“Most people should not have an issue with
drinking coffee on an empty stomach other than maybe having a little bit of
extra stomach acid,” Bonnie Jortberg, nutritional scientist and associate
professor of family medicine at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical
Campus, said.
While some people may experience discomfort, for
the general population, there is no evidence that drinking coffee on an empty
stomach leads to gastrointestinal pains, she added.
Though coffee affects people differently, the
beverage can have a number of effects on the gastrointestinal system and the
body as a whole.
“The caffeine itself can cause loosening
of the lower esophageal, or a relaxing of the lower esophageal sphincter, which
is the doorway between the esophagus and stomach,” Harmony Allison, assistant
professor of gastroenterology at Tufts Medical Center, said.
Not only does caffeine weaken the barrier
between the esophagus and the stomach, but coffee stimulates the production of
stomach acid, Jortberg added.
This combination can lead to acid reflux, or the
contents of the stomach moving back into the esophagus. People usually
experience heartburn as a result.
Importantly, Allison added, people who develop
these bothersome symptoms after drinking coffee could do so regardless of
having food in their stomachs.
There are, however, other issues that could be
pronounced when drinking coffee on an empty stomach. For one, the acidity of
coffee could be an issue for some people.
“Coffee is about a pH of five and the stomach is
actually a pH of four,” said Allison.
If someone is drinking coffee on an empty stomach, this could be uncomfortable, particularly for those with esophagitis, Allison added.
Having some food in the stomach before
drinking coffee should eliminate any acidity or pH issues, said Allison.
Thus people can try having their coffee with
food or adding milk if they are concerned about GI issues.
Coffee has other effects on the body too, such
as increased urination or bowel stimulation.
“For some people, it does cause some stimulation
of the smooth muscles,” said Allison. “They may find that they have loose
stools after they have coffee or too much coffee, which can be uncomfortable.”
Beyond the gastrointestinal effects, some people
may find that drinking coffee on an empty stomach leads to jitteriness,
Jortberg said.
A 2014 meta-analysis found no significant
association between coffee consumption and gastroesophageal reflux disease
(GERD), which causes long-lasting or chronic acid reflux. And though there are
some myths out there, coffee cannot cause stomach ulcers or in any other way
damage the gastrointestinal system.
If someone does experience acid reflux, stomach
pains, or other symptoms when they drink coffee on an empty stomach, eating
beforehand is certainly not bad.
But if someone does not have time for breakfast
before their morning cup of coffee, there are other small tweaks that may
reduce the risk of any unwanted side effects.
People can put milk or creamer in their coffee
to cut down the acidity, Jortberg recommended. For people who are lactose
intolerant, it is important that they use plant-based milks, Allison added, or
they could risk making any coffee-related stomach pains worse.
The type of coffee a person’s drinking could
also be playing a role.
“There is a study that was done and it actually
looks like your dark roasted coffees actually have less of an effect on
stimulating stomach acid than your light roasted coffees,” Jortberg explained.
“If you think that you’re somebody who’s sensitive to this, you may want to
stick with dark roast.”
If someone is experiencing jitters, acid reflux,
or other issues that could be attributed to caffeine, they could also try
scaling back the amount of coffee they drink or choosing decaf, Allison added.
And though drinking coffee on an empty stomach
is healthy for most people, it is important to always drink coffee safely—that
means consuming no more than 400 milligrams of caffeine daily, as mentioned in
the previous article.
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