Is Coffee Good for Your Stomach? Surprising Facts!

Coffee is among the the majority of popular drinks in the world. Not only do coffee drinkers everywhere love the taste of coffee, nevertheless the caffeine content of coffee can also make you feel more alert and ready to tackle your day.

Getting that morning cup of joe is a morning ritual for millions of people across the globe. Whether you’re the sort of person who can’t function and becomes an absolute gremlin without your morning coffee, or you like the taste every once in a while, coffee is certainly part of your life. As a coffee lover, you’re likely not interested in leaving the morning coffee behind, even if it makes your stomach run a marathon ending with summersaults.

While downing coffee might not necessarily be either good or bad for your stomach, the outcomes of coffee, caffeinated and decaf, can lead to an upset stomach.

Coffee Upsets Your Stomach for 3 Main Reasons

While we may enjoy coffee, and some of us may consider it a necessity, it is undeniable that downing coffee affects your stomach and can make some things feel topsy turvy.

Your body Doesn’t like the Caffeine Content

As you undoubtedly know, coffee has caffeine in it.

Caffeine triggers your digestive system due to the truth that it is a natural laxative, and consuming caffeine forces your body’s digestive system to work incredibly hard. The stomach irritation that comes with guzzling caffeine stimulates gastrointestinal distress due to the excess amount of movement in the digestive tract.

In addition to causing discomfort in your digestive tract, caffeine also triggers more acid production in your body. After ingesting several caffeine, as in more than one caffeinated drink a day, your stomach can become overloaded with stomach acid, which can lead to a severe stomachache and a possible acid reflux episode.

You are Sensitive to the Acid Content

Coffee is an acidic ingest. It may not be as acidic as citrus-based juices like orange juice, which contains citric acid, however it has a higher acid content than most average beverages. One of the primary culprits of an upset stomach after consuming your morning coffee, or extremely coffee in general, is being sensitive to the acid content.

For example, let’s look at the acid extent in coffee compared to standard drinks and something we consider to be above typical in its acidity. As a general rule of thumb, the lower a substance is on the pH scale, the more acidic it is. So, if it has a pH of 8 or 9, it’s not acidic at all.

Coffee primarily hovers around a pH extent of 5—marking it acidic. By comparison, water has a basic pH of 7, and a lemon has a pH of about 2.5. Coffee’s pH degree is dependent upon how the coffee beans themselves were roasted and how the coffee has been brewed. Coffee contains chlorogenic acid, quintic acid, and citric acid, and the levels of these acids depend on the beans and the brewing procedure.

When the acid in coffee meets the acid in your stomach, your stomach might increase its own acid production. This toxic mix can lead to heartburn, indigestion issues, and acid reflux.

Coffee on an Empty Stomach is a No-Go

It’s not uncommon to have coffee on an empty stomach when you first wake up. Plenty of us grab a cup of joe and sprint out the door to work or other responsibilities. Nevertheless, if you beverage coffee on an empty stomach, tummy upsets won’t be far behind you.

Coffee is a concentrated drink, and leaving it to rumble alone in your stomach is a method for disaster. Even if the caffeine in coffee never seems to affect you or you don’t notice any issues with the acid content, coffee on an empty stomach can cause abdominal pain and discomfort due to cramping. When you don’t eat before downing your coffee, there is nothing else in your stomach to act as a buffer between the acidity and your stomach lining.

How to Lessen the Outcomes of Coffee on Your Stomach

If you find yourself to be reacting to coffee due to one of the above reasons, you don’t have to cut coffee out altogether! Just due to the reality that coffee may be irritating your stomach does not mean you can’t fix your coffee to be a little bit more stomach-friendly.

• Low Acid Coffee: Companies often offer specific lines of coffee that are lower in acidity than a normal cup of coffee. Some varieties have less acid naturally as well, producing these better options if you have stomach sensitivities. Basically picking a different brand of coffee or sort of coffee can considerably enhance how your stomach reacts to your morning sips. For example, coffee grown at higher altitudes usually has fewer acids, and light roasted coffee beans are typically more acidic than darker roasts. However, espresso coffee coffee is more acidic than standard cups of coffee.
• Cold Brew: Cold brew coffee is typically less acidic than regularly brewed coffee due to the fact that the cold water results in fewer stomach irritating chemicals and compounds. Switching to a cup of cold brew can ease the general discomfort caused by a basic coffee cup due to the reality that the cold water reacts differently with coffee’s natural acids.
• Decaf: If you find that your stomach is reacting to the caffeine more so than the acidity of the coffee, switching to decaffeinated is the wonderful alternative.

Final Thoughts

Literally because you get an upset stomach after downing a caffeinated beverage does not mean coffee is bad for you, nor do you need to cut coffee completely out of your life. Creating a few small changes, like having decaffeinated or cold brew, can help you mild your body’s reaction to coffee’s natural caffeine and acid content. In several cases, switching how you ingest your coffee can help combat coffee-related upsets. Pay attention to the way your chosen coffee cup affects your body, and if you need to, don’t be afraid to try something different. The bottom line is that coffee is not inherently bad for you however can affect your preexisting sensitivities.

Featured Photo Credit: Maksim Goncharenok, Pexels

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