Because of your podcast I have stopped smoking weed, observe a low carb & low sugar diet, and don't drink coffee in the afternoon. All in attempts to have more energy and improve my mental health. It has truly helped A LOT. Thanks for all that you do!
After finding Dr Huberman, my life has exponentially changed in ways I never knew were possible! The well rounded balanced enlightenments has greatly brought more meaning and value into my life! There are no words that can express my thanks for these priceless life lessons! Thank you for helping change my life and the way my mind operates! Much appreciation and admiration!
@scoobyrex247 honestly don't remember. I think at the end of the podcast there was an option to donate. Or after I posted the comment, there was an option to donate. If neither of those work, let me know and I will look futher. Good luck and thanks for reaching out!
@@emmettsummers1881 I'd love to hear what podcasts made the biggest differences in your life. I've just discovered this podcast and there are so many episodes!
This video SINGLE-HANDEDLY turned my avoidance of morning jogging into EXCITEMENT for a morning jog. Why? Because it's now a "cortisol spike" so I don't crash later, instead of one baby step closer to the massive goal of getting in shape. Short term benefits, I like!! Thank you! I jog as soon as I wake up now and it's turning my whole life around. 🙏❣️
I second this. I have always heard morning workouts were great, but I was not willing to put in the hard 90 minutes right when I woke up. Now, I am considering bright light exposure while I do my morning routine (more on this in the Dopamine episode, which will go hand-in-hand with this one), followed by a short jog or skipping routine. This should kill off most of your adenosine, and increase your cortisol peak to get a maximal effect. Again, this is only based off of the great knowledge learned from both episodes, but I hope that new routine works out for you!
@@mycrazylife408 Go to bed earlier and get up earlier. Maybe you won't get the sun, but you'll still get a cortisol spike from working out. You can order caffeine pills online (way cheaper than coffee) and take one to work in your pocket.
i was suffering sleeping and afternoon fatigue for a while. After watching this i am convinced it is because of afternoon coffee that i have all the time. it is now 1 week i restricted my coffee hours to: | wake up + 1.5hrs | coffee time window (2 hrs) | 12h NO coffee | sleep | It worked! i am now able to sleep just in minutes, and no more afternoon fatigue. Of course with the other things mentioned in the podcast on top of this coffee regulation. Thanks a lot for that great episode!!
You're very built too! Hehe ✊🤜🤛🤝🔥💪💪 Hopefully vegan too! Health, various ethical reasons, sustainability, tastes and textures (mockups often beat animal products in tastes and textures), and financial savings. Hehe :3
@@EmilWestrum and he better not be swatting any mosquitoes or flushing ticks, and all that clothing, let’s make sure no animals were killed to make any of it. On top of that, veganism is actually way worse in terms of all the animals who die from all those veggies needing to be cultivated. And this is someone who loves animals. Just hate the hypocrisy
I've been a caffeine user since I was a toddler, and it's difficult for me to maintain my energy levels during the day even when I have had many cups of coffee (four or five). Now in my 30s, I started drinking coffee 90-120 minutes after waking up and eliminated coffee 10-12 hours before bedtime and the change has been almost magical. This is the first episode I've seen of Dr. Huberman's, and the impact this information has had on my performance has been much better than I imagined. I will definitely be watching all the other episodes!
andrew huberman seems like such a good person. seems so humble and down to earth. extremely knowledgeable and seems to back ideas with actual studies. even tries to present the information in vernacular in which not so educated people like myself can understand. i really enjoy listening to him. and again, i really like it that he doesn't seem to have a big ego. not uncommon at all for people with his education and status to have
From personal experience with caffeine withdrawal from dozens of tolerance breaks: 1. Higher regular amount of caffeine consumed leads to longer time before significant withdrawal symptoms start. With 4mg/kg once a day: 60 hours, 2mg/kg once a day: 36 hours. 2. Symptoms were worse with higher dosage, but number of days with withdrawal symptoms were the same. 3. withdrawal was worst on the second day with withdrawal symptoms. No significant symptoms on fifth day. 4. Withdrawal was low in the morning and progressively got worse for each hour awake. Taking a nap helped. 5. Consuming caffeine while having a withdrawal-headache made the headache even worse. 6. Tried starting with 300mg once a day and then lowering 10mg each day. 290-80mg: No withdrawal symptoms. 70-50mg: mild withdrawal. 40-0mg: Similar withdrawal as going cold turkey. 7. Tried 14 days and 28 days abstinence (only once each). Did not notice any further benefits vs 7 days.
You are right Sir. But every case is different and my doctor (addiction specialist) said that in some extreme cases - withdraw from stimulants can last 12 months - yes caffeine and nicottine too - not only heavy drugs.
Gave up all caffeine last year and it took 140 days before I felt normal. But now without having caffeine I have so much more energy. I use to say that if only we could ‘bottle’ energy of kids, yet it’s simple… you wouldn’t give your kids caffeine, don’t take it yourself. Life changing breaking the caffeine addiction!
Yh I noticed after having coffee for a month I started to feel depressed for no reason and my energy levels were low constantly. I started sleeping longer than 7 hours. When I gave it up I was a lot better mentally
My experience with caffeine almost every other day for the past 6 months: I drink coffee Tues/Thurs/Sat with no negative side affects and moderate to high levels of productivity, positivity, motivation and mental clarity. However recently I tested my limits and added another day of coffee on Wednesday. On that Saturday I started to feel had negative affects of fatigue, irritability, increased anxiety, and heartrate. I have since taken a 5 day break and today I am starting back on my 3 days a week coffee routine. Thank you so much for what you do and the information that you share.
I'm a recovering meth addict...3 months Sober today! Thank You Doctor Huberman for giving me the tools necessary to get my "Happy" back. Your videos on addiction and dopamine have delivered the skills I desperately sought to remain an inspiration to those I deeply care for who still suffer from addiction and who WERE too scared to take the initial steps necessary to a longer, healthier and happier future. Seeing how much happier I am and how fast my life is blossoming at 44-after doing Meth Since I was 15-is blowing minds and helping people I know who had given up rethink they're potential. Your Amazing and I want to thank you for changing peoples lives in such a noble, infectious way. Sir you are a blessing! Thank you for saving my life!
Get it Patricia! I hope you are doing well a month later. I'm here because I'm thinking about quiting caffiene. Not nearly as difficult of a bridge to cross as you have. I can't imagine. You have inspired me. Keep up the hard work! You deserve your happiness! Don't look back stay in the present! You got this.
Great Stuff! I started the new year by not drinking coffee first thing in the morning and having a glass of water instead. My energy level actually improved and I stopped having an afternoon knuckle-dragging crash! Awesome!
Thank you for this! Explains why people who smoke and drink caffeine struggle to quit. As a doctor noticed that people who smoke and drink coffee together really struggle much more to quit. This is going to be a gamechanger as i try to help these patients. Really appreciate all you do Prof. Huberman.
Please look at the lung cancer and emphysema rates between smokers vs nicotine Vape users, and advise your patients accordingly. It could mean significant reduction of disease and extension of lifespan.
Thank you Dr. Huberman, I greatly appreciate your videos. After years of suffering from anxiety, and depression, I am finally starting to turn things around. And for once I actually feel like I'm alive. Now I am able to walk on the correct path in my life, and your podcast has no doubt helped me achieve this. I'm really grateful for your help. Stay strong.
I use caffeine every other day (Mon, Wed, and Fri). Sometimes I skip Wednesdays even. I only take it to workout and it works great. When caffeine was a daily thing I would start to have anxiety and panic attacks but taking those 4 days off really helps. I also had problems with sleep when I took caffeine every day. Also, when I took it daily I was much more tired without it. Now I have 0 withdrawals on the off days, and it hits way harder when I do take it. Nothing feels better than when a caffeinated workout is finished and I can go on with my day full of energy
I'm cafeine free for 6 months now - when I drank coffee everyday I had same experiences like you - BUT taking it every other day seem like a good idea! Maybe I'll try it cause I miss coffee
What you're describing is definitely better than consuming caffeine daily. But it's even better to stop altogether. Because whenever you consume caffeine, your cortisol levels go up, which inevitably means stress. So the very best option is to stop altogether.
In my experience, coffee addiction (cause it is kinda like a drug) had negative effect on my mood, sleep etc. It was my "go to drink" to get things done. I had been drinking coffee for 8 years or so everyday in various forms. Coffee, Mate, even Tea. I stumbled upon videos with testimionals about caffeine withdrawal. I was scared but also curious about side effects and benefits that might come with caffeine-free life. I went cold turkey and struggled with motivation and mood for 4 weeks. First two weeks were horrible. It's 2 months caffeine free. My digestion dramatically improved. I sleep like a baby and have 4-7 dreams every night. I don't have to drink coffee every time I want to do something. It is not just my experience. I do not consume caffeine in any form. I have a lot more energy which is stable throughout the day. I don't experience anxiety (which happened almost everyday). I love coffee and Mate, I really do, but I do not plan to drink any caffeinated stuff probably ever. I'm not saying that coffee is bad, I think it is like many things in life - the bigger dopaming hit - the bigger crash will be afterward. Coffee can be used wisely, as Dr. Huberman advises. My body does not react good to caffeine, probably processes it slower than normal and it messes up my sleep even after drinking small cup before 12 o'clock
Wise man,👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽 i was Starbucks coffe mastwr for 3 years and IT support for volkswagen gor 6 years (drinking coffe like crazy to fix computers) now im off for 2 years and im feeling pure not perfect 💪🏼👁
Totally agree, wonderful observation. I spot people addicted to coffee with the monotonous talk, he way they talk - like robots, I observed my friend I had to live with for a year, how she suffered from insomnia and energy crushes and mood swings all connected to coffee and anxiety she got from it, she actually already became OCD person. She can never admit that coffee really is the culprit, she says it does not effect her but it vividly does.
Thank you Dr. Huberman and team for the excellent, as usual, podcast. The impressive examples you give of where and how caffeine worked its way into life on earth makes me think that while you were not consulted at the design phase, perhaps the Caffeine Sprites were. No pun intended ;) As briefly as I can: I love coffee, but I love sleep more, for that reason, at age 40, ten years ago, I gave up my beloved single morning cup. It was one of many things I did to improve my sleep hygiene. For years I had resisted, reasoning that surely one cup of stovetop espresso early in the day could not hurt my sleep. Then my ER doctor husband returned from a toxicology lecture where, as an aside, the speaker mentioned that people vary in the speed with which they metabolize caffeine. He explained that effectively, some people may clear one cup in a matter of hours, while others may be walking around with the equivalent of 3-4 cups in their system at any given time. That was enough info for me; I gave up coffee that day. The first two weeks were horrific - on my daily run I felt like I left my jet-pack at home! What would be the point if I couldn't enjoy my run anymore? But then at the two week mark I felt completely fine. And sleep, while not always 100%, became much better. (And then became fantastic once your podcast came on the scene, but that's another story involving early morning light, etc...) Why do I tell you all this? Because I think my experience touches on some nuances that perhaps your podcast missed*, which may be relevant to others: -You did mention the half-life of caffeine, but I'm wondering about this, based on the above lecture I mention. I will look for the studies on how/if people metabolize caffeine differently. -Given that caffeine is a psychoactive drug, I think it is wise to take a drug holiday from it, from time to time, as one is typically recommended to do for any psychoactive drug. I had been on caffeine for a good twenty years without ever checking in on what life was like without it. When I gave up caffeine I became newly aware of how aggressively people were driving on the morning commute, for instance. You talk about giving up caffeine to experience a positive bump in performance when you go back on it, which is interesting, and useful, but I propose another additional goal: give it up for a while to see who you are without it. I found that I like myself more without caffeine. Turns out I'm more mellow than I realized. Just as motivated, just as active, just no background low-grade sense of urgency anymore. -Perhaps it is the case that as we age the way we metabolize caffeine changes? I'm curious, I wonder. I was fine with it at 20, not so at 40. But then at 20 I had less to keep me up at night. Food for thought. -My jet lag pretty much disappeared after giving up caffeine, and I fly from San Francisco to London fairly frequently, so I take this as pretty decent anec-data. -I really enjoy not feeling drawn to, or "controlled by" a substance. There's still air, and water, and food, (and small amounts of chocolate of course), but I feel much freer now. -I enjoy the smell of a cup of coffee as much as ever, and just content myself with that and lots of cups of Rooibos. Thank you for considering these notes. Kate. *I should probably re-listen to be certain, but I'm on to your next podcast...
I never drank coffee until I hit 40, when I needed it. This year I started a daily cold shower then added alt day fasting and like magic, my need for coffee disappeared. I have the occasional cup when I see clients but I don't feel a perk up with the coffee anymore. I feel the same. Best days are fasting days. It is nothing short of amazing. Month 11 of this regime. I don't think of coffee or crave it. I don't drink caffeine tea either. I just don't need it.
@@justinwayne445 trying skipping breakfast and see how well you perform or how productive you are. Then have a light lunch and gauge your energy levels. For me all I need is a small high protein snack like yogurt or a protein bar to stave off the hunger around lunch time and I’m still pretty alert and active through out the afternoon. Anything more and I’ll start feeling sluggish and tired. When the work day is done and I’m ready to relax I’ll have a large dinner.
Dr. Huberman I just want to tell you how thankful I am that I've found your content. I've been applying the tips you gave here in this episode for the past three days and it has worked wonders! I used to take another dose of caffeine after lunch to blunt the afternoon crash but after heeding your advice I'm surprised that I'm able to survive the day with just my morning caffeine pill. I have more energy for the whole day and I have better sleep at night. Thank you so much!
I arrived at the "every other day" protocol by introspection, and it naturally evolved to "only days when I workout" cause it gives a great boost. I think it's great, and the fact that I've done it by pure self-experimentation indicates that there's something to it.
Please discuss health benefits or detriments of inversion, that is, hanging upside down with head lower than feet, or inverting on a slant, that is, with head lower than feet but on an angle less than 180°. Thank you for all you do, Dr. Huberman!
A while ago I decided to completely cut out caffeine for about a month in order to understand my relationship to the substance a little better, and also because i was experiencing some negatives since I am apparently pretty sensitive to caffeine. After that month I went back to caffeine but in a very low amounts, early in the day, and only on workdays (which means about 4 days a week). I have found that this every-other-day-method gives me the increased performance that I missed during my month of abstinence, whilst the days off of the substance keep the amount of caffeine in my system low, improve my sleep and keep my mood nice and mellow which were the biggest positives I wanted to keep from my month of abstinence. It feels like this way I get the "best of both worlds" so to speak, although I bet there's more ways to improve. For instance, I'm definitely going to try your advice on waiting till 90/120 minutes after I've woken up. Thanks for the video.
Thank you SO much for the details about adenosine piling up in my body! Of course, I've known about the circadian system, getting light early and the hormonal cascade....but I really didn't until you went through it. That my "first thing" coffee has actually been trapping adenosine is life-changing. This is not an exaggeration. For decades, my days have dragged. More and more caffeine isn't working. This is my third day of going out to open the chicken coop and to stay out there for 90" of daylight before having coffee. Today is my first day of feeling great energy instead of dragging my corpse through the hours. Your work is much appreciated!
As an avid ice coffee drinker, I can definitely confirm if you skip one or two days . It hits so much better when you do have it ! Almost like a nice high to me and my alertness is optimal
I haven't tried a strict every other day caffeine schedule but I do occasionally skip caffeine for one or sometimes two days, and I certainly notice that every time I ingest caffeine again after the break, I feel ELATED. My mood, energy, focus, etc all skyrockets for awhile. Whereas after many days in a row of drinking caffeine, the effects quickly become very blunted.
First of all, a huge thank you to the Huberman Lab Team for their work. Both Andrew Huberman and Lex Fridman are my heroes. Not only they have an incredible work ethic, but more importantly they always emphasise the significance of being a good person. Deeply grateful I stumbled upon these two podcasts. Anyway, I'd love to know more about IQ and intelligence. Are you going to make a podcast about this topic? There are a lot of talks about it. Many people say it's a gift, and you simply cannot enhance your intelligence or IQ across your lifespan. Moreover, there is a lot of debate about what intelligence is. I see it as the speed of pattern recognition and the depth of abstract thinking. Probably I'm wrong. Jordan Peterson even presented the table that maps IQ to jobs. I understand that this topic is complicated not only in terms of neuroscience, but in terms of ethic as well. Nevetheless, we probably should talk more about it. P.S. If you are also interested in this topic, please like this comment in order to HL team to see it :)
It's widely known that very few gifted people are born with a photographic memory, or the ability to solve complex math problems similar to a calculator. Having said that, the concept of the "empty slate," was a philosophical concept popularized by the philosopher John Locke in the 17th century and proposed that the mind was an initially empty slate that could be filled with the empirical observations one makes about the world.. However, a man named Friedrich Nietzsche claimed that humans were born with innate knowledge, rather than being born with a "blank slate" that was filled in by experience. While I accept that others are born with advantages, I also believe that one can vastly improve their understanding and ability through experience.
Some are born with speed, others with strength. Some are born with a tall light frame, others short and stout. Some are born with empathy and a conscience, others become Republicans.
I’ve always said that those who can explain a complex phenomenon in a simple and understandable way, is a key indicator that this person is incredibly clever ❤ love your work Huberman
For your consideration: I’d be hugely interested in an episode on the effects of music and, more broadly, aural stimulation on the brain and body. I’m a classical musician (French horn) and while orchestral music is my drug of choice, I’m fascinated with how sound of all kinds, “music” or “not music,” produces changes in mood and physiological state. Many thanks for a great episode as always.
Whew, this podcast is consistently the best part of my week. One thing I would love to know more about on this topic is the different types of caffeine. For example, I stopped drinking coffee for a while a couple of years ago and switched to matcha. I experienced more sustained and subtle effects and stopped crashing in the afternoons (or having energy spikes). I waited until I had my own experience before reading too much about it, and then found that the qualities of the caffeine in matcha (is it true for all green tea?) include exactly what I'd noted - sustained alertness, no jitteriness, no crashes late in the day, and no dramatic energy spikes. Could you say anything about why that is, and whether the 1-3mg:kg ratio is the same for all types of caffeine? (On that, I assume so, as you include caffeine in pill form in the recommendation). Thanks so much for all you do 🙌
I've lived most of my life without caffeine as I am super sensitive. I even have to be careful ingesting chocolate. I'd love to know why that is. I'm also very sensitive to alcohol. I'd also love to participate in a study on caffeine but since I'm super sensitive not sure if that would be a problem. That said I recently started drinking a small amount of caffeinated tea in the mornings. Thanks so much for this episode! I'm really able to understand how to use it to benefit me without doing any damage!
I’m the same way! I’m extremely sensitive to caffeine.. chocolate, anything with stimulants, alcohol. I wasn’t always that way, it started in my mid 20s. It seems like I developed an allergy/intolerance. I can’t even have decaf. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.
I think this can be due to low low stomach acid. I have similar issues with all 3😅 until 4 years ago I used to drink black coffee, red wine and sometimes indulge with dark chocolate. But 4-5 years ago I stared having stomach issues and learned I had SIBO which is caused by low stomach acid. I found lots of info through different natural path podcast and created my own protocol. I even fasted for a 72 hours to kill the bacteria 😅 now I’m ok. I can enjoy decaf coffee but small amounts, and a glass of wine here and there. But can’t go back to drink caffeinated coffee.
Ive been a shift worker for 10 years now. Paramedic and then police. I can say for certain that large amounts of caffeine have played a major role in my life so far but Im ready to transition to a more natural, healthy lifestyle and work that will allow me to do so.
I use caffeine daily to get ready for work, but I feel the afternoon productivity dip (even waiting 1.5 hours after waking before drinking). I'm glad you mentioned stacking and an every-other-day schedule. I think those will help. Thanks!
It's always a unique conversation to listen and or have for me towards the concept of energy. As a shorter male who has been considered bipolar, I have found that literally anytime I want energy all I have to do is think it. Essentially I'm like "hmm, I need a boost" I bounce on my feet a couple times and simply think "let's go" then off I go. I can wake up at any time during the 24hrs of the day automatically ready to partake in any type of activity.
I've always said caffeine is the last thing I'd ever give up. If I abstain I get a nasty headache and usually lose a day of productivity, my homeostasis is disrupted. Delaying it an hour or so is challenging, depends on the day. I also find it really best from hot coffee. I don't seem to enjoy caffeine as much from tea or yerba mate. I wonder why? Thanks for all the good info Dr. Huberman!
Hi Andrew, I have mixed opinions about the every other day coffee cup. Surely It boosts the caffeine effect (I'd say it feels more than a 2x), but the day you don't drink it, you can be very distracted. I guess it's because you know there is caffeine the next day, and by anticipating to that 'reward', you're making the effort more painful on the other day. But if you can overcome that day, I do believe this way of drinking is better than daily
This podcast is so important for my journey as a person who don't drink coffee, tea or any caffeine beverages. I was diagnosed with ADHD last October and after intense researchers I started drinking coffee "café latte" every morning & it changed me in wired way no more fatigue & tiredness, more focus, more productivity. Thank you Dr. Andrew
@droid16beta97 Caffeine is a stimulant, similar to other ADHD meds, but like you pointed out its much less strong (and less potential side effects). If it works, it's definitely a safer choice.
Hey Andrew! I know this is an older video but you mentioned caffeine being good for asthma. Just wanted to let you know that when I was much younger I had asthma and my mom read somewhere that black coffee could help with that. She hated the inhaler because for some reason it turned me into “an angry little monster”😂 anyway she started giving me strong, plain black coffee. It very quickly got rid of all of my asthma and today at 15 years old I don’t struggle with it at all and actually have pretty good endurance without any trouble breathing. I do have to confess to being a little addicted to plain black coffee at this point in my life though. I know I drink too much but this podcast has helped me organize it in a helpful way. Thank you.
Andrew! Please make an episode about how to gain weight in a healthy way. Especially if you're dealing with chronic underweight issues, or have an auto immune illness. Love the work ❣️
Im so excited for the episode on menstrual cycles ! I feel like I hear all kinds of different information & it’s hard to know what to trusttt. Im so ready to have a whole episode dedicated to reliable info & facts on a topic I’ve always found so hard to get clear info on!
I've been running for years, and every time after a long run of moderate intensity I've always had crashes in mood in the evening several hours later. For lack of a better term, I call it my "runner's low". I've found nothing in the popular running literature to explain why this is - I assume they don't want to discourage people from running as it's easier to emphasise the high than talk about the low. The dopamine stacking explanation in this podcast was the first plausible mechanism I've heard that explains it! Especially as I make sure I'm sufficiently caffeinated before embarking to ensure good performance. I just want to say thank you for this podcast series. On a variety of topics, I've learnt a lot that I'm surprised isn't more widely available seeing how important it is. Seeing dopamine depletion as a potential mechanism for that low, I'll be sure to listen to the dopamine podcast and look to experiment with ways I can try to raise dopamine naturally after my longer runs to see if I can find ways to offset that crash.
As someone who suffers from migraines that are often triggered by caffeine amounts, I'm so glad I found this podcast! One thing I did not hear discussed in the episode is pros/cons of drinking caffeine at steady,low doses throughout the morning/day. Are there any studies on this? Thanks so much!
Awesome talk! I realized many things that I was doing wrong as a daily coffee drinker (like drinking it right away in the morning, almost 400 ml per dosage, and putting sugar on it). The understand of how it works internally in the body and some best practices to drink it will sure help a lot
I work third shift 14 shifts a month and have been skipping caffeine on my off days to allow me some sleep flexibility for a couple years and definitely noticed a spike in overall efficacy of it on the days I do use it with very little impact on the days that I don't so these studies certainly track with my own experiences.
Thank you for changing my life! I'm enjoying my total capacity as a human being and high productivity to reach my true potential as a businesswoman, mom, and girlfriend. My physical strength is excellent, so I can work out every day too!
Please keep sharing all this information Dr Huberman. This is crucial information that will greatly improve people’s lives! Blessings upon you and your staff.
Instead of taking theanine separately to offset jitters from sources of caffeine such as coffee or pills, one could always just drink tea; Caffeine and theanine are naturally occuring in any tea made from the Camellia sinensis plant - white, green, black and oolong. Coffee shouts, tea whispers :)
I have observed that if I change the source of caffeine, it has much strong effect on me. For example if I get my coffee from a different shop or if I drink a strong tea, rather than the usual coffee. This is a trick that works well for me, still I wonder if it might be psychological. Great podcast, thank you!
Prolonging caffeine intake 90 minutes after waking is an absolute game changer. Caffeine seems to work more effectively and I don’t appear to be experiencing the afternoon crash.
Going to my shift work job and listening to this… I over indulge Deathwish coffee every work day, I should seek intervention but it’s my last vice (actually just cutting out cocktails during the work week too) the protocols that I’ve picked up from Andrew Huberman have been life extending at least I hope Professor Huberman, thank you for igniting my curiosity in science, I mean this from the bottom of my heart
I think of you as my virtual mentor, Andrew. I'm not sure how you would feel about that but I have learnt so much from you and I strongly believe that you haven't even scratched the surface of your own potential yet, I know there will be lots more to come from you that will benefit humanity and science as a whole. I look forward to it. Thank you!
COFFEE ☕ = LIQUID ANXIETY Was hoping to hear more about this in this episode tbh COFFEE also TIGHTENS MUSCLES and ENHANCES MUSCULAR TENSION RETENTION - just my personal annecdotal experience (even in the doses Andrew recommends) - anyone else experience more muscular tension in places such as the jaw, neck and shoulder when consuming coffee ? 🙏🏼
Absolutely fascinating episode. I was truly unaware of the multiple methods with which caffeine integrated and modified my perspective. I'm not sure if this is the appropriate place to post this but as an idea for a future episode: I'm interested in our current understanding of Interpersonal Neurobiology and how the people with which we associate profoundly impact who we are. And in the age of online communities, content, and podcasts, what implications does this have.
After listening this podcast. I am still unsure when I should take my caffeine. Key takeaways that I learned I want to carry in my life: wait that 90-120 minutes for my intake, take caffeine after a study session or something important I want to retain, and also take it at least 12 hours before I sleep. For example, would waking up, getting sunlight and drinking water while studying from the hours of 6 am - 10 pm and then taking my caffeine during the study session around 9am - 10pm, and then immediately after studying rip a cold shower or an intense workout be the ideal schedule to foster excellence? And then carry on with my day and try and sleep by 10 pm? What are the thoughts @Andrew Huberman. Thanks! This was awesome.
Listening to this episode made me grateful that no one was able to patent caffeine before we learned all this great stuff about it. Imagine how much they'd be charging for it if they had!
Thank you for touching on the effects regarding women's menstrual cycle. I think it is great that you on Huberman Lab is educating about hormones and menstrual cycle to normalise and inform about the human sexuality. I am also looking forward to hear about the episode completely regarding the menstrual cycle! Thanks for the episode, and the podcast in its whole. I have been listening to your podcast for one year now!
Dear Dr. Huberman, First off, thank you very much for your contributions. You have provided many great insights and benefits from your experience. You have also been candid and admitted that you are not a nutritionist. And let us assume, you are also not a physician, a biologist, naturopath, or homepath. Or to put another way, a holistic practitioner. Regarding coffee, while it may be beneficial in some ways, it is hugely detrimental in other ways. For example, it increases uric acid and causes uric acid deposits. Uric acid has been linked with several disorders and illnesses, such as Alzheimer’s disease. Uric acid deposits affect the brain, the joints, and can be especially felt in the feet. Furthermore, the caffeine is quite high, and it leads to adrenal fatigue. The majority of Americans are suffering from adrenal fatigue. We could take much to recover, and only seconds to go back into adrenal fatigue again.
Thank you for the podcast! Would you consider doing a video on how to interpret complete blood count (CBC) test results and how each of us can make them 'better'? What kind of hacks we could use to achieve long-term effects on improving our health based on the test?
5mths ago I stopped drinking coffee and reducing other caffeine containing foods (I also don’t drink any energy drinks, I do have caffeine-free teas). I was easily having 600mg of caffeine per coffee, consuming 4-6 cups per day (I’m 55kg - so far too much per cup, and far too often I now see!) 2 months ago I was craving a coffee, and started allowing myself 1 coffee on Saturday, 1 on Sunday. Since then, I have felt my work (Mon-Fri) energy levels and motivation deteriorate dramatically. Thanks to this video I think I have realised I have been training myself that weekends are better than weekdays/work (we all KNOW that, but I think I’ve been subconsciously doing it on accident). Thanks for a great video and helping me realise this!!
When I switched to ground coffee instead of instant, big difference also additives like sugar, sweeteners, dairy etc may effect. I now have mine with ground slow roasted chaga with a tad bit of sea salt
Even though I don't really do all of it, it is important to keep in mind many of the things mentioned. With this information, you can really classify your caffeine consumption differently and not just go by how your body feels. A strong recommendation for anyone
I stopped drinking coffee about 3 years ago. At least. Before that I had 2 coffees a day. I quit just to have less addiction in my life, nothing particular. Beside a few days of headache it was no problem. I started dringking mate. I drank usually one or two daily. After a few years I noticed that when I dont drinking mate I'm kind of the same, it does not add that much energy, so I stopped mate for a month. I had still a lot of energy throughout the day. Now I sometimes drink one mate for a few months and sometimes I dont take any cffeine for a few months. Sometimes when I drink a coffee I feel a lot of energy but also feel strange, constantly thinking, wanting to DO THINGS.Get things done, cant be calm. I noticed lately that any type of caffeine maes me agitated, too alert. Makes me a bit aggressive and too alert. impatient and nervous. I'd like to drink a coffee now and then but I stop myself always lately because of these above....
I found that the best way to stay alert and energetic is any kind of keto diet - that is, no or very little carbohydrates. Caffeine helps, but its effects are not nearly as transformative, as that of the diet's.Though, I still drink coffee, but only in the morning (about 9 AM). I brew it in a geyser coffee maker from the same amount of freshly ground beans every time. That way I control the amount of caffeine I consume (although a pill or measured amount of powdered caffeine would give better control), get all the health benefits and none of the sleep problems. When coffee is too much, green tea is a great option, and it tastes better too (I prefer oolong, puerh an some other fancy variants).
An outstanding episode, Dr Huberman Thank you very much for your fine expertise and your incredible generosity of sharing your knowledge with general public. This is simply priceless. You are a true Mensch.
Andrew and Huberman lab team, another fantastic episode. Thank you so much for the value that you guys consistently provide for zero cost. I do have a question also, why do some people (me included) feel no effects from caffeine even at very high doses?
I’m no doctor, just a regular person who is not affected by caffeine either but after drinking it for some years I discovered it was affecting me internally-my heart. My theory is the caffeine goes somewhere and stimulates people in different ways. Perhaps the majority of people get their brains stimulated with a feeling of energy. Others it might stimulate the kidneys. But in my case it was the heart until I actually got heart problems. When I stopped coffee, my heart problems stopped. So I think it may be stimulating some internal part of your body that you don’t realize. Just my opinion.
Thank you Dr. Huberman! I am intrigued by the potential peripheral effects of caffeine consumption, particularly in relation to teeth coloration and staining. Could you shed light on the mechanisms by which caffeine may impact dental aesthetics, and are there scientifically-backed methods to either prevent or reverse such discoloration associated with caffeine intake?
Another great episode. Understanding the science behind the timing and effects of caffeine is invaluable. I just started drinking coffee to minimize afternoon crashes. I now understand why the coffee has gone from tasting "meh" to very good - science!
I’m an Argentine who drinks yerba mate and through your podcast I came to hear for the first time about its potential cancerous properties. I’ve tried reading about it online but I don’t seem to find reliable information about what brands are or not smoked… I didn’t even know that smoked kinda of Yerba existed. Do you know what should I look for in the contents? Or where to find a reliable review of the different kinds? Ideally for Argentine Yerba as we don’t get imported ones there. Thank you so much! You are an icon.
Can you and your team make an episode regarding panic attacks and biology behind then. How to control them and how to get rid of them. Thanks for science based tools and sharing your knowledge.
Eat lots of pro-biotic foods (yoghurt/Kefir/Sauerkraut). A panic attack is a crash in mood but those pro-biotics will keep your uncrashed mood higher, so hopefully the crash won't be as bad, or as frequent. I would urge you to run a search for "Foods to prevent panic attacks".
Personally I've had success with getting rid of panic attacks by leaning to recognize/understand triggers (and yes, sometimes they seem random) and making a plan, i.e. when I feel the beginning of a panic attack, I will do a certain action to 'derail' it before it starts. It's a lot easier to stop it before it starts, than halfway through. For me, when I started to feel panicky, I would put shoes on, grab headphones, and force myself to go for a run, go biking, or do something physically engaging. Reassure yourself that it's okay to feel what you're feeling, and that it will pass. Don't fight it, just allow it to move through you. You can also practice "grounding exercises" (there's lots of resources online), splash cold water on your face, take a cool shower, deep breathing, count backwards from 100, etc. It takes time to find what works for you personally because everyone is different, but I think making a plan is really fundamental. There's lots of free counselling services in many places that can help you find something that works.
I fall asleep listening to your voice on various videos, depending on how stressful work was that day, and I swear I wake up each day refreshed and somehow more intelligent. 🤜🤛 thanks! Thank you for the indepth explanations.
I highly recommend the host to try the “every other day” method. I stumbled across it when I was trying to get rid of headaches. I found that if I didn’t drink more than two days in a row that I did not get any headaches. It also made me a lot more productive, because I was actually getting the benefits of the coffee; instead of being totally addicted and tolerant to it. My schedule is M, T, H, Sat are my caffeine days; others days off.
Might also be worth tying just taking 1 day off every week as a “reset”. Instead of every other day having an off day, this minimizes the performance impact and can be planned on the day of your choice (I do Sundays), while still preventing tolerance (for me).
@@jjtitusDepends on dose. The problem is due to caffeines 6 hour half life. For a 100mg dose, you'll have ~7mg going through your veins after 24 hours. Timing the last dose as well as the amount is essential.
@@jjtitus if I drink coffee 3 or 4 days in a row then take a day off, I get bad headaches. I found two days on, one day off is my limit before becoming addicted (headache withdrawals).
Hi amazing podcast! Does anyone know if the reinforcing affects of caffeine can be utilized just from drinking a coffee whilst eating a food/exercising. Rather than the caffeine being directly in the food itself?
Caffeine helps me prevent my migraines. I was diagnosed with chronic migraine disorder (16 or more per month) about 8yrs ago and I learned that migrainous people thrive on routine. Having the same amount of caffeine at the same times each day helps me prevent migraines. But this need for routine applies to everything- same amount of sleep (even getting 30 min more sleep can trigger a migraine), same relative diet/eating schedule, same water intake, same amount of physical activity... just having a lazy day of watching movies and snacking on things that are outside of the usual diet can trigger an awful 72-hr migraine. Stress and also excitement (cortisol spikes) can also trigger migraines. We have to just find what works for us, and then try to stick to it as much as possible, especially in the hours and days before an event that we need to be migraine-free for. I hope this helps someone who suffers from migraines!
Nice. Also, go vegan, proven best diet by largest health studies, human anatomy shows it, carbs grew our brains, and it's blatant with rising statistics in non-vegans and their major health issues. Also, the average person, unlike me, is dehydrated, which destroys energy levels by 20-35% or so by only 1-2% dehydration, cause migraines, confusion, etc. ;p They say about 75% of Americans drink only about 2.5 cups of water on average a day. Thankfully, I'm not one of them, and I thankfully live abroad, but I was born and raised in infamous Miami, FL, USA. Exercise gives more energy, and yoga and walking are what I stick to these days, accompanied by taking stairs when I walk daily. Hehe.
have you tried meditation? hyperstimulation is the cause of mine. i thrive on silence and i limit my internet hours. i can only watch maybe couple of videos like these (informative ones) and i spend my hours on relaxation and silence. it cured everything. i tend to hyoerventillate when i use my phone. it would hurt my right shoulder blade by engulfing more air and storing there. and when that happens, i would just lie down on my bed and rest. the air will come out on its own lol
Interesting and I’m glad you have relief!! If you don’t mind, for my horrible migraines, salting my foods helped cure them!! Caffeine made my headache types worse. And I have Stan Efferding to thank for this!! Salt salt salt!!! Especially if you exercise. Game and life changer for my headaches and for athletic ability. Just in case anyone has those types of headaches!! Just be sure you aren’t salt sensitive obviously
Caffiene (in the form of sugar free energy drinks) is the single most addictive thing I have ever encountered. I can drink any amount of alchohol, smoke any amount of cannabis, be put on any amount of morphine or opioid pain killer during a hospital stay or following an accident and I'll have no issues. I've never abused opiods or used cocaine/meth etc but caffeine based on things I have used, it's a whole different beast. Nice to finally understand some of the reasons why.
This podcast was one of the best podcasts Andrew Huberman has done🎉🎉🎉🎉❤❤❤❤ Most people can’t consume caffeine because they don’t pay attention to the dose
I ingest 1-2 cups of caffeine daily but I don’t get the energy or motivation that most people feel. I am excited to see if this podcast would explain why some people like me don’t feel much. ☕️
@@shark_man_ Even when I started drinking it for the first time, I didn’t really notice the effects. I do take a break from it as well, and when I go back to it, I don’t feel any changes.
@@yamani3882 I have never felt stimulated by caffeine. I can drink expressos right before bed and sleep like a baby as usual. HOWEVER, I had to quit coffee because even though it was not giving me external energy it was stimulating my heart and started giving me heart problems and once I stopped coffee my heart problems stopped. So it might be stimulating you in other areas internally that you don’t see or realize such as your kidneys, heart, etc. My theory is the caffeine is going somewhere so for some people it stimulates their brain by giving energy and others it might be other organs. Be careful. However, i don’t think 1-2 cups of coffee is anything to worry about. But I would not increase it; just stick to that and you should be fine.
Love listening to your podcasts Dr. Hubernan! I learn so much from you. Refreshes all those things I forgot back in my PNB classes many years ago. Great stuff please continue to share! 👍
Just wanted to say THANK YOU for your amazing input, you explain everything really well and it's really comfortable to listen to, which makes those 2 hours+ pass in no time at all. Thanks again! Great stuff
I recently did two weeks without caffeine and was surprised by how depressed I felt! I live in interior BC Canada so it's normal for me to feel pretty low in the winter months but it felt like stopping coffee really pushed me into a depressed state. I felt like I lost a part of myself... I realize it's ridiculous to have a substance complete me but still, I won't be trying that again for a long time! Now I see what an anti depressant effect it has. I'm going to try the suggestions in this episode. I definitely have been drinking far too many espressos daily according to the formula in this episode.
Dr.Huberman & team, it would be of great benefit to me and the rest of the listeners if you would interview Paul Chek on your podcast. Thanks for all that you do. ❤️ 🧠⚡️
Greetings Dr. Huberman, Kudos for the production quality and great balance between fun and professionalism in your podcasts. One questions came to mind after this episode, namely, how would producing no adenosine influence the body?
Hello Dr. Huberman, I'd like to know more about the timeline of dopaminergic effects of caffeine as well as tolerance and withdrawal effects specific to dopamine. In particular, I'd like to know: - does the sensitization of dopamine receptors occur only during the acute effects of caffeine? If yes, does it return to baseline afterwards or below baseline? - if the sensitization takes repeated consumption to occur, how long does it take, how frequent does the dosing have to be and how long does it last after stopping use of caffeine? - does tolerance occur to this increase in dopamine transmission, including through other compensatory effects? If yes, is this tolerance complete, meaning the level of dopaminergic transmission while on caffeine end up as the baseline before starting caffeine use? - is there any withdrawal effect specific to dopamine, whether short or long-term, aside from the sleepiness due to adenosine rebound? Other than that, thank you for another great episode! This came at a perfect time for me as I am exploring the effects of caffeine after a lifetime of abstinence. I like it but not enough to risk subtly undermining my dopamine system in the long term! I've definitely felt come-downs from caffeine that were not just sleepiness so I'm curious if they were related to the effects on dopamine.
I stacked caffeine, naps, and cold showers to help me increase my baseline dopamine levels. I would ingest caffeine, take a 10-minute nap with my feet up, and right afterward take a 2-3 minute cold shower. For about 4 weeks, I would do this twice a day, once after an hour after waking and then again around noon.
I'm currently cycling off coffee, day 6, after consuming way too much. Don't have the energy I used to for now, but I know it'll be better for me in the long run. When I stop seeing the benefits of focus and need more to keep me going, it's a problem. Careful out there guys! It's everrrrywhere!
@@glacialimpala at the time of the post it was my 6th day of an undetermined period, at least a month. I dont like the dependency on it. I love the ritual and the mouthfeel as I make bulletproof coffee when I do have it. But for me at this time, no caffeine is best.
I haven’t had caffeine since 1999. I’ve raised and homeschooled six children without the need for it and have good energy. Considering beginning to drink it to use it as a tool as described in this video. Are there any studies I could join on starting a caffeine regimen? Thank you!
Currently I am almost never taking in Caffeine (or not on purpose atleast), but now seeing the benefits of it, so I might change my abstinence from caffeine. I kinda wanna try the "every other day" way of taking in caffeine (100mg max on that day), but I actually wanna keep down to 1-2 times per week (again max 100mg on that day). Hopefully I dont forget about this comment and can write you my experience of it down here. And once again great lesson!
Thank-you for explaining caffeine, it makes me understand those lines I see at Starbucks. No matter how much inflation hits and we pay for gas, it hasn’t changed anything. You are a valuable man in America Mr Huberman.
man, not to be another echo in the wind, thank you, again. honestly. Having the "unfortunate/fortunate" ability to let the mind just wonder like as if someone just turned on a switch, your teachings have taught "how to control" that reaction through diet, exercise, sleep. I always followed a plan, but taking it to the next level was what helped. Thank you for allowing me to gain access to parts of the mind through such "basic" yet extremely beneficial, needless to say. If you happen to read this, and I promise to check if there are any (I'm sure there are, not doubt); words spoken on the heart would be nice to learn. I really would be pleased to know more abooot that (a lil Canadian humor). Awesome, till next time! 🙏
Just starting the video. I'm addicted to caffeine and have been my entire teenage and adult life. I found out later that I was using it to self medicate for undiagnosed ADHD. I quit for a while because was causing muscle pain and fibroids. I recently got readdicted and have been trying to quit again but the headaches are horrible. I'm so mad at myself for even taking that first drink again. I don't have issues with alcohol but caffinated drinks are so addictive for me. I'll get there one day! Lol I'm looking forward to watching this.
@@ositaozed2252 It was because of my adhd. But I didn't know I had it then or why it felt like it was helping. I was drinking like 3 or more bottles of Mt Dew every day back then. So there was a lot of sugar too, but non caffinated soda didn't work.
Unbelievable information as always!!! I started using caffeine about 3-4 hrs after I woke up so I would t get the “crash “ and this lecture just reinforces that decision In regards to guests: Paul Stammets. I’d love to hear you and him talk about Nuerons and lions mane mushrooms White blood cells and turkey tail mushrooms etc The link between fungus and improving our over all health. Would love to hear feed back off two absolute experts
Dr. Huberman, love all the work you produce. Has enhanced my life certainly. Post graduate student here. Have used caffeine to much advantage I believe during my studies and have employed many of the tactics you discussed for the past few years. Questions: Do you believe that cycling caffeine has true advantage? The days taken off can be lower performing (mentally/physically) where jumping back on caffeine sees the increased results you mentioned. Most individuals are not professional athletes or readying themselves for a chess tournament at the end of the month and would like to obtain to have the "boost" from caffeine otherwise not had by an experienced user. So are the "low" days worth the "high" days or is a steady diet of caffeine more advantageous in your opinion?
Speaking of the Napaccino trend, I've had varying results with it. When I wasn't regularly consuming caffeine, I'd drink a cup of coffee and do breathing exercises as I fell asleep. This would make me go into very deep sleep and wake up feeling like I can climb a mountain. Later as I began using more caffeine, it just doesn't do much for me. I'm not sure why that is, but I would feel that the quality of sleep I'm getting isn't the same as before
Because of your podcast I have stopped smoking weed, observe a low carb & low sugar diet, and don't drink coffee in the afternoon. All in attempts to have more energy and improve my mental health. It has truly helped A LOT. Thanks for all that you do!
I'd never quit weed, I just incorporate it into the other areas in my life. I get stoned before I exercise Lol
Agreed. Weed does too much good for my life, in terms of mood, energy, motivation, relaxation... the examples are endless
You know it's really bad when you can't imagine life without a drug
@@BencioW Well I'd imagine Rick James wrote that damn song for an equally damn good reason LOL
@@BencioW Well, another point of view might be, how grateful I am that there exists such a benign drug that helps so endlessly with my psyche
After finding Dr Huberman, my life has exponentially changed in ways I never knew were possible! The well rounded balanced enlightenments has greatly brought more meaning and value into my life! There are no words that can express my thanks for these priceless life lessons! Thank you for helping change my life and the way my mind operates! Much appreciation and admiration!
how are you able to donate? I want to donate.
@scoobyrex247 honestly don't remember. I think at the end of the podcast there was an option to donate. Or after I posted the comment, there was an option to donate. If neither of those work, let me know and I will look futher.
Good luck and thanks for reaching out!
@@scoobyrex247 if you're on a pc is should be near the like/share/download buttons
@@emmettsummers1881
I'd love to hear what podcasts made the biggest differences in your life. I've just discovered this podcast and there are so many episodes!
This video SINGLE-HANDEDLY turned my avoidance of morning jogging into EXCITEMENT for a morning jog. Why? Because it's now a "cortisol spike" so I don't crash later, instead of one baby step closer to the massive goal of getting in shape. Short term benefits, I like!! Thank you! I jog as soon as I wake up now and it's turning my whole life around. 🙏❣️
I second this. I have always heard morning workouts were great, but I was not willing to put in the hard 90 minutes right when I woke up. Now, I am considering bright light exposure while I do my morning routine (more on this in the Dopamine episode, which will go hand-in-hand with this one), followed by a short jog or skipping routine.
This should kill off most of your adenosine, and increase your cortisol peak to get a maximal effect. Again, this is only based off of the great knowledge learned from both episodes, but I hope that new routine works out for you!
i wish i could do this but i have to work early
@@mycrazylife408 Go to bed earlier and get up earlier. Maybe you won't get the sun, but you'll still get a cortisol spike from working out. You can order caffeine pills online (way cheaper than coffee) and take one to work in your pocket.
@@SonnyEverywhere Did you even check the video title?
@@SonnyEverywhere correct
i was suffering sleeping and afternoon fatigue for a while. After watching this i am convinced it is because of afternoon coffee that i have all the time. it is now 1 week i restricted my coffee hours to:
| wake up + 1.5hrs | coffee time window (2 hrs) | 12h NO coffee | sleep |
It worked! i am now able to sleep just in minutes, and no more afternoon fatigue. Of course with the other things mentioned in the podcast on top of this coffee regulation. Thanks a lot for that great episode!!
The caffeine addict in me has been waiting for this day since I discovered this channel!
Sahaj! I love your channel man. Glad to see your sources are of such high caliber haha
Yeee! He did one on caffeine before though. Hehe
You're very built too! Hehe ✊🤜🤛🤝🔥💪💪 Hopefully vegan too! Health, various ethical reasons, sustainability, tastes and textures (mockups often beat animal products in tastes and textures), and financial savings. Hehe :3
@@ReligionAndMaterialismDebunked stop, the cringe is too painful.
@@EmilWestrum and he better not be swatting any mosquitoes or flushing ticks, and all that clothing, let’s make sure no animals were killed to make any of it. On top of that, veganism is actually way worse in terms of all the animals who die from all those veggies needing to be cultivated. And this is someone who loves animals. Just hate the hypocrisy
I've been a caffeine user since I was a toddler, and it's difficult for me to maintain my energy levels during the day even when I have had many cups of coffee (four or five). Now in my 30s, I started drinking coffee 90-120 minutes after waking up and eliminated coffee 10-12 hours before bedtime and the change has been almost magical.
This is the first episode I've seen of Dr. Huberman's, and the impact this information has had on my performance has been much better than I imagined. I will definitely be watching all the other episodes!
andrew huberman seems like such a good person. seems so humble and down to earth. extremely knowledgeable and seems to back ideas with actual studies. even tries to present the information in vernacular in which not so educated people like myself can understand. i really enjoy listening to him. and again, i really like it that he doesn't seem to have a big ego. not uncommon at all for people with his education and status to have
From personal experience with caffeine withdrawal from dozens of tolerance breaks:
1. Higher regular amount of caffeine consumed leads to longer time before significant withdrawal symptoms start. With 4mg/kg once a day: 60 hours, 2mg/kg once a day: 36 hours.
2. Symptoms were worse with higher dosage, but number of days with withdrawal symptoms were the same.
3. withdrawal was worst on the second day with withdrawal symptoms. No significant symptoms on fifth day.
4. Withdrawal was low in the morning and progressively got worse for each hour awake. Taking a nap helped.
5. Consuming caffeine while having a withdrawal-headache made the headache even worse.
6. Tried starting with 300mg once a day and then lowering 10mg each day. 290-80mg: No withdrawal symptoms. 70-50mg: mild withdrawal. 40-0mg: Similar withdrawal as going cold turkey.
7. Tried 14 days and 28 days abstinence (only once each). Did not notice any further benefits vs 7 days.
You are right Sir. But every case is different and my doctor (addiction specialist) said that in some extreme cases - withdraw from stimulants can last 12 months - yes caffeine and nicottine too - not only heavy drugs.
Gave up all caffeine last year and it took 140 days before I felt normal. But now without having caffeine I have so much more energy. I use to say that if only we could ‘bottle’ energy of kids, yet it’s simple… you wouldn’t give your kids caffeine, don’t take it yourself. Life changing breaking the caffeine addiction!
Bees like it and they work like bees…
The same, for me the caffeine is a definitely net negative in the long term.
Same here! I'm free.
Yh I noticed after having coffee for a month I started to feel depressed for no reason and my energy levels were low constantly. I started sleeping longer than 7 hours. When I gave it up I was a lot better mentally
I probably should, I get over stimulated probably
My experience with caffeine almost every other day for the past 6 months:
I drink coffee Tues/Thurs/Sat with no negative side affects and moderate to high levels of productivity, positivity, motivation and mental clarity.
However recently I tested my limits and added another day of coffee on Wednesday. On that Saturday I started to feel had negative affects of fatigue, irritability, increased anxiety, and heartrate.
I have since taken a 5 day break and today I am starting back on my 3 days a week coffee routine.
Thank you so much for what you do and the information that you share.
I'm a recovering meth addict...3 months Sober today! Thank You Doctor Huberman for giving me the tools necessary to get my "Happy" back. Your videos on addiction and dopamine have delivered the skills I desperately sought to remain an inspiration to those I deeply care for who still suffer from addiction and who WERE too scared to take the initial steps necessary to a longer, healthier and happier future. Seeing how much happier I am and how fast my life is blossoming at 44-after doing Meth Since I was 15-is blowing minds and helping people I know who had given up rethink they're potential. Your Amazing and I want to thank you for changing peoples lives in such a noble, infectious way. Sir you are a blessing! Thank you for saving my life!
Proud of you
@@Ollie-uo5bo thank you so much! happy new year!
Get it Patricia! I hope you are doing well a month later. I'm here because I'm thinking about quiting caffiene. Not nearly as difficult of a bridge to cross as you have. I can't imagine. You have inspired me. Keep up the hard work! You deserve your happiness! Don't look back stay in the present! You got this.
Congrats brother
@@SM-gl3in Sistah, LOL I know you can't see past my hair lol! Thank you so much!
Great Stuff! I started the new year by not drinking coffee first thing in the morning and having a glass of water instead. My energy level actually improved and I stopped having an afternoon knuckle-dragging crash! Awesome!
Thank you for this! Explains why people who smoke and drink caffeine struggle to quit. As a doctor noticed that people who smoke and drink coffee together really struggle much more to quit. This is going to be a gamechanger as i try to help these patients. Really appreciate all you do Prof. Huberman.
Please look at the lung cancer and emphysema rates between smokers vs nicotine Vape users, and advise your patients accordingly. It could mean significant reduction of disease and extension of lifespan.
Thank you Dr. Huberman, I greatly appreciate your videos. After years of suffering from anxiety, and depression, I am finally starting to turn things around. And for once I actually feel like I'm alive. Now I am able to walk on the correct path in my life, and your podcast has no doubt helped me achieve this. I'm really grateful for your help. Stay strong.
I use caffeine every other day (Mon, Wed, and Fri). Sometimes I skip Wednesdays even. I only take it to workout and it works great. When caffeine was a daily thing I would start to have anxiety and panic attacks but taking those 4 days off really helps. I also had problems with sleep when I took caffeine every day. Also, when I took it daily I was much more tired without it. Now I have 0 withdrawals on the off days, and it hits way harder when I do take it. Nothing feels better than when a caffeinated workout is finished and I can go on with my day full of energy
I'm cafeine free for 6 months now - when I drank coffee everyday I had same experiences like you - BUT taking it every other day seem like a good idea! Maybe I'll try it cause I miss coffee
Have you tried pure Therapeutic ketones?
@@keatsu Just do once every-other week, 100mg. Your tolerance is gone now, so you can be superman twice a month.
@@keatsuprob drinking it every day again right 😂
What you're describing is definitely better than consuming caffeine daily. But it's even better to stop altogether. Because whenever you consume caffeine, your cortisol levels go up, which inevitably means stress. So the very best option is to stop altogether.
In my experience, coffee addiction (cause it is kinda like a drug) had negative effect on my mood, sleep etc. It was my "go to drink" to get things done. I had been drinking coffee for 8 years or so everyday in various forms. Coffee, Mate, even Tea. I stumbled upon videos with testimionals about caffeine withdrawal. I was scared but also curious about side effects and benefits that might come with caffeine-free life. I went cold turkey and struggled with motivation and mood for 4 weeks. First two weeks were horrible. It's 2 months caffeine free. My digestion dramatically improved. I sleep like a baby and have 4-7 dreams every night. I don't have to drink coffee every time I want to do something.
It is not just my experience.
I do not consume caffeine in any form. I have a lot more energy which is stable throughout the day. I don't experience anxiety (which happened almost everyday). I love coffee and Mate, I really do, but I do not plan to drink any caffeinated stuff probably ever.
I'm not saying that coffee is bad, I think it is like many things in life - the bigger dopaming hit - the bigger crash will be afterward. Coffee can be used wisely, as Dr. Huberman advises. My body does not react good to caffeine, probably processes it slower than normal and it messes up my sleep even after drinking small cup before 12 o'clock
Wise man,👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽 i was Starbucks coffe mastwr for 3 years and IT support for volkswagen gor 6 years (drinking coffe like crazy to fix computers) now im off for 2 years and im feeling pure not perfect 💪🏼👁
Totally agree, wonderful observation. I spot people addicted to coffee with the monotonous talk, he way they talk - like robots, I observed my friend I had to live with for a year, how she suffered from insomnia and energy crushes and mood swings all connected to coffee and anxiety she got from it, she actually already became OCD person. She can never admit that coffee really is the culprit, she says it does not effect her but it vividly does.
Addics will always protect their gold haha :D
@@eatmybutt42069is there similar thread for those who try to get rid from alcohol addiction? Thanks
Have you tried pure Therapeutic ketones?
Thank you Dr. Huberman and team for the excellent, as usual, podcast. The impressive examples you give of where and how caffeine worked its way into life on earth makes me think that while you were not consulted at the design phase, perhaps the Caffeine Sprites were. No pun intended ;)
As briefly as I can: I love coffee, but I love sleep more, for that reason, at age 40, ten years ago, I gave up my beloved single morning cup. It was one of many things I did to improve my sleep hygiene. For years I had resisted, reasoning that surely one cup of stovetop espresso early in the day could not hurt my sleep. Then my ER doctor husband returned from a toxicology lecture where, as an aside, the speaker mentioned that people vary in the speed with which they metabolize caffeine. He explained that effectively, some people may clear one cup in a matter of hours, while others may be walking around with the equivalent of 3-4 cups in their system at any given time. That was enough info for me; I gave up coffee that day. The first two weeks were horrific - on my daily run I felt like I left my jet-pack at home! What would be the point if I couldn't enjoy my run anymore? But then at the two week mark I felt completely fine. And sleep, while not always 100%, became much better. (And then became fantastic once your podcast came on the scene, but that's another story involving early morning light, etc...)
Why do I tell you all this? Because I think my experience touches on some nuances that perhaps your podcast missed*, which may be relevant to others:
-You did mention the half-life of caffeine, but I'm wondering about this, based on the above lecture I mention. I will look for the studies on how/if people metabolize caffeine differently.
-Given that caffeine is a psychoactive drug, I think it is wise to take a drug holiday from it, from time to time, as one is typically recommended to do for any psychoactive drug. I had been on caffeine for a good twenty years without ever checking in on what life was like without it. When I gave up caffeine I became newly aware of how aggressively people were driving on the morning commute, for instance. You talk about giving up caffeine to experience a positive bump in performance when you go back on it, which is interesting, and useful, but I propose another additional goal: give it up for a while to see who you are without it. I found that I like myself more without caffeine. Turns out I'm more mellow than I realized. Just as motivated, just as active, just no background low-grade sense of urgency anymore.
-Perhaps it is the case that as we age the way we metabolize caffeine changes? I'm curious, I wonder. I was fine with it at 20, not so at 40. But then at 20 I had less to keep me up at night. Food for thought.
-My jet lag pretty much disappeared after giving up caffeine, and I fly from San Francisco to London fairly frequently, so I take this as pretty decent anec-data.
-I really enjoy not feeling drawn to, or "controlled by" a substance. There's still air, and water, and food, (and small amounts of chocolate of course), but I feel much freer now.
-I enjoy the smell of a cup of coffee as much as ever, and just content myself with that and lots of cups of Rooibos.
Thank you for considering these notes.
Kate.
*I should probably re-listen to be certain, but I'm on to your next podcast...
I am having my morning coffee while watching this video about caffeine. Perfect stimulation for the morning.
I never drank coffee until I hit 40, when I needed it. This year I started a daily cold shower then added alt day fasting and like magic, my need for coffee disappeared. I have the occasional cup when I see clients but I don't feel a perk up with the coffee anymore. I feel the same. Best days are fasting days. It is nothing short of amazing. Month 11 of this regime. I don't think of coffee or crave it. I don't drink caffeine tea either. I just don't need it.
How long do you fast? and when?
@@justinwayne445 trying skipping breakfast and see how well you perform or how productive you are. Then have a light lunch and gauge your energy levels. For me all I need is a small high protein snack like yogurt or a protein bar to stave off the hunger around lunch time and I’m still pretty alert and active through out the afternoon. Anything more and I’ll start feeling sluggish and tired. When the work day is done and I’m ready to relax I’ll have a large dinner.
Dr. Huberman I just want to tell you how thankful I am that I've found your content. I've been applying the tips you gave here in this episode for the past three days and it has worked wonders! I used to take another dose of caffeine after lunch to blunt the afternoon crash but after heeding your advice I'm surprised that I'm able to survive the day with just my morning caffeine pill. I have more energy for the whole day and I have better sleep at night. Thank you so much!
I arrived at the "every other day" protocol by introspection, and it naturally evolved to "only days when I workout" cause it gives a great boost. I think it's great, and the fact that I've done it by pure self-experimentation indicates that there's something to it.
So you drink 1 cup only on workout days???
Please discuss health benefits or detriments of inversion, that is, hanging upside down with head lower than feet, or inverting on a slant, that is, with head lower than feet but on an angle less than 180°. Thank you for all you do, Dr. Huberman!
A while ago I decided to completely cut out caffeine for about a month in order to understand my relationship to the substance a little better, and also because i was experiencing some negatives since I am apparently pretty sensitive to caffeine. After that month I went back to caffeine but in a very low amounts, early in the day, and only on workdays (which means about 4 days a week).
I have found that this every-other-day-method gives me the increased performance that I missed during my month of abstinence, whilst the days off of the substance keep the amount of caffeine in my system low, improve my sleep and keep my mood nice and mellow which were the biggest positives I wanted to keep from my month of abstinence.
It feels like this way I get the "best of both worlds" so to speak, although I bet there's more ways to improve. For instance, I'm definitely going to try your advice on waiting till 90/120 minutes after I've woken up.
Thanks for the video.
Thank you SO much for the details about adenosine piling up in my body! Of course, I've known about the circadian system, getting light early and the hormonal cascade....but I really didn't until you went through it. That my "first thing" coffee has actually been trapping adenosine is life-changing. This is not an exaggeration. For decades, my days have dragged. More and more caffeine isn't working. This is my third day of going out to open the chicken coop and to stay out there for 90" of daylight before having coffee. Today is my first day of feeling great energy instead of dragging my corpse through the hours. Your work is much appreciated!
As an avid ice coffee drinker, I can definitely confirm if you skip one or two days . It hits so much better when you do have it ! Almost like a nice high to me and my alertness is optimal
Yes its true😊
I haven't tried a strict every other day caffeine schedule but I do occasionally skip caffeine for one or sometimes two days, and I certainly notice that every time I ingest caffeine again after the break, I feel ELATED. My mood, energy, focus, etc all skyrockets for awhile. Whereas after many days in a row of drinking caffeine, the effects quickly become very blunted.
First of all, a huge thank you to the Huberman Lab Team for their work. Both Andrew Huberman and Lex Fridman are my heroes. Not only they have an incredible work ethic, but more importantly they always emphasise the significance of being a good person. Deeply grateful I stumbled upon these two podcasts.
Anyway, I'd love to know more about IQ and intelligence. Are you going to make a podcast about this topic? There are a lot of talks about it. Many people say it's a gift, and you simply cannot enhance your intelligence or IQ across your lifespan. Moreover, there is a lot of debate about what intelligence is. I see it as the speed of pattern recognition and the depth of abstract thinking. Probably I'm wrong. Jordan Peterson even presented the table that maps IQ to jobs. I understand that this topic is complicated not only in terms of neuroscience, but in terms of ethic as well. Nevetheless, we probably should talk more about it.
P.S. If you are also interested in this topic, please like this comment in order to HL team to see it :)
It's widely known that very few gifted people are born with a photographic memory, or the ability to solve complex math problems similar to a calculator. Having said that, the concept of the "empty slate," was a philosophical concept popularized by the philosopher John Locke in the 17th century and proposed that the mind was an initially empty slate that could be filled with the empirical observations one makes about the world.. However, a man named Friedrich Nietzsche claimed that humans were born with innate knowledge, rather than being born with a "blank slate" that was filled in by experience. While I accept that others are born with advantages, I also believe that one can vastly improve their understanding and ability through experience.
Some are born with speed, others with strength. Some are born with a tall light frame, others short and stout. Some are born with empathy and a conscience, others become Republicans.
@@billytheweasel Why did you have to get political 😂😂
People who say that you can't increase your IQ are factually wrong just because it's a test and you can train for it, lol.
@@justinwayne445 US science is imbued with politics, of course.
I’ve always said that those who can explain a complex phenomenon in a simple and understandable way, is a key indicator that this person is incredibly clever ❤ love your work Huberman
For your consideration: I’d be hugely interested in an episode on the effects of music and, more broadly, aural stimulation on the brain and body. I’m a classical musician (French horn) and while orchestral music is my drug of choice, I’m fascinated with how sound of all kinds, “music” or “not music,” produces changes in mood and physiological state.
Many thanks for a great episode as always.
Great idea!!
I have a feeling something will be coming on the creative process featuring Andrew’s good friend Rick Rubin. Hopefully! 🎉
Whew, this podcast is consistently the best part of my week. One thing I would love to know more about on this topic is the different types of caffeine. For example, I stopped drinking coffee for a while a couple of years ago and switched to matcha. I experienced more sustained and subtle effects and stopped crashing in the afternoons (or having energy spikes). I waited until I had my own experience before reading too much about it, and then found that the qualities of the caffeine in matcha (is it true for all green tea?) include exactly what I'd noted - sustained alertness, no jitteriness, no crashes late in the day, and no dramatic energy spikes. Could you say anything about why that is, and whether the 1-3mg:kg ratio is the same for all types of caffeine? (On that, I assume so, as you include caffeine in pill form in the recommendation).
Thanks so much for all you do 🙌
I’m sure there’s a lot more to it but tea contains L-theanine whereas coffee does not and this may the difference I think your talking about.
I've lived most of my life without caffeine as I am super sensitive. I even have to be careful ingesting chocolate. I'd love to know why that is. I'm also very sensitive to alcohol. I'd also love to participate in a study on caffeine but since I'm super sensitive not sure if that would be a problem.
That said I recently started drinking a small amount of caffeinated tea in the mornings. Thanks so much for this episode! I'm really able to understand how to use it to benefit me without doing any damage!
I’m the same way! I’m extremely sensitive to caffeine.. chocolate, anything with stimulants, alcohol. I wasn’t always that way, it started in my mid 20s. It seems like I developed an allergy/intolerance. I can’t even have decaf. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.
I think this can be due to low low stomach acid. I have similar issues with all 3😅 until 4 years ago I used to drink black coffee, red wine and sometimes indulge with dark chocolate. But 4-5 years ago I stared having stomach issues and learned I had SIBO which is caused by low stomach acid. I found lots of info through different natural path podcast and created my own protocol. I even fasted for a 72 hours to kill the bacteria 😅 now I’m ok. I can enjoy decaf coffee but small amounts, and a glass of wine here and there. But can’t go back to drink caffeinated coffee.
You might have IBS
@@anapadilla7133what's wrong with you my friend is PLACEBO effect. Can't drink decaf? Oh, come on, that's 97-99% caffeine free...
Ive been a shift worker for 10 years now. Paramedic and then police. I can say for certain that large amounts of caffeine have played a major role in my life so far but Im ready to transition to a more natural, healthy lifestyle and work that will allow me to do so.
I use caffeine daily to get ready for work, but I feel the afternoon productivity dip (even waiting 1.5 hours after waking before drinking). I'm glad you mentioned stacking and an every-other-day schedule. I think those will help. Thanks!
It's always a unique conversation to listen and or have for me towards the concept of energy.
As a shorter male who has been considered bipolar, I have found that literally anytime I want energy all I have to do is think it.
Essentially I'm like "hmm, I need a boost" I bounce on my feet a couple times and simply think "let's go" then off I go.
I can wake up at any time during the 24hrs of the day automatically ready to partake in any type of activity.
Once I have a son will name him Andrew, because Mr. Huberman changed my life to the better, especially with fixing my sleep and stress
I might do this as well... Andrew Kausel, sounds great doesn't it?
@@fernandokausel4925 lol Awesome
I will call him Andrés.
Andrew Tate
I would name my kid Caffeine 🤣
I've always said caffeine is the last thing I'd ever give up. If I abstain I get a nasty headache and usually lose a day of productivity, my homeostasis is disrupted. Delaying it an hour or so is challenging, depends on the day. I also find it really best from hot coffee. I don't seem to enjoy caffeine as much from tea or yerba mate. I wonder why?
Thanks for all the good info Dr. Huberman!
Hi Andrew, I have mixed opinions about the every other day coffee cup.
Surely It boosts the caffeine effect (I'd say it feels more than a 2x), but the day you don't drink it, you can be very distracted.
I guess it's because you know there is caffeine the next day, and by anticipating to that 'reward', you're making the effort more painful on the other day.
But if you can overcome that day, I do believe this way of drinking is better than daily
Thank you Dr. Huberman, team, sponsors and supporters☀️
This podcast is so important for my journey as a person who don't drink coffee, tea or any caffeine beverages. I was diagnosed with ADHD last October and after intense researchers I started drinking coffee "café latte" every morning & it changed me in wired way no more fatigue & tiredness, more focus, more productivity. Thank you Dr. Andrew
Why not get medication? Usually much more effective than self-medicating with coffee.
@@droid16beta97 I don't want to & if you think caffeine isn't a medication do your research
@@hwwplp I have. It's fine you don't want to, I'm just wondering why, since you're willing to use caffeine which is usually much less effective.
@droid16beta97 Caffeine is a stimulant, similar to other ADHD meds, but like you pointed out its much less strong (and less potential side effects). If it works, it's definitely a safer choice.
Hey Andrew! I know this is an older video but you mentioned caffeine being good for asthma. Just wanted to let you know that when I was much younger I had asthma and my mom read somewhere that black coffee could help with that. She hated the inhaler because for some reason it turned me into “an angry little monster”😂 anyway she started giving me strong, plain black coffee. It very quickly got rid of all of my asthma and today at 15 years old I don’t struggle with it at all and actually have pretty good endurance without any trouble breathing. I do have to confess to being a little addicted to plain black coffee at this point in my life though. I know I drink too much but this podcast has helped me organize it in a helpful way. Thank you.
Wow😊😊😊
Andrew! Please make an episode about how to gain weight in a healthy way. Especially if you're dealing with chronic underweight issues, or have an auto immune illness. Love the work ❣️
I hope Professor does so in the future podcasts. I'm in the same situation as you are.
stacks of protein, my mum was suffering bone loss problems and I started air fryer chicken everyday.
She is back up to normal weight
I learn something new every time I listen…you, my man, are a pro at presenting material in a clear and digestible manner!
Im so excited for the episode on menstrual cycles ! I feel like I hear all kinds of different information & it’s hard to know what to trusttt. Im so ready to have a whole episode dedicated to reliable info & facts on a topic I’ve always found so hard to get clear info on!
What podcast is this? 5 days before i see my mood changing and brain fog
I've been running for years, and every time after a long run of moderate intensity I've always had crashes in mood in the evening several hours later. For lack of a better term, I call it my "runner's low". I've found nothing in the popular running literature to explain why this is - I assume they don't want to discourage people from running as it's easier to emphasise the high than talk about the low. The dopamine stacking explanation in this podcast was the first plausible mechanism I've heard that explains it! Especially as I make sure I'm sufficiently caffeinated before embarking to ensure good performance.
I just want to say thank you for this podcast series. On a variety of topics, I've learnt a lot that I'm surprised isn't more widely available seeing how important it is. Seeing dopamine depletion as a potential mechanism for that low, I'll be sure to listen to the dopamine podcast and look to experiment with ways I can try to raise dopamine naturally after my longer runs to see if I can find ways to offset that crash.
As someone who suffers from migraines that are often triggered by caffeine amounts, I'm so glad I found this podcast! One thing I did not hear discussed in the episode is pros/cons of drinking caffeine at steady,low doses throughout the morning/day. Are there any studies on this? Thanks so much!
Awesome talk! I realized many things that I was doing wrong as a daily coffee drinker (like drinking it right away in the morning, almost 400 ml per dosage, and putting sugar on it). The understand of how it works internally in the body and some best practices to drink it will sure help a lot
I can watch/listen to your podcasts without losing attention. Thank you so much Dr. Andrew!
I work third shift 14 shifts a month and have been skipping caffeine on my off days to allow me some sleep flexibility for a couple years and definitely noticed a spike in overall efficacy of it on the days I do use it with very little impact on the days that I don't so these studies certainly track with my own experiences.
Thank you for changing my life! I'm enjoying my total capacity as a human being and high productivity to reach my true potential as a businesswoman, mom, and girlfriend. My physical strength is excellent, so I can work out every day too!
Wasn’t needed to mention that you’re a businesswoman, mom or girlfriend
Please keep sharing all this information Dr Huberman. This is crucial information that will greatly improve people’s lives! Blessings upon you and your staff.
Instead of taking theanine separately to offset jitters from sources of caffeine such as coffee or pills, one could always just drink tea; Caffeine and theanine are naturally occuring in any tea made from the Camellia sinensis plant - white, green, black and oolong. Coffee shouts, tea whispers :)
I have observed that if I change the source of caffeine, it has much strong effect on me. For example if I get my coffee from a different shop or if I drink a strong tea, rather than the usual coffee. This is a trick that works well for me, still I wonder if it might be psychological.
Great podcast, thank you!
Prolonging caffeine intake 90 minutes after waking is an absolute game changer. Caffeine seems to work more effectively and I don’t appear to be experiencing the afternoon crash.
Going to my shift work job and listening to this… I over indulge Deathwish coffee every work day, I should seek intervention but it’s my last vice (actually just cutting out cocktails during the work week too) the protocols that I’ve picked up from Andrew Huberman have been life extending at least I hope
Professor Huberman, thank you for igniting my curiosity in science, I mean this from the bottom of my heart
I think of you as my virtual mentor, Andrew. I'm not sure how you would feel about that but I have learnt so much from you and I strongly believe that you haven't even scratched the surface of your own potential yet, I know there will be lots more to come from you that will benefit humanity and science as a whole. I look forward to it. Thank you!
COFFEE ☕ = LIQUID ANXIETY
Was hoping to hear more about this in this episode tbh
COFFEE also TIGHTENS MUSCLES and ENHANCES MUSCULAR TENSION RETENTION - just my personal annecdotal experience (even in the doses Andrew recommends) - anyone else experience more muscular tension in places such as the jaw, neck and shoulder when consuming coffee ? 🙏🏼
Yes! I find when I have caffeine often, I grind my teeth and hold a lot of tension in my jaw.
same here: constant jaw tension
Absolutely fascinating episode. I was truly unaware of the multiple methods with which caffeine integrated and modified my perspective.
I'm not sure if this is the appropriate place to post this but as an idea for a future episode:
I'm interested in our current understanding of Interpersonal Neurobiology and how the people with which we associate profoundly impact who we are. And in the age of online communities, content, and podcasts, what implications does this have.
After listening this podcast. I am still unsure when I should take my caffeine. Key takeaways that I learned I want to carry in my life: wait that 90-120 minutes for my intake, take caffeine after a study session or something important I want to retain, and also take it at least 12 hours before I sleep. For example, would waking up, getting sunlight and drinking water while studying from the hours of 6 am - 10 pm and then taking my caffeine during the study session around 9am - 10pm, and then immediately after studying rip a cold shower or an intense workout be the ideal schedule to foster excellence? And then carry on with my day and try and sleep by 10 pm? What are the thoughts @Andrew Huberman. Thanks! This was awesome.
Listening to this episode made me grateful that no one was able to patent caffeine before we learned all this great stuff about it. Imagine how much they'd be charging for it if they had!
Thank you for touching on the effects regarding women's menstrual cycle. I think it is great that you on Huberman Lab is educating about hormones and menstrual cycle to normalise and inform about the human sexuality. I am also looking forward to hear about the episode completely regarding the menstrual cycle! Thanks for the episode, and the podcast in its whole. I have been listening to your podcast for one year now!
Dear Dr. Huberman,
First off, thank you very much for your contributions. You have provided many great insights and benefits from your experience.
You have also been candid and admitted that you are not a nutritionist. And let us assume, you are also not a physician, a biologist, naturopath, or homepath. Or to put another way, a holistic practitioner.
Regarding coffee, while it may be beneficial in some ways, it is hugely detrimental in other ways. For example, it increases uric acid and causes uric acid deposits. Uric acid has been linked with several disorders and illnesses, such as Alzheimer’s disease. Uric acid deposits affect the brain, the joints, and can be especially felt in the feet.
Furthermore, the caffeine is quite high, and it leads to adrenal fatigue. The majority of Americans are suffering from adrenal fatigue. We could take much to recover, and only seconds to go back into adrenal fatigue again.
Thank you for the podcast! Would you consider doing a video on how to interpret complete blood count (CBC) test results and how each of us can make them 'better'? What kind of hacks we could use to achieve long-term effects on improving our health based on the test?
Good one
5mths ago I stopped drinking coffee and reducing other caffeine containing foods (I also don’t drink any energy drinks, I do have caffeine-free teas). I was easily having 600mg of caffeine per coffee, consuming 4-6 cups per day (I’m 55kg - so far too much per cup, and far too often I now see!)
2 months ago I was craving a coffee, and started allowing myself 1 coffee on Saturday, 1 on Sunday. Since then, I have felt my work (Mon-Fri) energy levels and motivation deteriorate dramatically.
Thanks to this video I think I have realised I have been training myself that weekends are better than weekdays/work (we all KNOW that, but I think I’ve been subconsciously doing it on accident).
Thanks for a great video and helping me realise this!!
When I switched to ground coffee instead of instant, big difference also additives like sugar, sweeteners, dairy etc may effect. I now have mine with ground slow roasted chaga with a tad bit of sea salt
Even though I don't really do all of it, it is important to keep in mind many of the things mentioned. With this information, you can really classify your caffeine consumption differently and not just go by how your body feels. A strong recommendation for anyone
I stopped drinking coffee about 3 years ago. At least. Before that I had 2 coffees a day. I quit just to have less addiction in my life, nothing particular. Beside a few days of headache it was no problem.
I started dringking mate. I drank usually one or two daily. After a few years I noticed that when I dont drinking mate I'm kind of the same, it does not add that much energy, so I stopped mate for a month. I had still a lot of energy throughout the day.
Now I sometimes drink one mate for a few months and sometimes I dont take any cffeine for a few months.
Sometimes when I drink a coffee I feel a lot of energy but also feel strange, constantly thinking, wanting to DO THINGS.Get things done, cant be calm.
I noticed lately that any type of caffeine maes me agitated, too alert. Makes me a bit aggressive and too alert. impatient and nervous.
I'd like to drink a coffee now and then but I stop myself always lately because of these above....
I found that the best way to stay alert and energetic is any kind of keto diet - that is, no or very little carbohydrates. Caffeine helps, but its effects are not nearly as transformative, as that of the diet's.Though, I still drink coffee, but only in the morning (about 9 AM). I brew it in a geyser coffee maker from the same amount of freshly ground beans every time. That way I control the amount of caffeine I consume (although a pill or measured amount of powdered caffeine would give better control), get all the health benefits and none of the sleep problems. When coffee is too much, green tea is a great option, and it tastes better too (I prefer oolong, puerh an some other fancy variants).
An outstanding episode, Dr Huberman
Thank you very much for your fine expertise and your incredible generosity of sharing your knowledge with general public. This is simply priceless. You are a true Mensch.
Andrew and Huberman lab team, another fantastic episode. Thank you so much for the value that you guys consistently provide for zero cost. I do have a question also, why do some people (me included) feel no effects from caffeine even at very high doses?
I’m no doctor, just a regular person who is not affected by caffeine either but after drinking it for some years I discovered it was affecting me internally-my heart. My theory is the caffeine goes somewhere and stimulates people in different ways. Perhaps the majority of people get their brains stimulated with a feeling of energy. Others it might stimulate the kidneys. But in my case it was the heart until I actually got heart problems. When I stopped coffee, my heart problems stopped. So I think it may be stimulating some internal part of your body that you don’t realize. Just my opinion.
Thank you Dr. Huberman! I am intrigued by the potential peripheral effects of caffeine consumption, particularly in relation to teeth coloration and staining. Could you shed light on the mechanisms by which caffeine may impact dental aesthetics, and are there scientifically-backed methods to either prevent or reverse such discoloration associated with caffeine intake?
Another great episode. Understanding the science behind the timing and effects of caffeine is invaluable. I just started drinking coffee to minimize afternoon crashes. I now understand why the coffee has gone from tasting "meh" to very good - science!
I’m an Argentine who drinks yerba mate and through your podcast I came to hear for the first time about its potential cancerous properties. I’ve tried reading about it online but I don’t seem to find reliable information about what brands are or not smoked… I didn’t even know that smoked kinda of Yerba existed. Do you know what should I look for in the contents? Or where to find a reliable review of the different kinds? Ideally for Argentine Yerba as we don’t get imported ones there. Thank you so much! You are an icon.
Can you and your team make an episode regarding panic attacks and biology behind then. How to control them and how to get rid of them.
Thanks for science based tools and sharing your knowledge.
Don't drink caffeine would be the first port of call haha.
Eat lots of pro-biotic foods (yoghurt/Kefir/Sauerkraut). A panic attack is a crash in mood but those pro-biotics will keep your uncrashed mood higher, so hopefully the crash won't be as bad, or as frequent. I would urge you to run a search for "Foods to prevent panic attacks".
Personally I've had success with getting rid of panic attacks by leaning to recognize/understand triggers (and yes, sometimes they seem random) and making a plan, i.e. when I feel the beginning of a panic attack, I will do a certain action to 'derail' it before it starts. It's a lot easier to stop it before it starts, than halfway through. For me, when I started to feel panicky, I would put shoes on, grab headphones, and force myself to go for a run, go biking, or do something physically engaging. Reassure yourself that it's okay to feel what you're feeling, and that it will pass. Don't fight it, just allow it to move through you. You can also practice "grounding exercises" (there's lots of resources online), splash cold water on your face, take a cool shower, deep breathing, count backwards from 100, etc. It takes time to find what works for you personally because everyone is different, but I think making a plan is really fundamental. There's lots of free counselling services in many places that can help you find something that works.
@@jaybeebee9288 Panic attacks could also just be harsh reactions to anxiety spikes.
Omg this would be life changing!!!
I fall asleep listening to your voice on various videos, depending on how stressful work was that day, and I swear I wake up each day refreshed and somehow more intelligent. 🤜🤛 thanks! Thank you for the indepth explanations.
The audio is processed by your subconscious while sleeping.
I highly recommend the host to try the “every other day” method. I stumbled across it when I was trying to get rid of headaches. I found that if I didn’t drink more than two days in a row that I did not get any headaches. It also made me a lot more productive, because I was actually getting the benefits of the coffee; instead of being totally addicted and tolerant to it. My schedule is M, T, H, Sat are my caffeine days; others days off.
I heard some young fitness guy recommend that, hearing your success confirms I should try it.
Might also be worth tying just taking 1 day off every week as a “reset”. Instead of every other day having an off day, this minimizes the performance impact and can be planned on the day of your choice (I do Sundays), while still preventing tolerance (for me).
@@jjtitusDepends on dose. The problem is due to caffeines 6 hour half life. For a 100mg dose, you'll have ~7mg going through your veins after 24 hours. Timing the last dose as well as the amount is essential.
@@jjtitus if I drink coffee 3 or 4 days in a row then take a day off, I get bad headaches. I found two days on, one day off is my limit before becoming addicted (headache withdrawals).
Hi amazing podcast! Does anyone know if the reinforcing affects of caffeine can be utilized just from drinking a coffee whilst eating a food/exercising. Rather than the caffeine being directly in the food itself?
😊😊😊😊😊🎉
Caffeine helps me prevent my migraines. I was diagnosed with chronic migraine disorder (16 or more per month) about 8yrs ago and I learned that migrainous people thrive on routine. Having the same amount of caffeine at the same times each day helps me prevent migraines. But this need for routine applies to everything- same amount of sleep (even getting 30 min more sleep can trigger a migraine), same relative diet/eating schedule, same water intake, same amount of physical activity... just having a lazy day of watching movies and snacking on things that are outside of the usual diet can trigger an awful 72-hr migraine. Stress and also excitement (cortisol spikes) can also trigger migraines.
We have to just find what works for us, and then try to stick to it as much as possible, especially in the hours and days before an event that we need to be migraine-free for.
I hope this helps someone who suffers from migraines!
have you ever tried taking magnesium for migraines? high humidity days do that to me sometimes or dehydration
Nice. Also, go vegan, proven best diet by largest health studies, human anatomy shows it, carbs grew our brains, and it's blatant with rising statistics in non-vegans and their major health issues.
Also, the average person, unlike me, is dehydrated, which destroys energy levels by 20-35% or so by only 1-2% dehydration, cause migraines, confusion, etc. ;p They say about 75% of Americans drink only about 2.5 cups of water on average a day.
Thankfully, I'm not one of them, and I thankfully live abroad, but I was born and raised in infamous Miami, FL, USA.
Exercise gives more energy, and yoga and walking are what I stick to these days, accompanied by taking stairs when I walk daily. Hehe.
Fasting too, breathwork, Baoding balls, regular stretching, breaks from electronic devices, meditation, etc.
have you tried meditation?
hyperstimulation is the cause of mine. i thrive on silence and i limit my internet hours. i can only watch maybe couple of videos like these (informative ones) and i spend my hours on relaxation and silence.
it cured everything. i tend to hyoerventillate when i use my phone. it would hurt my right shoulder blade by engulfing more air and storing there.
and when that happens, i would just lie down on my bed and rest. the air will come out on its own lol
Interesting and I’m glad you have relief!! If you don’t mind, for my horrible migraines, salting my foods helped cure them!! Caffeine made my headache types worse. And I have Stan Efferding to thank for this!! Salt salt salt!!! Especially if you exercise. Game and life changer for my headaches and for athletic ability. Just in case anyone has those types of headaches!! Just be sure you aren’t salt sensitive obviously
First day of delaying caffeine use until 90 minutes after waking up. And I can confirm that it does get rid of the post lunchtime drowsiness. Crazy!
Caffiene (in the form of sugar free energy drinks) is the single most addictive thing I have ever encountered. I can drink any amount of alchohol, smoke any amount of cannabis, be put on any amount of morphine or opioid pain killer during a hospital stay or following an accident and I'll have no issues. I've never abused opiods or used cocaine/meth etc but caffeine based on things I have used, it's a whole different beast. Nice to finally understand some of the reasons why.
This podcast was one of the best podcasts Andrew Huberman has done🎉🎉🎉🎉❤❤❤❤
Most people can’t consume caffeine because they don’t pay attention to the dose
I ingest 1-2 cups of caffeine daily but I don’t get the energy or motivation that most people feel. I am excited to see if this podcast would explain why some people like me don’t feel much. ☕️
Same here✌
Apparently you’ve abused it. Stop using it for a week and you’ll feel it again
@@shark_man_ Even when I started drinking it for the first time, I didn’t really notice the effects. I do take a break from it as well, and when I go back to it, I don’t feel any changes.
@@yamani3882 I have never felt stimulated by caffeine. I can drink expressos right before bed and sleep like a baby as usual. HOWEVER, I had to quit coffee because even though it was not giving me external energy it was stimulating my heart and started giving me heart problems and once I stopped coffee my heart problems stopped. So it might be stimulating you in other areas internally that you don’t see or realize such as your kidneys, heart, etc. My theory is the caffeine is going somewhere so for some people it stimulates their brain by giving energy and others it might be other organs. Be careful. However, i don’t think 1-2 cups of coffee is anything to worry about. But I would not increase it; just stick to that and you should be fine.
Love listening to your podcasts Dr. Hubernan! I learn so much from you. Refreshes all those things I forgot back in my PNB classes many years ago. Great stuff please continue to share! 👍
Just wanted to say THANK YOU for your amazing input, you explain everything really well and it's really comfortable to listen to, which makes those 2 hours+ pass in no time at all.
Thanks again! Great stuff
I recently did two weeks without caffeine and was surprised by how depressed I felt! I live in interior BC Canada so it's normal for me to feel pretty low in the winter months but it felt like stopping coffee really pushed me into a depressed state. I felt like I lost a part of myself... I realize it's ridiculous to have a substance complete me but still, I won't be trying that again for a long time! Now I see what an anti depressant effect it has. I'm going to try the suggestions in this episode. I definitely have been drinking far too many espressos daily according to the formula in this episode.
Dr.Huberman & team,
it would be of great benefit to me and the rest of the listeners if you would interview Paul Chek on your podcast. Thanks for all that you do. ❤️ 🧠⚡️
You are one of the few things on the planet that can keep my attention's level up for 2h plus. Incredible
Greetings Dr. Huberman,
Kudos for the production quality and great balance between fun and professionalism in your podcasts. One questions came to mind after this episode, namely, how would producing no adenosine influence the body?
Hello Dr. Huberman, I'd like to know more about the timeline of dopaminergic effects of caffeine as well as tolerance and withdrawal effects specific to dopamine.
In particular, I'd like to know:
- does the sensitization of dopamine receptors occur only during the acute effects of caffeine? If yes, does it return to baseline afterwards or below baseline?
- if the sensitization takes repeated consumption to occur, how long does it take, how frequent does the dosing have to be and how long does it last after stopping use of caffeine?
- does tolerance occur to this increase in dopamine transmission, including through other compensatory effects? If yes, is this tolerance complete, meaning the level of dopaminergic transmission while on caffeine end up as the baseline before starting caffeine use?
- is there any withdrawal effect specific to dopamine, whether short or long-term, aside from the sleepiness due to adenosine rebound?
Other than that, thank you for another great episode! This came at a perfect time for me as I am exploring the effects of caffeine after a lifetime of abstinence. I like it but not enough to risk subtly undermining my dopamine system in the long term! I've definitely felt come-downs from caffeine that were not just sleepiness so I'm curious if they were related to the effects on dopamine.
I stacked caffeine, naps, and cold showers to help me increase my baseline dopamine levels.
I would ingest caffeine, take a 10-minute nap with my feet up, and right afterward take a 2-3 minute cold shower.
For about 4 weeks, I would do this twice a day, once after an hour after waking and then again around noon.
A true biohacker. Very cool idea
Why feet up?? Increase bloodflow to brain haha?
@@KellyPie to reduce pressure on the heart
Thank you! Your eloquent podcast is really helping me curing a brain tumor in the speech centers of my brain! A future student at Stanford.
I'm currently cycling off coffee, day 6, after consuming way too much. Don't have the energy I used to for now, but I know it'll be better for me in the long run. When I stop seeing the benefits of focus and need more to keep me going, it's a problem. Careful out there guys! It's everrrrywhere!
Why go for 6 days when you could just cut the amount a bit?
@@glacialimpala at the time of the post it was my 6th day of an undetermined period, at least a month. I dont like the dependency on it. I love the ritual and the mouthfeel as I make bulletproof coffee when I do have it. But for me at this time, no caffeine is best.
@@Truthseeker88888 Sure, I was just curious! If it no longer brought you just joy makes sense you weren't happy about dependency.
I haven’t had caffeine since 1999. I’ve raised and homeschooled six children without the need for it and have good energy. Considering beginning to drink it to use it as a tool as described in this video. Are there any studies I could join on starting a caffeine regimen? Thank you!
every statistic mentioned is literally about us. thanks dr.huberman for this amazing podcast
Currently I am almost never taking in Caffeine (or not on purpose atleast), but now seeing the benefits of it, so I might change my abstinence from caffeine. I kinda wanna try the "every other day" way of taking in caffeine (100mg max on that day), but I actually wanna keep down to 1-2 times per week (again max 100mg on that day). Hopefully I dont forget about this comment and can write you my experience of it down here.
And once again great lesson!
Thank-you for explaining caffeine, it makes me understand those lines I see at Starbucks. No matter how much inflation hits and we pay for gas, it hasn’t changed anything. You are a valuable man in America Mr Huberman.
man, not to be another echo in the wind, thank you, again. honestly.
Having the "unfortunate/fortunate" ability to let the mind just wonder like as if someone just turned on a switch, your teachings have taught "how to control" that reaction through diet, exercise, sleep. I always followed a plan, but taking it to the next level was what helped. Thank you for allowing me to gain access to parts of the mind through such "basic" yet extremely beneficial, needless to say.
If you happen to read this, and I promise to check if there are any (I'm sure there are, not doubt); words spoken on the heart would be nice to learn. I really would be pleased to know more abooot that (a lil Canadian humor). Awesome, till next time! 🙏
Just starting the video. I'm addicted to caffeine and have been my entire teenage and adult life. I found out later that I was using it to self medicate for undiagnosed ADHD. I quit for a while because was causing muscle pain and fibroids. I recently got readdicted and have been trying to quit again but the headaches are horrible. I'm so mad at myself for even taking that first drink again. I don't have issues with alcohol but caffinated drinks are so addictive for me. I'll get there one day! Lol I'm looking forward to watching this.
U a caffeine addict as a teen why?
@@ositaozed2252 It was because of my adhd. But I didn't know I had it then or why it felt like it was helping. I was drinking like 3 or more bottles of Mt Dew every day back then. So there was a lot of sugar too, but non caffinated soda didn't work.
Im thankful for you man! You and jordan petersons early work has changed my life exponentially!
Unbelievable information as always!!!
I started using caffeine about 3-4 hrs after I woke up so I would t get the “crash “ and this lecture just reinforces that decision
In regards to guests: Paul
Stammets. I’d love to hear you and him talk about Nuerons and lions mane mushrooms
White blood cells and turkey tail mushrooms etc
The link between fungus and improving our over all health.
Would love to hear feed back off two absolute experts
Yes! Please have Paul Stammets. Fun guy! 🍄
Dr. Huberman, love all the work you produce. Has enhanced my life certainly.
Post graduate student here. Have used caffeine to much advantage I believe during my studies and have employed many of the tactics you discussed for the past few years.
Questions: Do you believe that cycling caffeine has true advantage? The days taken off can be lower performing (mentally/physically) where jumping back on caffeine sees the increased results you mentioned. Most individuals are not professional athletes or readying themselves for a chess tournament at the end of the month and would like to obtain to have the "boost" from caffeine otherwise not had by an experienced user. So are the "low" days worth the "high" days or is a steady diet of caffeine more advantageous in your opinion?
Speaking of the Napaccino trend, I've had varying results with it. When I wasn't regularly consuming caffeine, I'd drink a cup of coffee and do breathing exercises as I fell asleep. This would make me go into very deep sleep and wake up feeling like I can climb a mountain. Later as I began using more caffeine, it just doesn't do much for me. I'm not sure why that is, but I would feel that the quality of sleep I'm getting isn't the same as before
You would drink coffee before sleep.?