Caffeine & Adrenals: Should You Skip the Coffee?
Many people love starting their morning with a cup of coffee (or maybe a few). But what if that daily ritual is doing more harm than good?
If you’ve ever felt wired, anxious, or even more tired after your morning brew or if you’re relying on caffeine just to make it through the day — it might be time to take a closer look. Your caffeine habit could be contributing to adrenal dysfunction.
Caffeine can be both a helpful tool and a hidden stressor, depending on how your body processes it and the state of your adrenal health. In this post, we’ll break down how caffeine affects adrenal health, who may want to scale back (and why), and what to try instead.
What Caffeine Does to the Body
When you drink caffeine, especially coffee, your body responds by increasing cortisol and epinephrine, the same stress hormones released during a "fight or flight" response. This can give you that jolt of energy or alertness, but for someone with adrenal dysfunction or HPA axis dysregulation, it can also worsen symptoms.
It is also important to note that not everyone handles caffeine the same. Caffeine metabolism is influenced by your genetics. Some people are fast metabolizers, meaning they process caffeine quickly and tend to tolerate it well. Others are slow metabolizers, and for them, caffeine lingers longer in the body and can have stronger, more negative effects like anxiety, jitters, or sleep disruption.
Signs Caffeine Might Be Stressing You Out
If you're are suspecting adrenal dysfunction and notice any of the following after your cup of coffee, your caffeine intake may be working against you:
Anxiety or irritability
Shakiness or sweating
Racing heart or cold hands/feet
Trouble focusing
Difficulty falling or staying asleep
Feeling tired but wired
If you need more caffeine to get through the day, that’s another sign your body may be under a lot of stress
When to Avoid or Reduce Caffeine
You may want to cut back or temporarily eliminate caffeine if:
You’ve tested and have high or low cortisol
You’re dealing with fatigue, burnout, or hormone imbalance
You struggle with sleep, anxiety, or gut issues
You know (or suspect) you’re a slow metabolizer
Good news: this doesn’t have to be forever. But giving your adrenals a break from stimulation while you work on deeper healing can be a powerful reset.
Caffeine Best Practices
If you’re going to have caffeine, here’s how to do it in a way that’s more supportive of your adrenals:
Always have caffeine with or after food
Avoid caffeine after 1–2 PM to protect your sleep
Pay attention to your body’s response — caffeine should energize you, not stress you out
If you’re easing off caffeine but still want something warm, comforting, and energizing without the crash, try one of these:
Matcha or green tea — contain L-theanine, which counteracts out caffeine’s stimulating effects
Dandelion root tea — liver-loving and rich in minerals
Teeccino — herbal coffee substitute with a similar flavor profile
Adaptogenic blends — like reishi, ashwagandha, or holy basil to support your stress response
If you're dealing with adrenal dysfunction, hormone imbalance, or burnout, caffeine might not be the energy solution you think it is. The goal isn’t to demonize caffeine, it's to understand how it affects your body and whether it's helping or hurting your healing process.
Need help figuring out whether your fatigue is coming from blood sugar, adrenals, or hormones? That’s exactly the kind of detective work we do in our 1:1 Functional C.A.R.E Method™.
