Why you should treat yourself to a caffeine detox now and then

A caffeine detox is unthinkable for you? You are not alone: every person in Germany drinks 170 litres of coffee a year on average. For many people, a cup of coffee is part of starting the day.

When the coffee stops working, one or two people may well reach for the next cup. But what some coffee junkies do not know is that caffeine is actually a nerve poison, one that in very high doses can even be fatal for a human being. But do not worry, those are not doses we take in with coffee as a drink.

In chemical terms, caffeine is what is known as a purine alkaloid. Alkaloids occur in nature as plant constituents that protect those plants, for example against animals that eat them. Caffeine is the pharmacologically active substance that is used most often worldwide, and it occurs not only in coffee beans but also in the tea plant, in cocoa beans or in the kola nut. The caffeine, which in the unroasted bean is still bound to chlorogenic acid, is only released when coffee is roasted.

With one cup of coffee we take in between 50 and 100 milligrams of caffeine. A cup of tea can contain 50 milligrams. Even chocolate contains a small amount of the stimulating substance. A bar of dark chocolate, for example, can contain up to 70 milligrams of caffeine.

• Espresso 110 mg caffeine per 100 ml
• Dark chocolate 70 mg caffeine per 100 g
• Filter coffee 80 mg caffeine per 100 ml
• Black & green tea 20 mg caffeine per 100 ml
• Drinking chocolate 6 mg per 100 ml

Coffee wakes you up. That much is obvious, right? But have you ever wondered how that works in your body and why coffee has that effect?

Coffee works very quickly, because the caffeine is taken up through the gastrointestinal tract within 45 minutes. The caffeine molecules then travel through the blood and across the blood brain barrier into the brain. There the caffeine docks onto receptors that are actually meant for a different molecule: adenosine.

Chemically, caffeine looks very similar to adenosine and therefore fits perfectly, like a key into a lock. So it blocks the adenosine receptors. Normally adenosine should dock here. When it does, we get tired, because adenosine inhibits the release of dopamine and noradrenaline. But if the adenosine receptors in the brain are already blocked by caffeine, then adenosine cannot take effect. As a result the concentration of dopamine and noradrenaline in the blood rises. Caffeine also stimulates the release of the stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol. Heart activity, concentration and metabolism are now stimulated. The brain gets used to the effect of caffeine quickly, though, and simply builds even more adenosine receptors. As a result the waking effect of caffeine wears off quickly and you need more and more coffee for the same effect. A regular caffeine detox helps against this dependency.

As already mentioned, for most people a cup of coffee is a fixed part of their morning routine… so it would be rather nice if our morning indulgence could also help with losing weight! Coffee is supposedly meant to support fat burning as well, so how can that be explained? Coffee leads to the release of stress hormones in your body. As a result your pulse and your body temperature rise. Both of those use up a few more calories. Besides that, caffeine promotes lipolysis, which is the biochemical word for fat burning!

In many people, coffee also acts as an appetite suppressant because of its bitterness. So coffee can help with losing weight, but you should use it wisely. Make sure you do not drink more than 2 to 3 cups of coffee a day, and do a caffeine detox regularly. Because if you take in a great deal of coffee, then the stress hormone cortisol is raised the whole time, and that even inhibits fat burning and encourages cravings. So it all depends on the dose!

Of course what we are talking about here is black coffee, because as soon as you put milk, sugar or even syrup into your coffee, it is absolutely no longer a fitness drink. The effects of caffeine on calorie consumption are rather small. That is why it is important that you above all change your diet if you want to lose weight in a lasting way. We at Foodpunk help you do that with our personalised nutrition programmes.

Did you know? Coffee inhibits serotonin production.

A high serotonin level brings a feeling of happiness and a good mood, while a low serotonin level tends to bring a bad mood. That is the reason why serotonin enjoys its reputation as the happiness hormone. A serotonin deficiency can lead to us feeling dissatisfied, anxious or stressed. In the long term it can also lead to being more susceptible to migraine or depression. Besides that, though, serotonin is also responsible for, or involved in, many other functions in the body.

The hormone influences both the cardiovascular system and the gastrointestinal tract. It regulates body temperature, our appetite, our alertness and also our perception of pain. Even though coffee makes you awake and happy in the short term, too high a coffee consumption can have the opposite effect. Because coffee inhibits serotonin production. The amino acid L-tryptophan is needed for the production of serotonin. Caffeine inhibits particular enzymes that normally make serotonin from L-tryptophan. Through too high a caffeine consumption, a genuine serotonin deficiency can develop as a result. As much as we all love coffee… it makes a lot of sense to go without caffeine from time to time!

Even though we recommend a caffeine detox now and then, we are still in favour of not cutting coffee out of your life completely.

Here are 5 benefits that coffee brings with it:

1. Coffee strengthens the long term memory, studies say
2. Coffee can help with losing weight, because caffeine supports fat burning and suppresses appetite
3. According to studies, caffeine appears to lower the risk of skin cancer
4. Coffee drinkers live longer, because according to studies caffeine lowers the risk of dying early of cardiovascular disease
5. Coffee supports concentration and reaction speed

Did you already know that there is an optimal moment for the first cup of coffee? And it is not straight after getting up! It is better if you wait 60 to 90 minutes after getting up before your first cup of coffee. Because straight after getting up your hormone cortisol is at a peak anyway and the effect of coffee simply fizzles out… at this point it only makes you dependent. Over the course of the day the hormone cortisol then falls naturally and you can give your alertness and concentration another push with a cup of coffee.

Caffeine can have a positive effect on your concentration, on your fat burning and on your health, but the dose makes the poison. If you drink more than 3 or even 5 cups of coffee every day, then it tips over. Caffeine in very high amounts is a great burden for your body.

Here are 5 drawbacks of a high caffeine consumption:

1. Caffeine is actually a nerve poison
2. Caffeine promotes the stress hormone cortisol, and chronic stress inhibits fat burning and encourages cravings
3. Caffeine destroys sleep quality and reduces the proportion of the deep sleep phase at night, in which important repair and detoxification processes take place, so it is best to make sure you drink no more coffee after 2 pm
4. A habituation effect to coffee sets in quickly. The consequence is withdrawal symptoms when you do not drink coffee for once, and these include headaches, a bad mood, tiredness and problems with concentration
5. Coffee reduces serotonin production, and serotonin is described as the happiness hormone and has a calming effect

Because of a high coffee consumption you are therefore more likely to be restless and stressed. So that you do not need such high amounts of caffeine every day just to function, it is advisable to do a caffeine detox from time to time.

You are stressed or sometimes irritable, you have shaky hands, raised blood pressure and inner restlessness. At night your brain does not properly come to rest and during the day you have an afternoon slump? All of that can be a sign that you have too much caffeine inside you.

Here are 5 good reasons for a caffeine detox:

1. You feel less stress
2. You have more stamina and energy again
3. Constant tiredness during the day eases off
4. Your sleep gets better
5. Your mood becomes more balanced

You still have the feeling that without coffee in the morning you do not really get going and you lack the energy for the day? Then why not treat yourself to our creamy berry semolina pudding (keto). Thanks to the MCT oil, this tasty and quick breakfast recipe supplies you with enough power for the day! Give it a try and see for yourself. And if you want to get properly started right away, then have your personal nutrition plan worked out and feel how easily you can go without artificial pick-me-ups with the right diet!