Coffee on an Empty Stomach: Why You Shouldn’t

For many people, starting the day without a cup of coffee is unthinkable, although there are some arguments in favor of not drinking the hot drink on an empty stomach. You will find everything you need to know about coffee on an empty stomach in this article.

Why coffee on an empty stomach is not a good idea

After getting up, many people go to the coffee machine first. Often before the actual breakfast, a cup of the popular drink is simply part of the morning routine for some people. But that can have unpleasant consequences.

• In order for coffee to get its typical aroma, the beans have to be roasted. Exactly these roasted aromas are not only responsible for the taste, but can also irritate the stomach lining.
• The roasting produces acid, tannins and bitter substances in the coffee, which can stimulate the production of bile and gastric juice. This leads to an increase in stomach acid and can therefore cause heartburn, but also stomach pain.
• Caffeine itself also has a similar effect on your digestive tract . Especially in people who already have a sensitive stomach, corresponding problems can occur after drinking coffee on an empty stomach.
• The blood sugar level is also influenced by the consumption of coffee. This is because coffee disrupts the body’s insulin sensitivity. Especially if you also had a restless night beforehand, it is difficult for the body to regulate these values ​​again.
• If you drink coffee first and then have breakfast, the body reacts to the food then supplied with a significantly increased blood sugar reaction. In the worst case, this can even cause resistance to insulin over the long term and promote type 2 diabetes.

Alternatives to enjoying coffee on an empty stomach

If possible, coffee should not be a substitute for a balanced breakfast and, ideally, should only be enjoyed after the morning meal. If you still don’t want to do without your morning coffee, we have a few tips for you.

• If possible, you should first eat a little something before you treat yourself to the first sip of coffee. First eat, then drink is the motto here. Because if there is already some food in the stomach, the gastric mucosa reacts less sensitively to the substances contained in the coffee.
• The choice of coffee also has an effect on stomach tolerance. While the higher quality, but also more expensive Arabica varieties have a lower acid content, the cheaper Robusta coffees usually contain significantly more acid.
• Even if the espresso tastes much stronger than filter coffee, it still contains significantly less acid and bitter substances. The reason for this is the way it is prepared. Because espresso is brewed so quickly that the water has little contact with the ground beans and can absorb fewer substances.
• The addition of milk or coffee cream also reduces the acidity in the coffee. The purely plant -based almond drink is even better than products made from cow’s milk . This is alkaline and thereby at least partially neutralizes the acid in the coffee.
• Grain coffees are also low in acid and therefore particularly gentle on the stomach . These are made from malt, barley or spelled, for example . These hot drinks differ in taste from coffee beans, but they are also very well tolerated by sensitive people.