Cold brew coffee sports a low acidity that's kind to sensitive tums. Cold brew coffee can be up to 70% less acidic than its hot brewed cousins, making it great for acid reflux sufferers or those who prefer a naturally sweet taste.
Gastroesophageal reflux disease usually causes heartburn, as well as respiratory and digestive symptoms. Doctors often recommend that people with this common illness avoid drinking caffeine.
Dark Roasts - a study published in 2010 found that dark roast coffee is easier on the stomach than light roasts because it produces an ingredient that prevents hydrochloric acid from building up in the stomach.
Ask for Espresso
But espresso is known for being easier on the stomach for a couple of reasons. First, the combination of high pressure and short extraction time produces a different balance of chemical compounds than the same coffee would in a drip or pour over brew.
The study states that dark roasted coffee is easier on the stomach than light and mild roasts because it produces an ingredient that prevents hydrochloric acid from building up in the stomach. “This discovery is going to help a lot of people who suffer from coffee sensitivity,” say Veronika Somoza, Ph.
This is because caffeine can cause your stomach to generate more acid. So, for those who struggle with symptoms of GERD (Gastroesophageal reflux disease), decaf may be a healthier option for your body.
While decaffeinated coffee might be mildly less acidic on a pH scale than caffeinated coffee—and this will vary based on not only the coffee bean's variety but also the decaffeination process it undergoes—it is not significantly less acidic, perhaps the difference between a 4.7 (caffeinated) and a 5 (decaffeinated) pH.
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This might sound a little gross, but egg shells work like magic to reduce the acid in coffee. Egg shells by nature are alkaline, and adding them to your coffee beans not only neutralizes the acid, but it also reduces the bitterness. Make sure you rinse the shells well before crushing them and adding them to the beans.
Does instant coffee have more acid than brewed coffee? Instant coffee usually has less acid than traditionally brewed coffee. Cold brew coffee made from ground coffee also has low acidity. Low acid coffees like Golden Ratio are also available for those avoiding acidity.
Drinks you can try at home to improve acid reflux include alkaline water and herbal tea, specifically licorice, ginger, or chamomile tea. Does drinking water help acid reflux? Drinking water can help to balance the pH of a particularly acidic meal (which can trigger acid reflux in some people).
Chew sugarless gum after a meal.
Chewing gum promotes salivation, which neutralizes acid, soothes the esophagus, and washes acid back down to the stomach. Avoid peppermint flavors, which may trigger heartburn.
You may find relief from infrequent heartburn with sodium bicarbonate, otherwise known as baking soda. Simply mix ½ teaspoon with four ounces of water to help neutralize the acid. Note this contains sodium and should not be used if you are on a sodium-restricted diet.
Cold brew coffee has a lower amount of caffeine and may be less acidic, which might make it a more acceptable choice for those with GERD or heartburn.
Caffeine, found in drinks like coffee and green tea, increases secretions of gastric acid, raising the chances of acid rising to your esophagus and aggravating acid reflux.
The fat in milk can aggravate acid reflux. But nonfat milk can act as a temporary buffer between the stomach lining and acidic stomach contents and provide immediate relief of heartburn symptoms."
Brewing coffee with cold water extracts fewer stomach-irritating chemicals and compounds, including the many different acids that occur naturally in coffee beans. All this means that your cup of hot coffee can have extra acid that may be irritating your stomach.
Choose Dark Roasts Roasting coffee beans produces a compound called NMP, which suppresses the release of gastric acid, which in turn protects against stomach irritation. Therefore, the longer the coffee is roasted, the more NMP it contains.
Switching to espresso drinks that contain less overall coffee, like lattes or cappuccinos, might help a bit. But coffee is still an acidic drink, meaning it can aggravate symptoms, so cutting back on your brew intake could make a difference.
Add baking soda
Baking soda, or sodium bicarbonate, is a natural antacid. It can help neutralize some of the naturally occurring acid in your cup of coffee. As little as a 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda for a cup of coffee can smooth the flavor and make it easier to digest.
“Caffeinated food and beverages can increase the acidity of gastric secretions. In order to decrease the acidity of these secretions, it is best to minimize the amount of caffeine in your diet,” she says. Caffeine may relax the lower esophageal sphincter, triggering acid reflux or making it worse.