In some countries, coffee is the second most consumed beverage after water.
In addition to making you feel less tired and much more alert, the caffeine found in coffee may also enhance your mood, cognitive function, and athletic performance. It may also promote weight loss and protect against diseases such as type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, and cardiovascular disease.
Numerous individuals appreciate drinking coffee in the morning. However, some claim that consuming it on an empty stomach may be harmful to your health.
This article addresses whether or not coffee should be consumed on an empty stomach.
Does it cause digestive issues?
According to research, the bitterness of coffee may stimulate the secretion of stomach acid.
Some believe that consuming coffee on an empty stomach is particularly harmful because there is nothing to prevent the acid from damaging the stomach lining.
As a result, many individuals believe that coffee irritates the stomach, exacerbates the symptoms of gastrointestinal disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and causes gastritis, ulcers, nausea, acid reflux, and indigestion.
Regardless of whether it is consumed on an empty stomach or not, research has failed to establish a link between coffee and digestive issues.
Although a small percentage of individuals are extremely sensitive to coffee and regularly experience reflux, vomiting, and indigestion, the frequency and severity of these symptoms remain the same regardless of whether the coffee is consumed on an empty stomach or with food.
Nonetheless, it is essential to observe how your body reacts. If you experience digestive issues when consuming coffee on an empty stomach, but not when consuming it with a meal, you may want to adjust your consumption accordingly.
Coffee increases stomach acid production but does not appear to induce digestive issues in the majority of people. Therefore, it is acceptable to consume it on an empty stomach.
Does it raise stress hormone levels?
Another prevalent argument is that consuming coffee on an empty stomach may increase cortisol levels.
Cortisol is produced by the adrenal glands and aids in the regulation of metabolism, blood pressure, and blood sugar levels. However, persistently excessive levels can cause health issues such as bone loss, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.
Cortisol levels naturally peak upon awakening, decline throughout the day, and then rise again during the early stages of slumber.
Coffee, surprisingly, stimulates cortisol production. Consequently, some argue that consuming it first thing in the morning, when cortisol levels are already elevated, can be harmful.
However, habitual coffee drinkers appear to produce significantly less cortisol in response to coffee, and some studies show no increase at all. In addition, there is scant evidence that consuming coffee on a full stomach diminishes this response.
Moreover, even if you don’t consume it frequently, any increase in cortisol levels appears to be transient.
There is little evidence to suggest that such a fleeting peak would cause long-term health problems.
In summary, chronically elevated levels of this hormone are more likely to result from a health disorder such as Cushing’s syndrome than from coffee consumption.
Coffee may temporarily increase levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Regardless of whether you consume it on an empty stomach or with food, this is unlikely to cause any health complications.
Other potential side effects
Regardless of whether it is consumed on an empty stomach or not, coffee may have a few negative adverse effects.
For example, caffeine can be addictive, and the genetics of some individuals may make them especially sensitive to it.
Regular coffee consumption can alter brain chemistry, requiring ever-increasing amounts of caffeine to elicit the same effects.
Excessive alcohol consumption may result in anxiety, agitation, heart palpitations, and intensified panic attacks. Some individuals may even develop headaches, migraines, and high blood pressure as a consequence.
In light of this, the majority of experts concur that you should limit your daily caffeine consumption to 400 mg, or the equivalent of 4–5 cups (0.95–1.12 liters) of coffee.
As its effects can last for up to seven hours in adults, coffee may also interfere with sleep, especially if consumed late in the day.
Caffeine can readily cross the placenta, and its effects can last up to 16 hours longer in pregnant women and their infants than usual. Therefore, expectant women are advised to limit their daily coffee consumption to 1–2 cups (240–480 ml).
Notably, it does not appear that consuming coffee on an empty stomach affects the intensity or frequency of these effects.
Anxiety, restlessness, migraines, and poor sleep may be brought on by excessive caffeine consumption. However, there is no evidence that consuming it on an empty stomach affects the frequency or intensity of these adverse effects.
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