenal stimulation.

Gradually reducing caffeine intake with matcha tea or herbal teas can help ease withdrawal symptoms.

Supplements like B1 and B12, and adaptogens such as ashwagandha, can help with caffeine withdrawal.

Herbal coffee substitutes and lemon balm tea can be used as alternatives to coffee.

Wearing blue blocker shades before sleep can improve melatonin production and sleep quality.

Transcripts

so hypothetically what would happen if

you did not consume any caffeine for 30

days this is actually very interesting

over 85 percent of adults in the U.S

consume some type of beverage that gives

them caffeine usually in the form of

coffee or tea children consume a

tremendous amount of caffeine doing

sodas and energy drinks now I will

totally admit this right up front I am

addicted to coffee okay but I don't have

that much I mean it looks like this cup

is really large but if you get the

relative size it's pretty small this is

how much coffee I have every single day

only in the morning simply because I

used to abuse it in college I used to

drink pots of very very strong coffee it

kind of burnt out my adrenals but

caffeine is the most widely consumed

mind-altering drug on the planet and

people drink it out of habit they just

like the taste some people drink it to

increase their energy I drink it for

creativity it does actually seem to help

me become more creative in the morning

but in reality not because it gives me

energy it just basically makes me more

awake and so there is some data or

studies that shows that caffeine can

increase

certain

like conceptual memory reasoning

reaction speed mood and even spatial

memory and those people that have

insomnia they're fatigued or they have

jet lag it's in 60 different plants and

the reason why plants make it they make

it as a pesticide to kill insects by

either killing them directly or stunting

their growth but it works slightly

different in humans okay in humans it's

involved in a very specific

neurotransmitter called adenosine now

adenosine has many different functions

in the body one of the ones that relate

to caffeine is that it's involved in the

promotion of your sleep cycles so it

helps you go to sleep at night so let's

pretend this is adenosine the

neurotransmitter and this is the

receptor to activate it okay in the

cells so it goes in there and then it

opens up this which basically activates

your ability to start feeling tired and

sleepy so that's what adenosine does but

what caffeine does is it comes in there

and it goes into the receptor for

adenosine like that preventing

been a scene to go into that receptor so

now we block this sleep molecule so you

become more awake so that's really

what's happening at the cellular level

and of course the more chronically you

drink caffeine uh the receptor

downgrades to the point where you need

more and more caffeine to create the

same effect so we talked about some of

the positive things about caffeine what

are some of the negative things that

would maybe motivate you to not do

caffeine for a month well a lot of

people have various symptoms that they

might not associate with that caffeine

like anxiety

high blood pressure

pulse rate

arrhythmias the loss of fluid digestive

problems like gastritis or increased

acid in your stomach and the other thing

that people don't realize about coffee

is that there's a very high level of

molds there's two specific molds that

grow in coffee and that mold can create

allergies it can create irritation to

the liver especially for those people

that are sensitive and this mold is a

more of a problem in decaf okay why

because the chemical caffeine in Plants

normally inhibits mold growth which is

interesting so the more the coffee is

processed like an instant coffee for

example you have higher levels of mold

and this creates mold toxins called

mycotoxins and these can affect the

liver for those people that are

sensitive especially if you're getting a

lot of this mold I noticed like one

thing when people start drinking coffee

sometimes uh they start sneezing or they

they feel kind of like this reaction

that use is the liver causing some type

of reaction you kind of get rid of

something so I think it's important if

you're going to drink coffee

go for Quality go for organic

and try to keep your coffee to a smaller

amount one a day would be the best thing

because coffee also depletes you of

vitamin B1 and so if you're drinking

coffee a lot and you're not replacing

that B1 you may start feeling more

anxious nervous uh jittery

hard to relax hard to sleep excessive

thinking all the time so those are a lot

of the negatives but there's one

additional big negative that really I

think is the most important thing to

talk about and that is the stimulation

of the adrenal glands so not only does

caffeine block that neurotransmitter to

make you more awake it also increases

the adrenal uh neurotransmitter called

adrenaline so this is involved in the

stress response this is involved in the

flight or fight mechanism and so this is

more of a problem if you're drinking a

lot of coffee over a long period of time

because it you're just stimulating the

adrenals over and over and over and over

like I've done in college with so much

coffee like pots of very strong coffee

at first it was fine but then over the

months and years Coffee started losing

the effect I needed more and more and it

would stimulate my adrenals and then I

had problems sleeping and I was

really stressed out so a lot of people

want to get off caffeine just for that

aspect to to not stimulate the adrenal

so much to see how they would feel so

let's talk about what would happen if

you did come off of it so one way to

slowly and gradually come off this

caffeine is start to wean off the coffee

so I would do that for a few days get

used to it and then go find some matcha

tea it's a concentrated green tea powder

as a supplement and it has half the

caffeine as coffee so a cup of coffee is

like 140. this is 70 milligrams of

caffeine and you can do that for a while

until your body gets used to it and then

you graduate into regular herbal teas

that have roughly about 40 milligrams of

caffeine and as you're slowly graduating

off this higher amounts of caffeine your

body is going to adjust to it and then

at this point you have some options you

can either just stop the tea altogether

or use tea that has no caffeine being in

it but that would be just kind of a

rough example of how you would graduate

off a higher level of caffeine and then

I'll give you Solutions on how to

transition without going through all

those withdrawal symptoms so number one

I think you would definitely feel less

anxiety you would have actually more B1

so you'd feel more calm you would

definitely have better sleep which will

then give you more energy during the day

your blood pressure might just go normal

your pulse rate will come down if you

had any type of arrhythmias or heart

palpitations those would probably

disappear you may even notice that your

teeth are better because coffee does

stain the teeth and so does tea and you

might even find there's benefits to the

liver because there's going to be less

mold activation of some allergy that you

might have but I think the biggest thing

is you're going to have less stimulation

of the adrenals you're going to have

better adrenals that are not going to be

stimulated so often so what are some

good things you can do

you can do this very gradually by just

going from coffee to tea because tea has

less caffeine you're going to find that

these receptors start to adapt

to the point where we have much less

withdrawal symptoms as you go through

this because sometimes these withdrawal

symptoms could last for

maybe an entire week usually not more

than a week but it could happen in a

week where you get headaches dizziness

uh you feel tired mood changes

irritableness number two herbal coffee

substitutes like tachino and there's

many others as well and some of them are

actually quite good so you can

experiment with that also I would

recommend taking B1 and b12 those two

can actually greatly reduce the

withdrawal symptoms but I think there's

some other things you can do as well

like take adaptogens ashwagandha is

awesome it helps you tolerate stress

well certain mushrooms give the

adaptogen effect another one would be

lemon balm tea so these are just things

to make the transition easier but I

think for a lot of people it's

definitely worth trying especially if

you drink a lot of coffee and you have

some of the symptoms that I mentioned

now since we're on the topic of you know

uh something preventing your ability to

sleep I think a good night's sleep is a

very important thing in strengthening

your adrenal and also decreasing the

need for caffeine I'm going to give you

one little tip that I don't have in

other videos if you're sitting in front

of the TV or your computer or your cell

phone that blue light in the monitor

greatly messes with your um your

melatonin which can affect your sleep so

if you were to get a blue blocker type

Shades like this and where these the

last two hours before you go to sleep

you will find some amazing things

happening I've been using this recently

and just like two hours before I go to

sleep and I start to get tired a lot

faster because I'm filtering that blue

light that um keeps you up at night now

if you want to get more information

about sleep and wake up feeling

refreshed you have to watch this video

right here check it out