Many of us cannot even imagine beginning our day without a cup of hot tea or coffee. But, the consumption of caffeine comes with a lot of ifs and buts as “it is well researched and proven that coffee is a stimulant to the central nervous system, and regular use of caffeine does cause mild physical dependence,” wrote Dr Dimple Jangda, an Ayurveda expert, on Instagram. So if you, like us, love to kickstart the day with a cuppa, read on to know the three things that need to be considered before consuming caffeine.
“If you stop taking caffeine abruptly, you may have symptoms of withdrawal like headache, a jumpy nervous system, fatigue, anxiety, irritability, depressed mood, and difficulty concentrating. Your body quickly absorbs caffeine. Processed mainly through the liver, some caffeine does stick around in the body for several hours,” she shared.
Agreed Ishti Saluja, a nutritionist, and said, “The typical half-life of caffeine ranges from 5-7 hours. A half-life, in the context of nutrition, is the amount of time it takes for the body to eliminate half of the original dose of a molecule. For example, if you enjoy a cup of coffee, with about 100mg of caffeine, around 3:00 pm, by 9:00 pm, when you’re ready for bed, about 50 milligrams of that caffeine may still be present in your body. In other words, what may help you get through the afternoon may also have a negative impact on your sleep quality that night.”
Here are the top three things to consider if you drink coffee:
Never have caffeine on empty stomach
“It has a drying effect on your gut. It can strip away the mucus and good fat lining in your stomach walls, and cause long-term vata (dryness-related disorders) imbalances,” she said in the video. “Make sure to eat a healthy balanced meal to line your stomach walls, before you consume caffeine,” suggested Dr Dimple.
Echoing similar views, Dr Karishma Shah, a nutritionist, had earlier explained that caffeine, being a diuretic in nature, can cause dehydration and also acidity owing to its pH value — 5.
Also, Saluja shared that caffeine has a direct relationship with cortisol levels (stress hormones). “So, someone who’s sensitive to caffeine and is taking it on an empty stomach might start to experience palpitations and shivers, and over time this may lead to higher anxiety levels. This is because your cortisol rises as you consume caffeine, and for someone who’s already prone to stress, the further raised cortisol levels may create havoc on the system,” she told indianexpress.com.
Add good fats to the beverage
Dr Dimple suggested using either plant-based milk like almond milk, coconut milk, oat milk, or milk sourced from a cruelty-free cow farm. “Make sure to add hot milk directly to your beverage. Don’t cook the milk with tea leaves for long, as it becomes acidic in nature,” she warned.
Further, Saluja shared her “favourite way to take caffeine in the morning” — by adding a “source of fat (ghee, MCT oil, coconut oil) to your coffee help line the stomach and this helps slow down the absorption of caffeine into the bloodstream, raising your cortisol levels slowly and in a stable way,” Saluja said.
Add spices
The expert suggested including hot spices like cinnamon, cardamom, clove, grated ginger, pepper, star anise, or even ashwagandha, which is an ayurvedic herb while preparing the brew. These spices can also stimulate your nervous system and give you an energy boost without the long-term side effects of caffeine. “Eventually, you can reduce the amount of caffeine and increase the quantity of spices,” Jangda said.
