With the first hours of fasting in Ramadan, complaining about fatigue and headaches becomes a common discussion among many, especially among those who are accustomed throughout the months of the year to start their day with a cup of coffee under the pretext that it is their only way to ensure awakening and concentration.

In this regard, nutritionist Iman Jamal advised people to try to rationalize the consumption of the caffeine stimulant that they get from coffee days before the start of the month of Ramadan, and in the event that this step cannot be done, it becomes necessary to know that the process of withdrawing the effects of caffeine from the body needs only 7 days.

Symptoms of caffeine withdrawal

Iman Jamal says to Al Jazeera Net over the phone that the causes of headaches are multiple, including what is pathological such as "migraine-migraine", or headaches resulting from the lack of caffeine levels that the body used to get.

She explained that coffee narrows the capillaries, and when the effects of caffeine withdraw from the body or decrease its percentage, the capillaries return to their normal state, and a rush of blood occurs in the capillaries in the brain, which generates a headache sensation.

Iman Jamal: Getting rid of headaches caused by stimuli requires determination and patience (Al Jazeera)

Based on this process, Iman believes that addressing the problem of headaches caused by lack of stimuli can be reduced to 4 main steps:

  • First Step:

Getting rid of headaches caused by stimuli requires determination and patience from people, especially during the first week of Ramadan.

Therefore, you have to get a maximum of 400 milligrams of coffee per day, which is equivalent to 4 cups of Turkish coffee, and for those who get higher rates, they can use the month of Ramadan to bring down coffee rates to this extent, and it will be noticed that the body is accustomed to the new system in just a week.

Iman stressed that the coffee recommended by nutritionists is the one extracted from coffee beans, not instant coffee and its derivatives.

  • Step Two

Iman stresses that there is no harm in maintaining the rates of coffee that an individual drinks on normal days during the hours of Iftar in the Ramadan, and this is in case he does not want to use the month of Ramadan to reduce consumption.

"If a person is used to drinking 3 cups of coffee during his normal day, and in order to avoid headaches during fasting hours, he can get the same rate, but after eating breakfast, because of the great damage that coffee, which is an acidic substance, poses to an empty stomach," she says.

She explained that drinking high rates of coffee must be accompanied by great keenness to moisturize the body, by drinking copious amounts of water during Iftar hours and resorting to vegetables and fruits as foodstuffs rich in fiber and water.

Drinking high levels of coffee must be accompanied by great care to hydrate the body, by drinking plenty of water during Iftar hours (Getty Images)

  • Step Three

Iman saw that the body in general loses its energy after 8 hours of stopping eating, so it is necessary to eat a complete Suhoor meal to make the body able to perform its functions during fasting hours.

She told Al Jazeera Net, "In some cases, headaches are a symptom of fatigue and loss of energy, so a good suhoor becomes the solution in this case."

She pointed out that drinking the last cup of coffee before the start of fasting hours can be delayed, only for those whose sleep is not affected by coffee consumption.

In cases where one finds it difficult to fall asleep when drinking coffee, even if it has added milk, Iman advised relying on tea to get a similar effect.

As such, Iman noted that the caffeine in energy drinks is higher than that in coffee, and the caffeine contained in coffee that is said to be caffeine-free is higher than that found in all types of tea.

  • Step Four

In this step, Iman demanded that caution and consulting a doctor be her motivation. She advised cases that cannot tolerate headaches during fasting hours to resort to painkillers, and take them after getting the suhoor meal, while also making sure to reduce the levels of stimulants, especially coffee.

"During the first week of fasting in particular, the body moves away from its daily routine, and in this case headache relievers can be obtained after the suhoor meal to relieve pain," she concluded.

She stressed that this step is not recommended until after the person consults the specialist doctor, and that it should not last more than a week.