Does Caffeine Make You Jittery?
You drink a large cup of coffee and suddenly, you're feeling anxious. shaky. Jittery. Is it the coffee that's making you shaky? Can caffeine give you the jitters?? Yes, it definitely can.
What Are Caffeine Jitters? Why Does Caffeine Make you Shaky?
Only some people get the jitters from caffeine (unfair, I know). Getting coffee jitters or coffee anxiety is influenced by two factors:
- individual caffeine tolerance, and
- The caffeine source you consume, e.g. coffee, black tea, green tea, etc. Coffee is most likely to give you the jitters.
Why Do I Get the Coffee Jitters?
So why does coffee make you shaky? Well caffeine stimulates your nervous system, giving you a boost of energy, alertness, and adrenaline. Yay, sounds awesome! But an over-stimulated nervous system from too much caffeine can cause symptoms like rapid heart rate, restlessness, shakiness, and that awful anxious feeling.
That's why we say it's an individual tolerance issue. Some people can drink a whole pot of coffee, no problem (though we're not saying you should...). Other people can't even tolerate traces of caffeine in chocolate.
So What's The Deal With Caffeine in Tea? Will it Make Me Jittery Like Coffee? Or is it MAGIC?!
Coffee and tea (from the tea plant, e.g. black, green) both contain caffeine and can both technically give you the jitters. Coffee almost always has more caffeine (often 2x to 3x as much) and is thus the biggest culprit.
BUT it's not just the amount of caffeine in coffee vs. tea. There's also a bit of (science-y) magic involved. Tea contains a special calming compound called l-theanine, which coffee does not. It increases happy hormones, reduces stress, and is even neuroprotective (ie. it helps keep your ol' noggin healthy).
L-theanine is an amino acid that acts on the body to increase happy hormone levels such as seretonin, dopamine, and GABA, and may help suppress anxiety.
People say they get a calming-yet-alert effect from tea because of the unique combination of caffeine plus theanine, which smooths out the jittery effects of caffeine.
Black, green, oolong and white teas ALL contain theanine but green and matcha tea have the highest levels. Herbal teas, yerba mate, and nearly all other plants do NOT contain l-theanine...except mushrooms, for some reason. So yeah, tea and mushrooms (the edible ones, mind you) have their own special happy magic.
How Do I Avoid Caffeine Jitters? Do I Have to Quit Coffee?!
No, you don't need to quit drinking coffee if it's your lifelong love (believe me, we understand beverage passions). But try nipping those undesirable side effects in the bud and calm those jitters by scaling back your daily caffeine consumption.
Here are several things you can try:
- cutting your amount of daily coffee in half (e.g. aim for 1 cup instead of 2)
- experimenting with low caffeine options such as half caf/half decaf coffee
- Swapping out a cup of coffee for black tea, iced coffee for iced tea, etc.
- incorporating caffeine-free beverages into your day: herbal tea, water, seltzer, etc. Sometimes you truly need a pick me up—and sometimes you just need a quick break and a tasty beverage to get you through a slump.
- Allowing yourself to enjoy caffeine in the morning, but limiting caffeine in the afternoon. This is also recommended for your sleep cycle :)
- Trying out green tea to get extra l-theanine! Or better yet, matcha, which has the highest levels of l-theanine and a whole lot of other yummy health benefits packed into this powdered green tea.
Not a fan of green tea? Try these tips to enjoy your green tea.
If none of these are working for you, or if you simply need a break, you can ditch the caffeine entirely. After all, there's a whole wide world of herbal teas out there.
Please note: the content provided is not health advice. Information accessed on this website are opinions and not statements of fact. Plants are potent and can have medicinal effects and impacts not stated herein. Consult with your doctor before making any changes, especially if you have a health condition, are pregnant, or are taking medication.
