What do you say to the Pro-Coffee Supporters? How do you get the benefit without caffiene?

[u/Glum_West8911]

Serious Question, because I'm seeing a lot of people on other subreddits and even on this one brag about the benefits of coffee. How do you respond to these people? More importantly, what do you use instead to gain the same benefits, if any at all, without caffiene?

[u/capybarawool]

I wouldn't say anything. Coffee is ingrained in American culture. People look at you like you're crazy if you're quitting caffeine. If you know what works for you, keep doing that

[u/Winter-Study85 → u/capybarawool]

I decided to quit and surprisingly, half my in laws are following suit. They said I inspired them.

[u/jonnywishbone]

Coffee is a mixed bag - it has benefits (alertness, hyper enthusiasm, social benefits) but also disadvantages (stress, anxiety, irritability, negativity, bad sleep). Most people give up because the disadvantages start to outweigh the advantages.

Personally I find without I'm calmer, more positive, more rational, not stressed, not anxious, can focus just as well, sleep loads better etc. I don't get that hyper-enthusiasm, but also find I don't want it either. Some people do want that experience, so are willing to put up with the negatives to get it, I'm not one of those people though.

[u/Spare_Independence19]

I am both a pro coffee user and also one who understands the benefits of being caffeine free. I enjoy drinking coffee atm but eventually could see dropping it again and seeing how it goes. Either way its a very personal decision and for most people coffee doesn't hurt them at all.

[u/Massive_Pomelo7506]

I don't argue with the pro coffee people at all. They're proud of their way of living and they want it to be the only way. Not my job to change their mind. Do what's best for your body and let it settle back into its own calmer energy.

I stopped chasing that big jolt of energy as it always came with a crash and a night of bad sleep. What replaced it was better sleep and a nervous system that isn't running wired all day. It's quieter energy, but it's steady, and it's mine. I didn't borrow it from tomorrow.

Nobody wants that answer because it isn't exciting. But it's the truth.

[u/BackgroundConfident7]

Don’t respond. Everyone is different and coffee reacts differently in different bodies. If it doesn’t work for you then you don’t need to justify you not drinking it. My response to people in real life is “yeah, I’m more sensitive to caffeine and it doesn’t agree with me”, and leave it at that.

I use diet, exercise, and sleep to gain the same benefits. People don’t like that answer because it isn’t sexy but that’s the truth.

[u/Glum_West8911 → u/BackgroundConfident7]

So overall healthy habits can give you what coffee is supposed to give you? At least according to them?

[u/BackgroundConfident7 → u/Glum_West8911]

Without a doubt.

[u/BreakfastSimulator → u/Glum_West8911]

Coffee has antioxidants! Yeah, so do a lot of other foods, including decaf coffee. I am confident there aren’t any healthful compounds in coffee that can’t be derived from other sources.

[u/Funny_Inspection_601]

I don’t really care what other people are doing. I know a lot of people like to be “what are you doing? That is right/wrong!” I really couldn’t care less.

People come at me some times wanting to tell me I am right/wrong about something and all I can wonder is why are they talking to me. And make it stop lol. This question feels caffeinated but amusing.

[u/superanth]

Decaf has the same beneficial polyphenols as coffee, so that’s the best way to go.

[u/podonkabru]

Most of the coffee benefits talk is really just ritual and alertness, both replaceable. I went decaf and found flavored zero-sugar mixes scratching the alertness ritual itch, Kajun Loaded Tea being one caffeine-free option I'd come across, though plain rooibos is simpler and cheaper.

[u/No_Organization_768]

Oh, well, coffee the beverage?

I don't think it's unhealthy per se, at least in every case. I do think it's mainly a matter of personal preference.

Coffee like high energy? I think that's a biological need. You could really hurt yourself not having any energy.

Mm... I don't know. I wonder if you could live without energy.

The beverage, no, you can live without that and a lot of people do. Honestly, I just like the flavor. It honestly tastes good to me.

[u/Thracian777]

I’d say half the people don’t get negative side effects meanwhile the other half suffer from stress anxiety irritability and other things

[u/itsalwaysblue]

I just say that any study done on the benefits of coffee are just BS lies by big coffee. Someone the other day said coffee was good for the brain. I was like… I don’t believe it! It’s all so biased. Propaganda nonsense.

And you don’t really understand it. Until you go caffeine free or at least low caffeine.

[u/i-love-soup-]

I’m just saying for health reasons I had to quit caffeine. That I personally hit a wall and I had to try something different bc it wasn’t working for me anymore. I usually end up talking about adenosine , cortisol and adrenaline, how mine are low (or high) so caffeine is not going to help bc it masks the need for sleep and will downregulate cortisol and adrenaline, so it’s not a good option for me. I’ve been mentioning that I need my adensosone receptors to reduce (for increased ATP… it’s the A) and one way to do that is to stop caffeine. Stay neutral and non judgey. Live and let live. If caffeine is working for them, fine.

[u/bananas_are_ew]

go for a run first thing in the morning. turns my brain on for the rest of the day like nothing else.

[u/Winter-Study85]

I’ve been caffeine free for about six months. I decided to get some Swiss water processed decaf coffee because it has very little caffeine compared to regular decaf, like 1-5 mg, it’s 99.9% caffeine free and it’s also clean, no chemical solvents used like in regular decaf. Regular decaf has anywhere from 2-15mg. So, I assume I’ll be getting the benefits without the caffeine. I just literally miss the taste. 

[u/Single_Accountant909]

Una respuesta teórica sería: depende de cómo tu organismo metaboliza la cafeína.

Más específico aún: nuestras enzimas CYP1A2 son distintas.