Written By: Akshay Chopra | Published : June 2, 2015 7:15 AM IST
Image credits by: Coffee: The caffeine in coffee stimulates your nervous system making you feel better instantly. It triggers the release of hormones that increase alertness and concentration. No wonder it is called the health elixir and millions world over can't live without their morning cuppa!
Caffeine is generally not as addictive as alcohol, nicotine and other drugs and its withdrawal is comparatively easier. Caffeine blocks something called as adenosine receptors in the body. Adenosine is the by-product of all the cellular activity taking place in the body and this adenosine produces the feeling of tiredness and the need to sleep.
This natural disruption in sleeping patterns is what makes caffeine a strong stimulant. Research has shown that caffeine withdrawal starts within 12-24 hours after you stop taking caffeine and may take over nine days. Now the amount of caffeine one takes in daily will vary from his caffeine rich food consumption to serving size of his food portions. Most cups of tea and coffee and dark chocolates will have caffeine at around 10 to over 100 mg. But, fat burners and energy drinks may have caffeine well over 300 mg. Aim should be to keep daily caffeine levels limited to 100-200 mg as anything more is too high.
We have seen that there are certain common supplements for everyone, but an addict may require the use of the same or additional supplements in much greater amounts. In case of caffeine withdrawal following supplements can be taken:
Addictions cannot be tapered off in an instance. In most cases, the withdrawal symptoms are painful, and you may give up even before you have actually started. So the best way is always a gradual reduction in the substance you are addicted to. In addition, the supplementation regime should be started well before you embark on the journey of de-addiction and detox. This will not only ease the withdrawal symptoms, but also fill in the nutritional deficiencies that have occurred over the years. Start with having just one cup less and follow it till 2-3 days. See the results after three days, if you are comfortable, reduce another cup, if not then continue with one cup less till you are ready. Read about the various health benefits of coffee!
There are various withdrawal symptoms:
Some tips to fight the withdrawal symptoms:
The article has been excerpted with permission from Akshay Chopra s book 1/7 Detox System: A powerful clean eating system for everyone . You can buy the book on Flipkart and Amazon.
Image source: Shutterstock
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