Love Your Liver
Can You Drink Coffee on a Liver Cleanse? Why Dr. Jarod Says Caffeine Waits Three Weeks
From Dr. Jarod Ward's 21-day Love Your Liver cleanse | Crown Chiropractic
On Dr. Jarod Ward's 21-day Love Your Liver cleanse, caffeine sits out for all three weeks, coffee included. It's one of the rules people ask about most, so here is his reasoning in his own words, plus what the research says about how caffeine withdrawal feels and how long it lasts.
Dr. Jarod describes the liver's detox work in two phases
Your liver doesn't clear a toxin in one step. Dr. Jarod explains it as two phases. In phase one, the liver starts converting the toxin, and that halfway point is the touchy part:
"Phase one is like when it takes the really toxic guy and does a little bit of conversion. And it's actually kind of a little bit more dangerous at this point because you kind of poked the bear."
Phase two is where that poked bear gets calmed down, in his words, turned into "a nice little teddy bear." Here's where caffeine comes in:
"Well, caffeine totally shuts down phase two. And so, now instead of bears, we have a bunch of poked bears and they have nowhere to go."
That's why he takes caffeine out for the full three weeks: "it's great to let things happen as they are supposed to."
Caffeine borrows tomorrow's energy
Dr. Jarod's second reason is about energy. In his words:
"You're borrowing tomorrow's energy for today. Right? You're creating a depletion in your system."
So he reads tiredness as a signal rather than a problem to cover up: "if you're really tired, that's a clue that you need more rest." Real food, more sleep and care for your nervous system are what he reaches for instead.
Caffeine withdrawal usually peaks in the first two days
Researchers who reviewed 66 studies of caffeine withdrawal confirmed these as real symptoms:
- Headache. It showed up in half of people in the experimental studies.
- Tiredness and low energy.
- Drowsiness and lower alertness.
- A foggy head and trouble concentrating.
- Irritability.
Symptoms typically started 12 to 24 hours after the last dose, peaked between 20 and 51 hours and lasted 2 to 9 days. The hardest stretch is usually the first two days. If a headache is severe or won't let up, call us at (239) 441-2275.
The other common feelings of a cleanse's first days, from cravings to itchy skin, are in Liver Detox Symptoms: What You May Feel and Why. Why the rest of the cleanse is just as strict is in Why Is a Liver Cleanse So Strict?
The full plan comes with the cleanse
Love Your Liver is Dr. Jarod's 21-day guided liver cleanse, and it's self-paced. The full meal plan, supplement schedule, shopping list and daily texts come with the cleanse. Join any time and your daily texts and emails start the next Monday.
Prefer to start with a conversation? Dr. Jarod runs functional medicine and lab testing at Crown Chiropractic in Fort Myers. Call (239) 441-2275 to book a consultation.
Sources
- Dr. Jarod Ward, Crown Chiropractic. Liver episode on YouTube, 11:21 to 12:55.
- Juliano LM, Griffiths RR. A critical review of caffeine withdrawal: empirical validation of symptoms and signs, incidence, severity, and associated features. Psychopharmacology 2004;176(1):1-29.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Can you drink coffee on a liver cleanse?
On Dr. Jarod Ward's Love Your Liver cleanse, no. Caffeine sits out for all three weeks. In his view, caffeine stalls the second phase of the liver's detox work, so he takes it out to let the liver finish the job.
Why does Dr. Jarod take caffeine out during a liver cleanse?
Dr. Jarod describes the liver's detox work in two phases: phase one breaks a toxin down, and phase two neutralizes it. He says caffeine shuts down phase two, which leaves half-processed toxins with nowhere to go. He also says caffeine borrows tomorrow's energy for today.
How long does caffeine withdrawal last?
In a review of caffeine withdrawal research, symptoms typically started 12 to 24 hours after the last dose, peaked between 20 and 51 hours, and lasted 2 to 9 days.
What are the symptoms of caffeine withdrawal?
The research review confirmed headache, fatigue, low energy, decreased alertness, drowsiness, a foggy head, difficulty concentrating and irritability. Headache showed up in half of people in experimental studies. Call Crown Chiropractic at (239) 441-2275 if a headache is severe or won't let up.
What if I'm really tired without coffee?
Dr. Jarod treats tiredness as information: "if you're really tired, that's a clue that you need more rest." He'd rather you nourish your body with rest and real food than borrow more energy from caffeine.
Love Your Liver
Give your liver 21 days to catch up.
Dr. Jarod's guided liver cleanse runs on real meals, pro-grade supplements and a daily text or email. Join any time and day one starts the next Monday.