Guest post by Nancy Desjardins R.N.C.P.
The adrenals are small but mighty glands, which sit on top of the kidneys. Their function is to release hormones that trigger the fight-or-flight response when we’re confronted with stressors. When adrenaline floods our bodies, our muscles contract and our heart rate quickens. Basically, the body is put on alert and is made ready for action.
Here’s the problem. Coffee stimulates the adrenal glands, which means that every time you drink coffee, you’re activating the body’s fight-or-flight response. But, instead of releasing adrenaline so the body can react to a true stressor, the adrenals are releasing this hormone in response to your coffee consumption.
What happens over time is that your adrenal glands start to burn out from overuse, which can lead to adrenal fatigue. Naturally, you can help to prevent adrenal fatigue simply by avoiding coffee, or keeping your consumption to a minimum.
Does caffeine really give you an energy boost? Depending on how much caffeine you consume, it can make you feel as if you have more energy, especially within the first couple of hours after consumption.
However, once the effects of the caffeine have worn off, you’ll actually feel more tired than you did before you drank it.
The Caffeine-Cortisol Connection
Here’s a fact: cortisol, the stress hormone, is released after consuming coffee whether you’re under mental stress or not, according to a study published in the February 2008 edition of “Psychosomatic Medicine.” So, let’s talk again about fatigue and insomnia, which are related to caffeine and cortisol.
Cortisol production is naturally high in the early morning, around 8:00 a.m. because one of its functions is to help you rise and shine for the day.
But, people who chronically stress their adrenal glands to overproduce cortisol change their cortisol concentrations so that it’s low instead of high when they wake up in the morning.
Of course, then they reach for a cup of coffee to artificially spike their cortisol levels again.
These same people experience huge cortisol surges at meals, which causes them to overeat. They, in turn, wind up with higher body fat, lower muscle mass, and a reduced metabolism so they burn fewer calories.
They don’t sleep well at night because elevated cortisol levels keep them from entering stage 4 sleep, which is the deep rebuild-and-repair sleep your body needs to feel rejuvenated and rested.
Ladies, listen to this one. How about skin aging and wrinkling? Caffeine dehydrates the body and elevates cortisol levels. This leads to dehydrated skin and premature wrinkling.
In his bestselling books, The Perricone Prescription and The Wrinkle Cure, Dr. Nicholas Perricone encourages people to quit coffee to prevent skin aging.
His patients have shown him the consequences of elevated cortisol levels on skin aging and wrinkling—dehydration and a decrease in collagen and elastin production.
It’s a good reminder that we must drink 8 to 10 glasses of water a day to maintain healthy and beautiful skin, as all biochemical reactions in the body take place in the presence of water.
So, if you suffer from IBS, acid reflux, stomach ulcers, diarrhea, Crohn’s disease, colitis, high blood pressure, difficulty sleeping, or anxiety, isn’t it time to consider eliminating your coffee intake? Don’t worry. I won’t leave you without alternatives. I offer you some healthy substitutes for coffee.
Natural Alternatives to Coffee
While you’re trying to wean yourself off of coffee and are searching for a satisfying replacement beverage, let’s not forget about water. Water is vital to the body and is truly the elixir of life.
Drinking water is one of the most important things we can do every day to maintain good health. I always recommend that you drink filtered or spring water instead of tap or distilled water. And, stay away from fluoridated water. Natural water is best.
Tea—The Other Popular Beverage
Herbal tea is a great replacement for coffee, so why not try nettle tea. Nettle is very cleansing, and it curbs the appetite so it’s ideal for weight loss. It’s also very high in minerals.
Nettle tea will give you a boost in the morning. Plus, it’s a gentle diuretic and is considered restorative to the kidneys and bladder.
Green tea has many healthful properties and is another great substitute for coffee. Ideally, you want green tea that contains the entire ground tea leaf.
Matcha green tea is what I prefer. It’s renowned for its numerous health benefits. Matcha tea is rich in nutrients, antioxidants, fiber, and chlorophyll. Plus, it’s sugar-free, so it’s an ideal drink for diabetics and others wishing to reduce their sugar intake.
The health benefits of matcha exceed those of other green teas because matcha drinkers ingest the whole leaf, not just the brewed water. One glass of matcha is the equivalent of 10 glasses of green tea in terms of nutritional value and antioxidant content.
Tulsi tea (also known as Holy Basil) is another favorite tea of mine. It’s a powerful herb used in Ayurveda, which is an ancient system of medicine practiced in India.
The thing I like about tulsi is that it’s an adaptogenic herb, which means that it helps to reduce the stressors that may be compromising your physical and mental well-being.
Tulsi is also rich in antioxidants so we know that consuming it will help prevent oxidation damage, which can leave our bodies vulnerable to disease. That’s probably why Ayurvedic practices often use tulsi to treat cancer, as well as headaches, diabetes, high blood pressure, and joint pain, among other maladies and diseases.
According to Dr. Ralph Miller, who is the former Director of Research for the Canadian Department of Health and Welfare, “Modern scientific research offers impressive evidence that tulsi reduces stress, enhances stamina, relieves inflammation, lowers cholesterol, eliminates toxins, protects against radiation, prevents gastric ulcers, lowers fevers, improves digestion and provides a rich supply of antioxidants and other nutrients.”
Dr. Miller also stated that “tulsi is especially effective in supporting the heart, blood vessels, liver and lungs and also regulates blood pressure and blood sugar.”
That’s quite an endorsement of tulsi’s health benefits. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain by giving these coffee alternatives a try.
Nancy Desjardins is an online holistic nutrition coach. She created healthlady.com which is a global hub of information for all things dealing with holistic nutrition and organic health.
Better late than never to be the 1st comment. Very nice article. Thank you.
I’m glad you enjoyed Rich!
Isn’t there caffeine in green tea that would also stress the adrenals?
Scott – Yes but to a lesser extent when comparing to coffee. If you have healthy adrenals and you drink it in moderation, green tea is a healthy beverage.
Hi Jesse – late to this article but found it very helpful. Please let me know – is decaf a good option or are there also a number of detractors?
Thanks Pieter! There are a few methods of processing decaf coffee. The only one I would drink is “The Swiss Water Method” and always stick with organic. Enjoy!
That is how to avoid the poison of the decaffination process…also known to cause miscarriages, so if it can do that to an unborn fetus, imagine how wonderful DECAF IS. SWISS WATER METHOD is the ONLY safe Decaf there is! As of yet, should I add.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts May! You never know what might be coming down the pipe 😉
I love organic matcha tea, ceremonial grade is preferred from a reputable vendor. Matcha contains :-theonine and provides more sustained energy than coffee yet there is no crash or jitters but instead a peaceful calm and alertness. Chock full of anti-oxidants and minerals, Matcha is worth giving a try and has about the same amount of caffeine as coffee. I wouldn’t recommend more than 1 cup per day but if you normally need a coffee pick me up, this is the perfect tea for you and will offer so much more in benefits.
I’m a matcha fan too! Thanks for sharing all this great info, Valdoria! Cheers.
Hi there! I’m wondering what your thoughts are about both white tea and chai (green, black, white, or red). Thanks! We have adrenal issues as well as gut issues in our home. :/
Hello Erika! White tea is caffeinated and the levels really vary so it can drain the adrenals. Chai really varies in caffeine as well, depending on what it’s blended with. I’ve seen it decaffeinated with a rooibos base. Get on some quality fermented foods and probiotics for overall gut health. Good luck!
This has been known for decades but this is the FIRST time it’s been online so thank you~!
Thanks for dropping by to read and comment May!
I agree, but wouldn’t sugar be just as much if not more of a strain on the adrenals?
Also, if you’re making up your water from the coffee, I don’t think it’s necessary to give it up. Everything in moderation. That was my great great uncle’s motto and he lived to 107.
Yes sugar would be a strain on the adrenals and coffee consumers should not add it to their beverage for an array of reasons. I agree everything in moderation, including coffee. Thanks for sharing Kady!
I don’t get it…won’t the caffeine in green tea still burn out my adrenals?
It has the potential to. Less of a stimulant compared to coffee, so easier on your adrenals. Any stimulant consumed excessively could cause adrenal burnout.
I have been drinking from 10 to 20 cups of coffee every day for over 30 years. I am going to really try to cut down, or quit. We’ll see.
Good luck to you @marshalladame:disqus! Just remember, balance is key 😉
Interesting read thanks for sharing this! Overall it’s interesting how much of an impact coffee can have on your glands!
Thanks for dropping by Hotze! Yeah we need to be careful not to overdo coffee, or anything for that matter 😉
Thanks for dropping by Hotze! Yeah we need to be careful not to overdo coffee, or anything for that matter 😉
I just read an article that says cortisol goes down with coffee intake. I am confused by what they are saying about there being no response on the 6th day. http://adrenalfatiguesolution.com/caffeine/
Normally cortisol is at its highest in the morning, gradually lowering throughout the day. It’s lowest when you go to bed. Coffee drinkers in the study had less than normal cortisol, especially in the morning.
This is not only very informative, but also easy to apply. Knowledge will not do anything for you Applied knowledge will change your life. I appreciate you sharing this with everyone!
Thanks! All the best on your health journey Abe!
Yes, excellent article. Thanks for sharing this.
Thanks for dropping by and commenting Paco!
I quit drinking caffeine 5 days ago after tapering down my consumption of coffee beforehand. Reading articles such as this bring me peace of mind that it is for the better and make it easier for me to face head on the coffee withdraws I am battling. Thanks!
Wishing you all the best on your health journey MamaKat! Thanks for commenting!
if everyone who drinks coffee and their adrenal glands are in fight or flight mode why don’t we have more brawls??? have you ever been in fight or flight mode??? Everything you do is reactionary people would be dropping like flies if their bodies were continually in fight or flight mode.
Hope you got something from the article Bob and thanks for sharing!
So why are caffeinated teas better? Are you saying they don’t affect your adrenals the same? Isn’t caffeine caffeine?
Hi @tondawalls:disqus, caffeine is a drug in tea or coffee form. Moderation is key! If you’re rebuilding your adrenals, stick with herbal teas.
Coffee is poison. For years I suffered from fatigue, low energy, headaches, poor muscle tone, total body aches. My adrenals were so burnt out I actually was experiencing low back pain where my kidneys are. I gave up coffee and within two days my back pain was gone and my energy is starting to return. Stay away from caffeine. I don’t know how people tolerate that stuff.
We’re all different and some people can tolerate coffee better than others. For those who can tolerate it, moderation is key and it can be health promoting. Wishing you all the best on your health journey Mario!
It doesn’t matter… Whoever drinks coffee will suffer from adrenal dysfunction in the moment. It’s called chemistry! Kind of just like whoever eats cheese will have a mucous response immediately… Whether they realize it or not. You speak of moderation, which is key… But I want to know what terms and measurements you’re referring to? Could you possibly provide your definition of moderation? See the thing is coffee is addictive, so you can do it a couple times and then need it… Right? How can you moderate if you’re addicted? Soon it turns into one cup a day instead of once a week. Add to that the fact that the adrenal glands, once you stop drinking coffee, don’t just come right back online. Which would also spur the person to continue to drink it. Which makes it harder to get off the more dysfunctional the adrenals become over time!
Jesse, the big studies on coffee drinking across populations of tens and hundreds of thousands of people of fairly advanced age over 10 and 20 years all come out the same, which is 15% reduction in all-cause mortality with 1 to 2 cups, and aprox. 65% reduction in all cause mortality with 6 to 7 cups. There is simply no other Commonly available and inexpensive superfood even in its class. And these studies are not faked, they are by big government agencies, and not even with organic coffee, which I drink. Obviously, the full range of compounds in Coffee protects against caffeine, just like they do in green or black tea, because they similarly are superfoods from the mass studies of their effects on humans. Caffeine is bad by itself, ex: softdrinks, but not when with the full spectrum of nutrients in coffee or green tea or black tea. Black tea also has the unbelievable health benefits, not just green tea. Study the effect of caffeine by itself, and it is bad, but not as presented by nature (God). You can talk and write all you want about coffee, but just remember always, 65% reduction in all-cause mortality with 6-8 cups a day, period, in massive study after massive study stretching over decades. How in the world can you argue with that? Could it be that you are concentrating on effects of caffeine without considering the balancing compounds? You do it for green tea, why not black tea and coffee?
Well how come Adventist live longer and they don’t drink coffee, how come the areas of the world where they live beyond 100 don’t drink coffee… I don’t buy it that coffee extends your live. Don’t eat the crap and you will live longer…
Everyone is different. I started drinking coffee since 3 or 4 years old as far as I can remember. I can drink coffee at night time too. I still can sleep. I can’t drink tea from evening. I will be awake until midnight if i drink tea. So everyone responds to tea or coffee differently. But, for health, trying to cut down my coffee intake, one cup a day. Cheers.
I’ve suffered with chronic anxiety and panic attacks for 40 years. That was bad enough until massive ADRENAL FLOW caused much greater anxiety, lack of sleep, DANGEROUSLY high blood pressure and greater consternation. In other words…TORMENT. ? I’m a smoker (attempting to quit) and drink much Coke as well as taking EXCEDRIN for headaches. Each EXCEDRIN contains 65 mg. of caffeine. I wake up many days with painful headaches and take up to 8- 12 EXCEDRIN a day. Coke and coffee consumption (usually about 12 oz. a day of coffee.) My wife warned me and like a fool, I failed to listen. Suggestions, ANYONE? I’d really appreciate your wisdom in this matter.
Donald I recommend seeing a functional medicine doctor asap. We can’t properly assess/give advice through blog comments. Wising you all the best!
I’ve already switched from processed sugar to HONEY in my coffee. I had an abscess tooth years ago..cheek swollen like a baseball and noticed that EVERY time, I drank coffee with SUGAR, I’d experience excruciating pain for about an hour. I switched to HONEY as a sweetener for my coffee and…NO PAIN WHATSOEVER! Sugar is a bugger…Honey saves money! I went to the dentist and he pulled the tooth thus alleviating the pain altogether and I informed him of the difference in pain when using Sugar and switching to raw Honey. If you have a painful dental problem…try Honey if you like sweet drinks. I also noticed VERY LITTLE difference in taste/flavor when switching from Sugar to Honey. Honey is great natural sweetener. I love honeybees and appreciate them more than ever!
Donald – Honey is a HUGE upgrade from sugar… congrats! Even honey needs to be used in moderation though.
I drank honey for a year and got totally sick. I think it was because honey has more fructose than sucrose (See FODMAPS). Quit coffee, milks, and sugars.
I have recently discovered that caffeine was causing me to feel fatigued rather than perking me up. As a result I have cut out caffeine altogether, no more tea or coffee for me. I felt awful for the first few days but now feel a whole lot better. The only contradictory thing with regard to myself is that I am an earlier riser and feel full of energy in a morning, no need for caffeine to get me going. I have always been like this irrespective of whether I have been drinking caffeine or not.
My naturopath said that coffee should be fine for me to drink as I suffer from mild adult acne but my Chinese doctor said to cut coffee completely… Do you think that would be due to caffeine? or the coffee bean itself? I only drink a cup a day, used to be 12-16oz.
It is much more common and of greater concern that today’s man has low cortisol…not high. When it comes to your health, cortisol is the “anti-inflammation hormone”.
Medically, no one benefits by having their cortisol levels reduced (excluding rare conditions like Cushing’s). Almost every disease known to man is caused by chronic inflammation which is usually the result of not having enough cortisol to control your immune system’s inflammatory response.
Most diseases can be controlled and in some cases remedied via the use of synthetic corticosteroids, which mimics cortisol in vivo, thus indicating your body is not producing enough cortisol of its own. It’s far more advantages to increase your cortisol naturally while simultaneously eliminating things that reduces cortisol. Two 8 oz. cups of coffee mid morning, between your wake-up and noon cortisol spikes, will slightly boost your cortisol and alleviate symptoms from some pro-inflammatory conditions.
It should also be noted that ancient man and our recent ancestors had significantly higher levels of cortisol in their bodies than we do today, and they didn’t suffer from the chronic diseases now plaguing modern man.
Coffee saved my life,, starting at age 60, and lost over 50 lbs the next 5 years, but also had energy…i didnt need 3 to 4 naps a day….they didnt help anyway I was still tired after naps.
The doctor gave me Provigil, which is powerful but I stayed awake for days, then crashed.
I hated taste of coffee but got passed it, got hooked, but it worked.
Now I need to stop it, see what happens
Totally ready to quit coffee but wondering why the caffeine in green tea wouldn’t be just as bad as coffee?
We do not have to drink 8-10 glasses of water a day (plus, galsses can be different sizes) as a standart.. it can differ. Apart from people who have tried it and felt sick from it, I’ll just give reference to J.Hamblin book If our bodies could talk p.196… But about coffee, thanks for good and informative article.
Why say coffee is not good for you because it has caffeine but offer alternatives that have caffeine? To me the real issue here is caffeine. I’m confused- is this a sales pitch for tea? Green Tea has caffeine. Wouldn’t the right alternatives be decaf coffee or tea and the best being water??
How do you feel about decaf coffee?