Decaf May Help With Caffeine Withdrawal
Drinking decaf may reduce caffeine withdrawal symptoms.
When people are trying to cut back on their coffee intake often there can be some loathed caffeine withdrawal symptoms like headaches and irritability. A recent University of Sydney study may have uncovered a surprising remedy.
According to results in the Journal of Psychopharmacology, a cup of decaffeinated coffee may be able to alleviate the unpleasant symptoms of caffeine withdrawal if it tastes sufficiently like the real stuff.
In this study, some of the heavy coffee drinkers were unaware that they were drinking decaf; others did know. Interestingly, symptoms also receded in the 24 hours following the last exposure to caffeine even in the group who knew what they were caffeine-free.
Matthew Kadey, MS, RD
Matthew Kadey, MS, RD, is a James Beard Award–winning food journalist, dietitian and author of the cookbook Rocket Fuel: Power-Packed Food for Sport + Adventure (VeloPress 2016). He has written for dozens of magazines, including Runner’s World, Men’s Health, Shape, Men’s Fitness and Muscle and Fitness.
