Have caffeine withdrawal? New study suggests solution

Drinking decaffeinated coffee can help reduce symptoms of withdrawal in heavy coffee drinkers, even if they know it’s decaf, according to a new study.

According to Health Canada, withdrawal is a “reaction that may occur when a person reduces or stops taking drugs or alcohol after using regularly for a long time or after using high doses.”

The health agency says, depending on the substance, withdrawal can be “extremely debilitating” and make it difficult for someone to stop using or lower a dosage.

Researchers from the University of Sydney tested 61 heavy coffee drinkers by splitting them into three groups. The first, which the study refers to as the deceptive group, was given decaf and told it was regular coffee. A second “open-label” group was given decaf and told it was decaf, while third control group was given water.

Before they were tested, the 61 participants ranked how they expected caffeinated coffee, decaf coffee, and water to affect their withdrawal symptoms. Reasonably, they thought caffeinated coffee would help reduce symptoms the most, followed by water, however, they expected decaf coffee to help the least.

Forty-five minutes after drinking their respective beverages, researchers measured the groups’ withdrawal levels and found “a significant 9.5-point reduction in caffeine withdrawal” amongst those who were aware they were drinking decaf coffee.

While it wasn’t as large of a drop as measured in the deceptive group, researchers say the placebo effect is still strong in the open-label group.

The study notes giving someone experiencing withdrawal a placebo is proven to help reduce their symptoms, however, it is not ethical to do so in a clinic.

Researchers concluded that giving someone decaf can reduce their caffeine withdrawal symptoms, even if that person doesn’t expect decaf to help.

It’s unclear if the same principle would apply in a clinic, however, the study suggests there may be ways to implement similar open-label placebos for drug dependence while remaining ethical.