Coffee and microdosing: Is It a good mix? Insights and advice

Can I drink coffee while microdosing? It's one of the most frequently asked questions our support team receives almost daily via email. Not surprising, given the fact that coffee (alongside water) is the most consumed beverage worldwide. Our advice? Reduce or stop drinking coffee while microdosing. In this article, we'll delve deeper into the reasons for this and also provide some alternative tips.

Caffeine: benefits, but also considerable drawbacks

It's no wonder that coffee is such a popular beverage. The substance caffeine in coffee (and tea and energy drinks) provides a pleasant energy boost for many people. It helps increase productivity and clarity of thought. As Michael Pollan mentioned in his book "This is Your Mind on Plants," many employers provide their employees with this drug free of charge because it can promote productivity.

In limited amounts, the high level of antioxidants in coffee may also be beneficial to your health.

But it's also an addictive substance. Once accustomed to the benefits of coffee, it's difficult for many people to skip their espresso or cappuccino for a day (or longer). After all, with caffeine, as with many other addictive substances, tolerance develops quickly. You end up needing more for the same effect. And let's not forget about the downsides of caffeine on your sleep. Or about the crash, because caffeine leads to increased cortisol levels, resulting in more stress than energy with frequent use.

The above applies, of course, to black tea (which contains about half the amount of caffeine per cup compared to coffee) and energy drinks as well. The "wings" you get from the latter are due to the amount of caffeine, which is up to 2 times higher compared to a cup of coffee.

Why we think coffee (caffeine) and microdosing don't mix very well

So far, we've discussed the pros and cons of coffee and other caffeine-containing drinks. But how does that work in combination with microdosing?

Our coaches, as well as the Microdosing Institute, recommend reducing or, if possible and you're open to it, completely stopping caffeine before you start microdosing.

Coffee can make you feel restless. Maybe even a bit agitated, especially with larger quantities or for people who are particularly sensitive to it. This is not pleasant during microdosing and can even be magnified if you become more aware of subtle differences in mood due to a microdose. And microdosing can also provide you with an extra dose of energy, which simply doesn't work well with the stimulating effects of caffeine. Your (old) friend caffeine can then get in the way.

Moreover, the previously mentioned increased stress that caffeine brings over time is not a good combination during microdosing either. There's a good chance that you're microdosing to feel better and experience LESS stress.

This advice applies regardless of whether you're microdosing with truffles, LSD, or another substance.

Microdosing? Stop, or reduce your caffeine intake well in advance

We advice not to combine the two substances on microdosing days. Or at least not in enormously high quantities. And equally important: stop or reduce your coffee intake well in advance, preferably about 6 to 8 weeks before you start microdosing.

Suddenly stopping isn't always wise either. Do you drink multiple cups of coffee daily? Then gradually reduce it. Going cold turkey, i.e., stopping all at once, can lead to rather unpleasant effects. You wouldn't be the first to complain about severe headaches during the beginning of your microdosing journey, which is actually due to your body protesting the sudden halt to your favorite energy booster.

Other withdrawal symptoms from caffeine include a hurried, irritated feeling, or a shorter temper. These are also not pleasant feelings to deal with during the initial period of your microdosing journey.

If you have trouble reducing your intake of coffee/caffeine before you start microdosing, be aware that if you feel irritated or restless, it may be due to the 'after effects' of caffeine! It may take a while for the receptors and processes in your brain to rebalance.

Is it a huge problem if you still drink coffee and microdose? Not necessarily, or not for everyone. Every body is unique and may react differently to a substance. Maybe this works fine for you. There are also people who claim that it adds something to their microdosing experience. However, this seems to be a minority. Hence, our advice.

Decaffeinated coffee or tea

If you still want to enjoy the taste, habit, and health benefits of your steaming cup of coffee, consider replacing it with decaf, caffeine-free coffee. Almost all caffeine is removed, but the health-promoting antioxidants remain intact.

You can also drink herbal tea (so not green or black tea) without any problems during microdosing.

Mushroom Coffee

The popularity of mushroom coffee has increased significantly in the last years. But be careful: in most cases, it contains (caffeinated) instant coffee. Although the caffeine content may be lower, approximately half of a cup of coffee. So, check the packaging of your mushroom coffee carefully before adding it to your microdosing regimen! Our London Nootropics Mushroom coffee contain caffeine, but because of the combination with mushrooms like Lion's Mane or Cordyceps, people drink less coffee. 

Additionally, an extract of medicinal mushrooms such as cordyceps and chaga is often added. So, besides getting caffeine, you're also stacking. Although stacking (combining a microdosing substance with adaptogenic mushrooms) is an interesting way of microdosing, we want to exclude the coffee component. 

What about (Raw) Cacao?

There are many positive reports about this combination: microdosing with the heart-opening effects of raw cacao. We wrote a blog post about this combination earlier (microdosing xp truffles and cacao).

Microdosing as an Alternative to Coffee

Finally, if you carefully consider the drawbacks of coffee, you may realize that these drawbacks are either not present or much less significant with microdosing.

While many of the positive effects people experience with microdosing are also the effects sought in coffee/caffeine. The main similarities are:

• More focus, clear mind
• More energy
• More creativity
• Increased productivity

For these reasons, it's not difficult for many people to stay away from coffee once they've found their microdosing routine.

Hopefully, this article has provided you with more insight into the do's, don'ts, and reasons behind the combination of coffee and microdosing.

Do you still have questions? Take a look at our FAQ page or send us an email! We're here to help.