If you need to kick the caffeine habit there are many alternatives to coffee that taste just as delicious and can provide the necessary energy to get moving. There are many possible reasons why you might need to stop coffee, including stress, anxiety or a medical condition that requires you to completely cut out caffeine. One of the most common health conditions coffee exacerbates is acid reflux (GERD). Coffee is actually fairly acidic and can cause issues for those predisposed to problems with stomach acid. Other issues include weight gain. Researchers found that too much coffee, including decaffeinated, resulted in a change in the utilization of fat in the liver and caused abnormal retention of fat within cells. This resulted in a higher degree of glucose intolerance and increased insulin resistance. Caffeine can also stimulate cortisol which leads to more stress and binge eating. Typically if you suffer from high blood pressure, sleep issues, headaches or bladder issues your doctor will tell you to cut out coffee. Regardless of your reasons, there are other alternatives to that cup of morning joe.
Wait, why not decaf?
Decaf coffee isn’t totally decaffeinated and is actually more acidic than regular coffee. On top of that because of the extraction process using somewhat unsavory chemicals like methylene chloride, a base for paint strippers, and ethyl acetate, a dry cleaning fluid – it just doesn’t taste as good. There are options out there that are even preferred over a cup of Colombian roast.
Here’s a full list of all the alternatives to coffee and the health benefits. As you look at different alternatives make sure to look deep in the label. What are the benefits of the ingredients? Does it have added sugar? Does it use any chemical processes to extract the ingredients the way decaf does?
Finding a substitute that is right for you requires some trial and error. Some coffee substitutes are sweeter while others have that more dark rich flavor that traditional coffee drinkers love. Most coffee substitutes can be mixed with regular coffee if your goal is to not cut out coffee completely but rather to supplement and lower your caffeine intake. Check out our caffeine calculator to see whether you’re getting too much caffeine. You might find that you are exceptionally sensitive to caffeine, in which case even the slightest amount may make your heart race.
Coffee and especially its key ingredient caffeine have been shown to lead to weight gain in several studies. One from the Western Australian Institute for Medical Research wasn't even looking into weight changes but came upon it in their data. They found that too much coffee, including decaffeinated, resulted in a change in the utilization of fat in the liver and caused abnormal retention of fat within cells. This resulted in a higher degree of glucose intolerance and increased insulin resistance. Caffeine in particular has been known to stimulate cortisol production. Cortisol is the stress hormone that was originally designed to give us a jolt to face a danger or stressful situation. This helped to save us from an imminent physical threat. Cortisol serves another purpose in that it promotes the release of insulin which we need to move glucose into our cells.