Our Foggy Minds...
In the past couple of years articles about "brain fog" have been leaping up all over the internet. It seems that everyone (including me) has been in the same boat at one point. We can remember a time when our brains felt sharp, ready to absorb information, and crank out any sort of work we demanded of it. But when I had brain fog, everything felt mentally taxing. My brain always felt tired, I was slightly more forgetful, couldn't concentrate for long periods of time, was irritable, and restless. In short, "fog" is the perfect description. So what did I do? Self medicated of course! Larger amounts of brain stimulants (usually caffeine) should shake me out of my duldrums and get my back to doing mental acrobatics. And they did. For a time. But the longer I carried on the more I began to wonder if there was a snake in the house... Does caffeine cause brain fog?
Before we begin, it is worth nothing that the term "brain fog" is not an actual medical diagnosis. It feels differently to everyone and can have a myriad of causes. Brain fog can be contributed to by lack of sleep, too much stress, poor nutrition, and more. However, all of the causes typically have one thing in common. Our brains are overworked and underfed.
Despite the differences, there are definite similarities among all those who suffer from brain fog. Some of the more common symptoms include:
Despite the differences, there are definite similarities among all those who suffer from brain fog. Some of the more common symptoms include:
- Feelings of confusion
- General lack of mental clarity
- Forgetfulness or short-term memory problems
- Difficulty focusing
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Well, if you are a heavy caffeine user (like me--meaning 500mg+ of caffeine a day) then the answer is, yes, caffeine use can cause brain fog. Caffeine acts as a stimulant on the brain, blocking the chemical Adenosine which, when free to float around, slows down our brain and makes us feel tired. Caffeine blocks the landing sites for adenosine which causes us to feel mental stimulated as the tiredness is held at bay. The problem is, our body figures this out very quickly and adapts so that it can keep everything in balance. The body doesn't appreciate the brain being in such an overworked state and so it starts producing huge amounts of adenosine to compensate for the stimulants. This is why is takes an every increasing amount of caffeine to feel the same buzz, because there are so many additional receptors to block off. What's more, as your brain becomes tolerant of your caffeine intake, not only does it have less effect but you process it more quickly. There were times when I only felt "normal" and able to work to my fullest extent when I was physically drinking something caffeinated!
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Withing an hour after an energy drink/coffee/etc. I would be feeling unfocused, unmotivated, and sluggish. It took me awhile so figure out that my clever little caffeine fix had placed me in a viscous cycle that was increasing my brain fog.
How to cure caffeine induced brain fog
It should come as now surprise that our answer for how to cure brain fog is: get off the stimulants. If you've come here hoping for another patch or another drug to stack with caffeine to increase your mental ability, you will do nothing but increase the level of your tolerance (increasing your brain fog in the long run).
The good news however is that detoxing caffeine and resetting your brain's chemistry is not that difficult or debilitating. In fact, many people have been able to detox from caffeine and cure their brain fog in less than a week when they remove all stimulants and provide their brain with the nutrients it has been deficient in. For a full article on detoxing and our suggested supplement routine, click here.
Supplements that help with caffeine brain fog (or the detox brain fog)
If you are already living independant of caffeine (or need a short term boost to get through a work presentation, etc.) there are several options that will boost your mental agility and banish brain fog. You can also check out our Full List of Caffeine Alternatives for a more thorough understanding but here are our top 3 suggestions:
Replenish Your Brain's Energy
Replenish Your Brain's Energy
Alpha GPC |
Creatine |
B-Complex Vitamins |
Our Favorite Brain Fog Products:
Alpha GPC Choline Supplement, Pharmaceutical Grade, Made in USA (60 Capsules 300mg)
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Natural Stacks BioCreatine - Creatine Supplement - 120 Vegetarian Capsules - Optimal Absorption - Improve Cognitive Function - Neuroprotection
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Onnit Active B Complete - Methylated B Vitamins with Benfopure and 5-MTHF Folic Acid (30ct)
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It is worth nothing, that none of the above 3 are stimulating. Try something else if you want a mental boost.
Give your brain a caffeine break
One of the best things you can do for your brain fog is to cycle the stimulants or nootropics you are using. This is a caffeine issue but an issue with anything that affects the way the body works. The body does not like to be taken out of homeostasis and, when it is, it makes adjustments and becomes tolerant of whatever it is being given. If you want caffeine to be more effective, you'll be best served to find another stimulant which acts on the body in a different way, maintaining a heightened level of mood and productivity while allowing your adrenals to recover.
In this case, we typically use a supplement that, not only provides mental stimulation, but actually facilities recovery from caffeine induced brain fog while increasing overall health. What is this magical substance? Mushrooms!
Mushrooms and their extracts have been in the news a great deal lately as they come more into the main stream health industry, but they have actually been used for thousands of years in various forms to boost brain power, increase both male and female fertility, help the immune system etc. Although there are options such as Four Sigmatic's Mushroom Coffee, we prefer a pure extract with a standardized array of mushroom types.
We recommend a USA Based organic brand with standardized extracts such as Maui Jim's Mushrooms....
In this case, we typically use a supplement that, not only provides mental stimulation, but actually facilities recovery from caffeine induced brain fog while increasing overall health. What is this magical substance? Mushrooms!
Mushrooms and their extracts have been in the news a great deal lately as they come more into the main stream health industry, but they have actually been used for thousands of years in various forms to boost brain power, increase both male and female fertility, help the immune system etc. Although there are options such as Four Sigmatic's Mushroom Coffee, we prefer a pure extract with a standardized array of mushroom types.
We recommend a USA Based organic brand with standardized extracts such as Maui Jim's Mushrooms....
Our recommendation: |
IF YOU NEED A COFFEE REPLACEMENT:
Get this fake coffee and add shrooms to it.
Replenish Minerals & Vits lost due to excessive stim use.
Forcing your brain into a heightened or stressed state for long periods of time depletes the supply of vitamins and minerals that it needs to do its job well. This is especially true if you are vegan, have food limitations, or do not eat a varied diet.
The two supplements you need:
Forcing your brain into a heightened or stressed state for long periods of time depletes the supply of vitamins and minerals that it needs to do its job well. This is especially true if you are vegan, have food limitations, or do not eat a varied diet.
The two supplements you need:
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Multi Vit
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Tyrosine
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Non-supplement routes that help with brain frog
- Exercise
- Sleep. GABA
- Hydration
https://www.livestrong.com/article/440331-caffeine-brain-fog/