Why you should be cutting out coffee (well, all caffeine, really)

Coffee is a saving grace. Its an international symbol for stress, an overpriced source of caffeine, and one of the best ways to get something done, and done quickly.

We are obsessed with our coffee fixes, so much so that every year we down 400 billion cups a year here in the UK. And that’s not going to be a pretty bill from Starbucks.

But no matter how Instragrammable the cup may be – whether they spell your name right or not – is drinking all that caffeine any good for you? Unfortunately, we all know the answer will be no. Our caffeine habits sound shameful, and they should be; they bring an excess of physical and mental health problems that can be avoidable, so why are we stilling downing a mug every morning?

Here’s all the reasons you should be cutting out coffee.

Coffee won’t be keeping you healthy

Our favourite feeds are blaring with all the ways that coffee is not healthy, and its normally because of all the trimmings added to our seasonal caffeine fixes. But the real issue here isn’t actually the calories you might not be completely aware of.

Caffeine is an addictive substance. When we drink it on the daily – as we so often do – we build up a tolerance to the effects of it. So, when that report is due, and that Espresso is not doing its job, your coffee intake might be to blame. But the negative effects of buying that latte for work go bit further I’m afraid: caffeine raises your blood pressure, and can in turn leave you with much bigger problems than a pricey bill.

Also, although coffee seems a pure, rather raw substance (we see it being made, so it must be?), it’s the preservatives that you need to be watching for. All unhealthy beverages, from energy drinks to fizzy drinks contain a cocktail of additives designed to keep them on the shelf. And it’s these preservatives which are causing serious health effects, so much so that certain countries have even decided to ban them.

Your latte fix will keep you stressed

When we are feeling the stress, you will be sure to find a cup of coffee planted on your desk, in the range of an easy reach. But keeping up your caffeine levels won’t help you feel less overwhelmed. Sure, a flat white might help you focus on the task at hand, but there is scientific evidence to prove that you might be making matters much worse.

Caffeine is known to increase catecholamines, our stress hormones. So, if you’re looking for a quick release, you won’t find it at the bottom of the cup (even if it is a reusable one). On the topics of feeling crappy, it turns out that coffee can makes us moody. This is where the major problem of feeling addicted to coffee comes in: when we are used to our daily fix, and miss a couple of swigs, it can bring us much further down than we would like to admit.

Caffeine withdrawal’s favourite symptom is that of headaches and migraines. And taking second place? That’s feeling more irritable than usual. So, the solution is to never quit? Don’t think you can get off that easy; the risk of migraines and mood swings should be warning enough to ditch the coffee, and find a less caffeinated alternative.

You will be losing sleep

We struggle to get enough sleep anyway, so why are you still buying your favourite guilty treat?

A cup of joe is normally used to keep us awake when we really don’t want to be, and it’s this reliance that can cause problems. It causes a cycle that we can’t control, so when we finally retire to bed, the chances of us getting the recommended 8 hours plummets.

Caffeine stays in our blood much longer than we think, so is it worth the risk? And we all know that losing sleep can cause more problems, whether it’s keeping our stress levels high, or keeping our moods swinging. Plus, it only takes a couple of sips to alter your evening; studies show simply avoiding coffee after noon can leave you to rest easy.

Sure, a takeaway cup might make you look and feel more professional, but you don’t have to fake the inspirational woman within you. In fact, a caffeine dose might make it that much harder for you to real your potential. The bottom line is, all the problems which can make our day more of a challenge can be traced back to our breakfast habits.

So, pocket the pounds, and ditch the fix.