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I am aware of Pollan's recently well-publicized assertion that caffeine made the modern world. I am unconvinced. I quit caffeine a few years ago. I'm not an un

I am aware of Pollan's recently well-publicized assertion that caffeine made the modern world. I am unconvinced. I quit caffeine a few years ago. I'm not an unusual mutant. I have the genes on markers rs4410790 and rs2470893 that indicate a typical reaction to caffeine. (https://enki.org/2017/08/13/quitting-caffeine/ https://enki.org/2017/08/13/quitting-caffeine/) Most people experience a temporary increase in productivity until they build up a tolerance for caffeine. Thereafter, they are just paying and consuming to avoid headaches and reach the baseline.

diordiderot 5y ago
What was your experience quitting like. I want to but am afraid
- mcculley 5y ago
  It was not bad. I wrote about it in the linked blog piece. I also recommend /r/decaf where you can get support from others who have been and are going through decaffeinating.
- grecy 5y ago
  I'm not the person you replied to, but I can share my experience. I used to drink at least 2 cups of coffee a day, and at least 3-4 of black tea. over a year I slowly backed down to just a single coffee coffee in the morning.. then eventually switched to decafe coffee for that one. I had headaches for about a week, and I think I was irritable. Recently I stopped even the decafe coffee, and now drink 1 or 2 decafe tea a day when it's cold. I feel great, save money and don't miss the ups and downs of real coffee - I used to get the sweats, shakes, funny shallow breathing, etc. etc. I also had no idea I was living life through a "fog", that I didn't even know about until a few months after I stopped. Life is much better now.
- axiosgunnar 5y ago
  Literally just a few days of headache/foggy brain. Then it‘s magically gone. Not even close to a full week. Just do it.
balfirevic 5y ago
> Thereafter, they are just paying and consuming to avoid headaches and reach the baseline. No, it is also for a great deal of enjoyment.
- tolbish 5y ago
  If that were true, everyone would be drinking decaf for the taste.
  - ntlk 5y ago
    Decaf has a very different flavour profile.
- mcculley 5y ago
  My experience consuming caffeine for 35 years was that the enjoyment required increasing consumptions. This is common for most. Maybe it is different for you.

diordiderot 5y ago

What was your experience quitting like. I want to but am afraid

mcculley 5y ago
It was not bad. I wrote about it in the linked blog piece. I also recommend /r/decaf where you can get support from others who have been and are going through decaffeinating.
grecy 5y ago
I'm not the person you replied to, but I can share my experience. I used to drink at least 2 cups of coffee a day, and at least 3-4 of black tea. over a year I slowly backed down to just a single coffee coffee in the morning.. then eventually switched to decafe coffee for that one. I had headaches for about a week, and I think I was irritable. Recently I stopped even the decafe coffee, and now drink 1 or 2 decafe tea a day when it's cold. I feel great, save money and don't miss the ups and downs of real coffee - I used to get the sweats, shakes, funny shallow breathing, etc. etc. I also had no idea I was living life through a "fog", that I didn't even know about until a few months after I stopped. Life is much better now.
axiosgunnar 5y ago
Literally just a few days of headache/foggy brain. Then it‘s magically gone. Not even close to a full week. Just do it.

balfirevic 5y ago

> Thereafter, they are just paying and consuming to avoid headaches and reach the baseline. No, it is also for a great deal of enjoyment.

tolbish 5y ago
If that were true, everyone would be drinking decaf for the taste.
- ntlk 5y ago
  Decaf has a very different flavour profile.
mcculley 5y ago
My experience consuming caffeine for 35 years was that the enjoyment required increasing consumptions. This is common for most. Maybe it is different for you.