The Shocking Effects of Going Caffeine-free for a Month
Summary
TLDRThis 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
- π 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.
- β The speaker admits to being addicted to coffee, but has reduced their intake due to past overconsumption which affected their adrenals.
- π Caffeine is the world's most widely consumed mind-altering drug, with people consuming it for various reasons including habit, taste, energy, and creativity.
- π§ Caffeine affects the neurotransmitter adenosine, which is involved in sleep cycles, by blocking its receptor and thus preventing the onset of sleepiness.
- π Chronic caffeine consumption can lead to a downgrading of adenosine receptors, necessitating higher amounts of caffeine to achieve the same effect.
- π« Negative effects of caffeine include anxiety, high blood pressure, digestive problems, and potential allergies due to mold present in coffee.
- π± Caffeine inhibits mold growth in plants, making decaf coffee more susceptible to mold and mycotoxins, which can affect the liver.
- π It's recommended to consume quality, organic coffee in moderation to minimize health risks and vitamin B1 depletion.
- π Caffeine stimulates the adrenal glands and the production of adrenaline, which can lead to stress and sleep issues with long-term overuse.
- πΏ Gradually reducing caffeine intake can be achieved by transitioning from coffee to matcha tea, then to herbal teas, and finally to caffeine-free alternatives.
- π Withdrawal symptoms from caffeine cessation can include headaches, dizziness, fatigue, and mood changes, but can be mitigated with B vitamins, adaptogens, and herbal substitutes.
- π€ 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
π‘ 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.
βοΈ 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.
Mindmap
Keywords
π‘Caffeine
π‘Adenosine
π‘Addiction
π‘Insomnia
π‘Adrenal Glands
π‘Adrenaline
π‘Withdrawal Symptoms
π‘Molds
π‘Mycotoxins
π‘Vitamin B1 (Thiamine)
π‘Adaptogens
π‘Melatonin
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
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