You can trace the origins of coffee back to the Ethiopian plateau, where legend says that a goat herder named Kaldi first discovered the potential that coffee beans held.
According to the legend, Kaldi noticed that his goats became more energetic after eating the berries from a certain tree. He reported his findings to the abbot of a local monastery, who made a drink with the berries and found that it helped him stay awake during evening prayer.
The abbot then shared his discovery with the other monks at the monastery, and word began to spread about the energising berries. As coffee made its way east to the Arabian Peninsula, it embarked on a journey that would eventually take it all around the world.
Nowadays, many of us can’t imagine starting our day without our favourite cup of coffee. Coffee wakes us up from our morning drowsiness and increases energy levels by stimulating our central nervous system.
Caffeine, a naturally occurring stimulant that affects the brain, digestive and cardiovascular systems, is what gives coffee its ‘kick’.
Many people depend on this ‘kick’ to get their day started even before they have breakfast. But is reaching for a coffee first thing in the morning before you’ve eaten breakfast bad for your health?
Researchers have been investigating the benefits and harms of drinking coffee, especially as they relate to the gut, since the 1970s, Professor Kim Barrett, a professor of physiology and membrane biology at the University of California, Davis School of Medicine, told The Age. Fortunately, the stomach can withstand all kinds of irritants, including coffee.
“The stomach has so many ways to protect itself,” Prof. Barrett said. For example, it secretes a thick mucus layer that creates a powerful shield between the stomach lining and whatever you ingest. That shield also protects the stomach from its own natural acidic environment needed to break down food, she explained.
You’d have to consume a very harsh substance “for the defences of the stomach to be breached because it’s constantly in a very adverse and damaging environment,” she said. “That’s just how the stomach does its job.”
Health benefits of coffee
Coffee drinking has many health benefits, including links to longevity, a lower risk of cardiovascular disease and protection against many cancers, including liver, prostate, breast and colorectal cancer.
“There’s far more evidence for coffee’s benefits than harms,” said Dr Byron Cryer, chief of internal medicine at Baylor University Medical Centre in Dallas.
Coffee is also shown to stimulate liver activity and increase the production of bile acids, which can lead to lower exposure of carcinogens to the colon tissue. It also contains useful vitamins and nutrients such as vitamins B2 and B3.
Studies have found that chlorogenic acids and other polyphenols found in coffee have many health-promoting properties, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, anti-diabetes, and antihypertensive properties.
Health consequences of drinking coffee on an empty stomach
Many irritants, such as alcohol, cigarette smoke, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), are known to damage the stomach lining and reduce its natural defences. This can make the stomach more vulnerable to acid and ulcer formation.
However, multiple large studies have found that coffee does not have this effect. For example, a 2013 study of more than 8000 people living in Japan found no significant association between coffee consumption and ulcer formation in the stomach or intestine. This was even true for those who drank three or more cups per day. So, while coffee may be irritating to some, it does not appear to damage the stomach or increase the risk of ulcers.
Drinking coffee, especially if it’s black, without a meal can reduce the stomach’s pH more than it would if you drank it with milk or with a meal.
Although a slightly lower pH is no problem for your stomach lining, it may pose an issue for the lining of your oesophagus because it is more vulnerable to damage from acid. A few studies have shown that coffee can relax and open the sphincter that connects the oesophagus to the stomach, which could allow acid from the stomach to more easily splash upward into the oesophagus and cause unpleasant heartburn symptoms.
Outside of the gut, the caffeine from coffee is well known to increase heart rate and blood pressure. And if you drink it too close to bedtime, it can disrupt your sleep. But these changes are temporary.
If you enjoy your coffee with added syrups or sugars, this often causes a spike in blood sugar levels. Which can induce mood changes or other physical symptoms such as shivering, shaking or jitters.
While coffee itself does not cause acne, it can contribute to inflammation and oxidative stress, which can lead to increased activity of the sebaceous glands in your skin.
Caffeine addiction
Most doctors recommend that individuals limit their caffeine use to 400 milligrams per day, which is around four cups of coffee.
Caffeine addiction occurs when a person continues to consume caffeine despite knowing that they have a persistent or recurring health condition that is negatively impacted by caffeine.
The World Health Organization has recognised caffeine dependence as a clinical disorder.
Withdrawal symptoms of a caffeine addiction include:
- headache
- drowsiness
- irritability
- difficulty concentrating
- fatigue
- low alertness levels.
In conclusion, it’s best to take note of how you feel after drinking coffee on an empty stomach and keep a record of any symptoms you may have.
If you consistently notice a burning pain in your chest or a sour taste in your mouth after drinking coffee, you may want to cut down or consider taking an antacid. Adding a splash of milk or cream to your morning coffee or drinking it alongside a small bite of food can also help. But if you aren’t noticing any symptoms, you’re probably someone who doesn’t experience significant reflux after coffee and can keep drinking it as you like in peace.
Do you drink coffee on an empty stomach? Has it ever caused any unpleasant symptoms? Let us know in the comments section below.
Also read: What is the strongest way to brew coffee?
Disclaimer: This article contains general information about health issues and is not advice. For health advice, consult your medical practitioner.
The article says “This can make the stomach more vulnerable to acid and ulcer formation.” which seemingly continues the age old idea that high acid is responsible for ulcer formation. But don’t we now know that stomach ulcers are actually a bacterial infection, and can be treated by antibiotics? In what way would coffee consumption on an empty stomach result in a bacterial infection and subsequent ulcer?