Do you need to go caffeine free?

A friend of mine gave up coffee once and was surprised by the headaches he started having – such was his dependency. Another friend gave up coffee after e experienced regular palpitations – they disappeared pretty soon after that.

I guess coffee affects some people more than others. It’s not a problem for me, it doesn’t keep me awake, I don’t get a buzz – all that I enjoy is the taste.

However, I couldn’t help but notice, when recently researching the benefits of good nutrition on our happiness, that caffeine can have a detrimental effect on your mood. Again, it depends who you are, but if coffee makes you feel happy (it’s supposed to boost serotonin) it can also cause a cycle of ups and downs which may eventually lead to depression. Caffeine is also thought to block receptors in your body which might otherwise be used for the intake of iron and other important nutrients. Then there are questions over whether caffeine is bad for blood pressure, dehydration and insomnia.

But coffee is great! There’s nothing like that heady aroma, the bitter smooth taste and the ritualised tradition of waking up to a new day. And caffeine can also be been associated with health benefits such as a reduced risk of stroke or dementia.

The point is that you have to find your own way through the caffeine question. You might need to avoid green tea, coke, tea and even chocolate in an effort to detox from caffeine. If that’s the case it’s useful to know that there’s a plethora of caffeine free beverages out there, from rooibos tea to barley cup, fruit or herbal infusions and a range of other alternatives. Have you ever heard of dandelion coffee for example (apparently it’s delicious) or carob or chicory or slippery elm, even acorn coffee?

One man’s drink, as they say, is certainly another man’s poison.