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An Unexpected Benefit from Quitting Coffee – 10 Months In

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Re: An Unexpected Benefit from Quitting Coffee – 10 Months In

#51

Post by sowbug »

I might be failing at reading comprehension, but after reading this short article several times, I still don't know what the "unexpected benefit" is.

The first couple paragraphs list (1) regular sleep schedule and feeling more rested, (2) "no zombie feel" first thing in the morning, and (3) less anxiety. And then it says "I still feel these benefits are true but I've also discovered a new one."

So what's the new one?

The rest of the article seems to discuss #2 again -- that the author can wake up and be productive without the kick-start of coffee.

Is there something I'm still missing in the rest of the article? (Yes, I've had my coffee today.)

Re: An Unexpected Benefit from Quitting Coffee – 10 Months In

#52

Post by toast0 »

Animats wrote: post #11

It irks me that caffeine free diet drinks have disappeared. Diet Coke, Diet Pepsi, and Diet Dr. Pepper used to come in caffeine free versions. But those were dropped to free up shelf space for new variants.

I think you've probably got to pester your local bottler and see if there are any retailers that stock it, or if you can special order it (possibly through a patient retailer). I've seen HFCS Coke and Pepsi available without caffeine as well, although less frequently, I can find some product listings but none with availability. In my (wide) area, it looks like Target has Diet Pepsi without caffeine in some stores, and diet coke without caffeine in more.

Re: An Unexpected Benefit from Quitting Coffee – 10 Months In

#53

Post by frankohn »

jrm4 wrote: post #41

Interesting how "quitting coffee" makes it up the rounds, and pretty much all the discussion perceives "quitting is good," -- but there's quite a bit of at least plausible evidence, both modern scientific as well as really old school, that suggest that coffee is really good for you?

It seems that coffee has a health benefit for preventing gout. Gout used to be quite a common health problem in the past, and apparently coffee may offer some protection.

Re: An Unexpected Benefit from Quitting Coffee – 10 Months In

#54

Post by dfxm12 »

zdragnar wrote: post #19
hackitup7 wrote: post #6

Only slightly related, but I've found that traditionally brewed coffee and espresso give me a ton of anxiety. Tea, energy drinks, and even cold brew don't give me nearly the same level of anxiety. Any hypotheses on what might be going on? This has been an unsolved mystery in my life...

I found the same thing with aeropress. I can drink coffee all day, and have the occasional Americano no problem, but twice had a shot from an aeropress over ice and it gave me awful anxiety attacks both times. Interestingly, cold brew makes me a bit anxious but doesn't really satisfy the caffeine craving the way a traditional cup of coffee does. YMMV I guess

All other things being equal, immersion brewing, including aeropress, cold brew, French press, hario switch, etc., leads to a drink with more caffeine than other brewing methods.

Re: An Unexpected Benefit from Quitting Coffee – 10 Months In

#55

Post by pillefitz »

hackitup7 wrote: post #6

Only slightly related, but I've found that traditionally brewed coffee and espresso give me a ton of anxiety. Tea, energy drinks, and even cold brew don't give me nearly the same level of anxiety. Any hypotheses on what might be going on? This has been an unsolved mystery in my life...

That's quite typical. Given that raw caffeine feels closer to tea than coffee, I'd exclude theanine as a reason for the perceived differences. More likely, it's any of the hundreds of other molecules in coffee, such as MAO inhibitors.

Re: An Unexpected Benefit from Quitting Coffee – 10 Months In

#56

Post by dfxm12 »

WalterSear wrote: post #36
hackitup7 wrote: post #6

Only slightly related, but I've found that traditionally brewed coffee and espresso give me a ton of anxiety. Tea, energy drinks, and even cold brew don't give me nearly the same level of anxiety. Any hypotheses on what might be going on? This has been an unsolved mystery in my life...

Acidity hitting the stomach?

FWIW, Red Bull is more acidic than your average coffee.

Re: An Unexpected Benefit from Quitting Coffee – 10 Months In

#57

Post by AstroBen »

jrm4 wrote: post #41

Interesting how "quitting coffee" makes it up the rounds, and pretty much all the discussion perceives "quitting is good," -- but there's quite a bit of at least plausible evidence, both modern scientific as well as really old school, that suggest that coffee is really good for you?

From the data I've seen I'd take it as far as if you're not drinking coffee and you care about improving your health, you should really consider starting

The main downside is it effecting your sleep, which for most people can be controlled by not having it after a certain time

Re: An Unexpected Benefit from Quitting Coffee – 10 Months In

#58

Post by AstroBen »

basfo wrote: post #45

Quitting coffee was a really bad experience for me. I had what felt like withdrawal symptoms: a strong headache, muscle aches, and I was really cold. It lasted for two days, until I took a minuscule sip and everything went away within five minutes. That made me realize the extent to which I was actually addicted, and how dependent my body was on it. I managed to quit and stayed caffeine-free for about a year. But one…

Why do you even want to quit? Coffee has strong evidence pointing to it having health benefits

Re: An Unexpected Benefit from Quitting Coffee – 10 Months In

#59

Post by hellisothers »

tadfisher wrote: post #23
tensor wrote: post #17

Since we're throwing around anecdotes. I quit coffee for two years to help with anxiety. It did help with that, but there were zero other benefits, and the significant downside of not having something tasty to sip on. After the first few weeks I didn't feel groggy in the morning without the coffee, but I definitely wasn't feeling any more rested. It didn't help me get to sleep any easier either. It also didn't help m…

Decaf works great for this. I'm like 100% a rat pulling levers now that I'm vaping 0% nicotine and drinking decaf in the morning. If they start ringing bells before lunch I'm done for.

As an alternative perspective I found no good decaf coffee. I tried maybe 8 different coffees, all very well regarded, very hipster, none came close to creating good pour-over coffee. I admit it’s all about expectations but if you’re currently enjoying pretty fancy coffee and want to go decaf you’re going to be disappointed. Decaf black tea was even worse…

Re: An Unexpected Benefit from Quitting Coffee – 10 Months In

#60

Post by basfo »

AstroBen wrote: post #58
basfo wrote: post #45

Quitting coffee was a really bad experience for me. I had what felt like withdrawal symptoms: a strong headache, muscle aches, and I was really cold. It lasted for two days, until I took a minuscule sip and everything went away within five minutes. That made me realize the extent to which I was actually addicted, and how dependent my body was on it. I managed to quit and stayed caffeine-free for about a year. But one…

Why do you even want to quit? Coffee has strong evidence pointing to it having health benefits

I was drinking too much and i started to feel like maybe i had to drop it. But yeah, not quitting again.
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