Coffee, one of the most popular drinks in the world, is addictive, so for many who have tried to quit drinking it, even temporarily, the mission has proven extremely difficult.
Coffee, one of the drinks that is difficult to give up. Source: Freepik.com
Coffee is among the most popular drinks in the world. The caffeinated drink became known in the Arab world in the medieval era and later in the 16th century in Europe.
The impact of coffee on mankind was immense. Before coffee, tea and chocolate, foods containing caffeine, the world was very different, said Michael Pollan, journalist and author of many books on nutrition.
“Humanity’s knowledge of caffeine is surprisingly recent. But it is no exaggeration to say that this molecule has remade the world. The changes brought about by coffee and tea took place at a fundamental level – of the human mind. Coffee and tea brought about a change in mental condition, sharpening minds that had been clouded by alcohol, freeing people from the natural rhythms of the body and the sun, thus making possible entirely new kinds of work and, no doubt, new kinds of thought.” , pointed out Michael Pollan, journalist and author of many books on nutrition.
Before the use of coffee, alcoholic beverages were common in the daily life of medieval people. They were sometimes used more commonly than water because water was believed, according to some authors, to be unsafe for drinking.
“People were drunk most of the time, dizzy almost all the time, drinking from morning till night, because the drinks were seen as safer than water. Water was one means of spreading disease, but even small amounts of alcohol killed germs. Even the children were given cider at the table”, he said, on a podcast by the famous Joe Rogan.
Three months without coffee
The publicist gave up drinks containing caffeine, the most addictive “ingredient” of coffee, for three months, and recounted the experience in several interviews, as well as in an editorial published in The Guardian newspaper.
“It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done”says Michael Pollan, on Joe Rogan’s podcast.
“The first week I was not functional at all. I felt like I had ADD (not attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). I couldn’t concentrate, I couldn’t write, writing is the most linear thing you can do and it’s all about concentration. And I felt like there was a veil between me and reality, like I couldn’t see or feel clearly. It was strange, I didn’t feel like myself. I asked myself what this meant and I said to myself: it means that my subconscious is caffeinated”Michael Pollan pointed out.
After a few weeks, he reported in an editorial published in The Guardian, the mental impairments of withdrawal had disappeared.
“I could think straight again, hold an abstraction in my head for more than two minutes, and shut out peripheral thoughts from my field of attention. However, I continued to feel as if I was mentally a little behind, especially when I was in the company of coffee and tea drinkers, which of course happened all the time and everywhere.”reports Michael Pollan.
The three months in which he gave up coffee were unpleasant, the publicist claimed, but they also had advantages.
“The only positive thing was that I slept like a teenager who can sleep for 14 hours. My sleep has really improved”said Pollan, in the interview published on Joe Rogan’s YouTube channel.
Euphoria after returning to coffee
After three months, the first coffee he drank made him feel euphoric, adds the publicist. “I felt very good, I had no idea it was such a powerful drug. But this state lasted about 20 minutes. After that, a garbage truck had come down the street, and the employees were rattling the dumpsters, and the noise got under my skin. I immediately felt irritated by him, went home and cleaned up. I felt compulsive”he added.
In the following period, Michael Pollan managed to limit the consumption of coffee, drinking only once a week, in order to enjoy more the stronger effects of coffee the less often it is consumed, but over time he could not resist drink coffee only on Saturday in a week.
There are a number of benefits of giving up coffee for several weeks, says nutritionist Dr. Eric Berg.
“First of all, you will feel less anxiety, you will become calmer, you will definitely have better sleep, which will give you more energy during the day, your blood pressure may return to normal, your heart rate will be lower, if you have any kind of arrhythmia or heart palpitations, they will probably go away. You might find that your teeth are better because coffee stains your teeth, and you might also see some liver benefits.”says dr. Eric Berg, on his Youtube channel.
Caffeine, the plant substance that “works” on the brain
However, research carried out by scientists over time has also shown the advantages offered to the human body by products based on caffeine, a chemical substance of vegetable origin that can be extracted from coffee beans, tea leaves and cocoa beans.
Experts believe that these plants developed caffeine as a natural insecticide against harmful insects over millions of years. Caffeine can also be produced synthetically.
According to the health publication MedicineNet, moderate caffeine consumption improves physical and mental performance.
“Caffeine is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant that: improves alertness, decreases fatigue, improves concentration, mood, memory and overall mental function. According to a 2005 study presented at the Radiological Society of North America, caffeine can increase short-term memory and reaction times. Caffeine consumption can prevent the risk of suicide. Caffeine is noted to reduce the risk of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. It improves weight loss and increases the metabolic rate of glucose and increases fat burningr,” says the MedicineNet publication.
Four cups of coffee, maximum per day
However, long-term coffee drinkers may see a reduction in these effects.
“Excess caffeine consumption can cause anxiety, increased blood pressure and other negative effects. Caffeine is addictive and its withdrawal causes headaches, anxiety and depression. Caffeine increases diuresis (the process by which the kidneys remove water through urine), leading to dehydration and excessive thirst. Because caffeine is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant, overstimulation causes insomnia and other sleep disorders. Caffeine can raise your blood pressure, leading to dizziness. Caffeine increases the risk of heart disease and is also a gastric irritant”reports MedicineNet.com.
Caffeine is addictive and causes people to consume more when its effect wears off.
A healthy adult can consume around 400 milligrams of caffeine daily, which means they can safely drink about four cups of coffee in a day, unless otherwise advised by a doctor.
“Consumption of 200 milligrams of caffeine does not cause significant adverse effects in healthy people. However, a variety of factors can influence this number, including pregnancy, taking other medications, and sleep deprivation. It is recommended that pregnant women consume no more than 200 milligrams of caffeine per day. the publication shows.
