You’re not the only person who doesn’t experience the jolt of energy from coffee that everyone seems to talk about. My curiosity had me up all night researching why some people are immune to caffeine and I found out there’s a lot of people often saying, “coffee doesn’t work on me”.
The most common reason why coffee doesn’t work for you is that you’ve built up a tolerance for caffeine, either by drinking coffee too often or by consuming too much caffeine at an early age. Other people are simply genetically resistant to caffeine and its effects.
Ok, so what if you don’t believe the answer can be that simple? Yeah, you drank coffee growing up, but not the excessive amounts needed to build up a tolerance, what would cause coffee to stop working for you? Let’s make sure you know all the reasons why caffeine might not be kicking in.
Caffeine Doesn’t Work on Me
Our bodies are resilient and adaptable. If you consume too much caffeine over a long period of time, your body’s metabolism will adapt to the source of energy and neutralize it. Just like any substance we put into our bodies.
The normal thing to do in this situation is to increase the levels of caffeine you are consuming. If you like instant coffee, try Café Bustelo. If instant coffee is not your thing upgrade to espresso or one of the famous coffee drinks made from espresso. If you need to take another step experiment with Vietnamese coffee made from Robusta coffee beans.
If you’re already drinking really strong coffee too often what you need to do is limit your caffeine intake for a short period of time. No need to swear off coffee altogether, instead take two weeks and drink half the coffee you normally would.
This simple trick recalibrates your body and allows your system to be affected by caffeine once again.
How Genes Affect Our Caffeine Tolerance
A study made by the Harvard School of Public Health tested how caffeine affected 120,000 people of European and African ancestry to see if coffee and caffeine can be linked to beneficial and adverse health effects. They suspected our genes contribute to the way our bodies react to caffeinated drinks.
The research found evidence that our body naturally regulates how much caffeine it absorbs. Therefore, there is evidence that genetic factors do play a role in why some people are not affected by caffeine.
No need to get a test to see if this is the case for you, at least not right away. There is another reason why you may be missing out on the wakefulness of caffeine. Unfortunately, this is the only cause that doesn’t have a natural solution. Make sure you’ve tried all other options before giving up on coffee altogether.
Reasons Why Coffee Isn’t Having Any Effect TODAY
Hopefully, the idea of caffeine tolerance and genetics are familiar to you by now. Let’s make sure you are aware of the other reasons why you might have recently stopped feeling the kick from caffeine.
Consider your sleeping patterns, overall caffeine intake, or any medication you may be taking. Too much or not enough of each reason can cause your body to reject caffeine’s boost of energy. The first thing you need to consider is that not getting enough sleep is a common reason why coffee stops working.
Adenosine is a chemical in our brain that makes us sleepy. Caffeine overtakes this chemical and makes us awake. When we lose sleep our bodies often create excess amounts of adenosine which become strong enough to fight the caffeine off completely. Try getting the rest you need to make the coffee jolt come back the very next day.
Consider if you’re getting caffeine somewhere else other than coffee? Drinking sports drinks or energy-boosting products can be causing you to become overly caffeine tolerant. So tolerant that an average cup of coffee has no effect on you at all. Truth is that a lot of these drinks don’t advertise the excessive amounts of caffeine they’re hiding.
Be careful because you may have increased your tolerance unknowingly by having tiramisu, cake, or coffee-flavored ice cream too often.
Have you been taking Adderall or other stimulants over the past few days? Since they are more powerful than caffeine you may not feel the coffee kicking in at all. Eating a healthy meal filled with protein and carbs before your coffee should fix the problem right up.
Try these Alternatives If Coffee Doesn’t Work for You
When it comes to a morning pick-me-up coffee isn’t our only choice. Luckily, we all have things at home that do the trick just as well. Maybe you need to take a break from caffeine, or it just never worked for you. There are many people who enjoy their mornings without coffee, or so I’ve heard.
Water – Drinking water first thing in the morning, even before your daily coffee, is a vital part of waking up. When we sleep 6 to 8 hours, our bodies get very dehydrated. A glass of water wakes up your organs the proper way. Obviously, it doesn’t stimulate your awareness and focus like coffee does, but it will hydrate your mind and body.
Apples – A surprising amount of people begin their day with an apple instead of coffee. The natural sugars and vitamins in an apple give you a boost of energy while simultaneously hydrating your organs. Just chewing alone forces your body to shake off sleep. It’s really true what they say about an apple a day.
Smoothies – The perfect way to get a boost of energy and a source of vitamins in the morning. The wonderful thing about smoothies is they can be different every day. Ingredients ranging from bananas to spinach or different types of nuts are perfect for morning smoothies. The web is full of recipes for shakes and blended drinks you can try for the next ten years.
Golden Milk – This little-known gem is an ideal substitute for anyone who can’t have coffee because it fights fatigue and increases energy levels thought the day. It’s made with non-dairy milk boiled with turmeric, cinnamon, ginger, and other spices. Golden milk is most known for reducing inflammation, keeping cells healthy, and supporting brain function.
Summary
I hope you found the reason why coffee is not working for you. If the reasons for your troubles are genetic or if you need to cut down on caffeine, do it by replacing the java with something that gives you other benefits.
Who knows, after a week you may feel completely better. From one coffee lover to another, I hope it’s just a temporary thing. In the meantime, start your day with water, fruits, or smoothies.
If coffee doesn’t work for you because you need to increase your caffeine intake level, do it gradually. Don’t jump all the way to the strongest coffee and miss out on all the delicious drinks the coffee spectrum has to offer.
Related Questions
How Long Does It Take for Coffee to Kick In?
Even though a temporary stimulation from coffee is often instantaneous, sometimes from the aroma alone, caffeine takes almost 10 minutes to kick in. That’s how long it takes our bodies to digest the first sip of coffee and provide our system with longer-lasting wakefulness and focus.
Can Someone Be Immune to Caffeine?
Yes, there are instances where people show no stimulatory effects from coffee or other caffeinated drinks such as pop or energy drinks. Even though caffeine tolerance can be built up by nearly everyone, immunity to caffeine is almost always genetic.
How Long Does Caffeine Stay in Your System?
Caffeine stays in your system for hours, sometimes days. In an article published by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, they write that caffeine takes 5 hours to lose half its content within our bodies.
Since the peak effect of caffeine happens between 30 to 60 minutes after your done with your cup, it’s easy to think it’s all gone. Even though the effects of caffeine don’t seem to be as potent after an hour they continue to have an effect on your body for up to a whole day after consumption.
References
Sleep and Caffeine: http://sleepeducation.org/news/2013/08/01/sleep-and-caffeine
New genetic variants associated with coffee drinking: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/press-releases/genetic-variants-linked-with-coffee-drinking/
How does caffeine work in your brain: https://examine.com/nutrition/how-caffeine-works-in-your-brain/
I’ve always seen coffee as a way of bringing people together. Everywhere I go people seem to enjoy a fresh cup of coffee and that’s what drives my passion. There’s always a new brew to master, and there’s always a new face to enjoy it with. Hitch a ride with me on a coffee-fueled adventure to find a perfect cup.
