Detoxification

Dependency and withdrawal — detoxing from caffeine

Quitting caffeine — slowly but surely

For most women, it’s probably a lot easier and less painful to detox from caffeine a little at a time. If you are a coffee drinker, start the day by first having a regular cup of coffee. For your second serving, pour a cup that’s half-regular and half-decaffeinated coffee — but any ratio will work, as long as you continue to taper down methodically. If you just want to cut back, you can hold the step-down at any point that provides the balance you seek.

If you normally drink coffee throughout the day and want to quit, you can begin directly by cutting your consumption in half right off the bat. You get to “zero cups per day” twice as fast. If your goal is total abstinence for health reasons, keep going until you are drinking all decaf. Once you reach this point, you may even decide to give up coffee altogether.

As you’re tapering off, you may notice symptoms as your system adjusts to lower levels of caffeine. But take heart: withdrawal symptoms peak within two to four days. Even if you quit cold turkey, most symptoms should disappear after just one week without caffeine. For help with headaches, supplement with extra vitamin C, take regular breaks, enjoy a walk, and get to bed on time. You can also try white willow bark tablets, which contain a natural type of pain-relieving salicylate. (Like aspirin, however, willow should be avoided for two weeks before and after surgery.)

Additional options for quitting caffeine include limiting your intake to before 12 noon. If you drink caffeinated beverages at “morning teatime,” they’re less likely to interfere with your natural cortisol curve. Cortisol — a wake-up hormone produced by your adrenal glands — is highest in the morning for alertness and gradually declines throughout the day. Another option is to take a “mini-break” from caffeine each month, to allow your body to rest from repeated stimulation.

Note: For some people, the love affair with caffeine is complicated by its presence in certain over-the-counter and prescription drugs, or by close associations with other habits like nicotine. In such cases, counseling and medical assistance may be helpful — or even necessary — for caffeine detox.

Taking away caffeine — adding more support

Again, it is your liver that breaks caffeine down so you can eliminate it from your body. You may want to talk to a functional medicine practitioner about supplemental nutrients that bolster the liver as it runs through its enzymatic detox steps.

These include:

• vitamin C (also helps with withdrawal symptoms and supports adrenal function)
• potassium
• calcium
• magnesium
• zinc
• B vitamins
• trace minerals
• amino acids (may also help balance energy levels)
• N-acetyl cysteine
• milk thistle

You can greatly reduce stress on your liver by eliminating foods and drinks that are likely to contain toxins or allergens, and make sure to eat enough protein. An alkaline diet — good for your health for many reasons — is helpful because it provides the mineral salts and antioxidants that help clear out reactive debris created during detoxification.

Ample dietary fiber encourages bowel function, which may slow down during caffeine withdrawal. Fiber promotes good bacterial balance in the digestive tract, to further assist nutrient absorption and detoxification.

One of the best tips for cutting down on caffeine is to drink a big glass of pure water or a cup of herbal tea immediately upon awakening, before you take in any caffeine. That helps quench simple thirst. Then eat your breakfast as soon as possible, making sure to include adequate protein. After breakfast, if you still want your usual caffeinated drink, go ahead and have it.

Even if you think that nothing could ever replace your favorite caffeine drink, there are lots of alternatives you can check out. “Grain coffees” are well-known substitutes brewed from a variety of ingredients such as almonds, malted barley, and chicory — a long-time staple in New Orleans. Teas made from dandelion root, peppermint, sassafras, ginseng, ginger root, comfrey, lemon grass, and red clover are other good options.

Respect your body’s natural rhythms

If you’re worried you might lose your edge if you quit caffeine, consider this: your body and mind are not designed to be “on” all day, every day. The body works best when its natural cycles are honored, with a time for energetic activity and alertness and a time for relaxation and rest. That period of rest is when it engages in much of its detoxification and repair processes, so respecting these natural rhythms will not only reduce your dependency on caffeine, but also any damaging impact it may be having on your health. So take it easy as you go about your caffeine detox — you’re being good to your body — without adding stress!

Related to this article:

References & further reading on caffeine detoxification

 

Last Modified Date: 04/18/2011
Principal Author: Marcelle Pick, OB/GYN NP