Stomach problems when drinking coffee?

[jevoy@stargroup1.com]

We are hosting a coffee research study in the Philadelphia area where we are looking for people who love coffee, but have cut back, or even stopped drinking coffee, because they suffer indigestion, or heartburn when they drink coffee. Contact Jon at jevoy@stargroup1.com or 215.875.4305.

 

[3ternal]

Of course there are going to be stomach problems... Straight coffee is very acidic, and can easily damage stomach lining through prolonged use.

 

[ElPugDiablo]

Of course there are going to be stomach problems... Straight coffee is very acidic, and can easily damage stomach lining through prolonged use.

Not exactly. Coffee is moderately acid forming, so are white rice and chicken. Soft drinks, beer, wine, hard liquor and beef are higher acid forming than coffee.

 

[CafeBlue]

mis-information

3ternal: your health claims are un-supported.
Current medical studies and experts agree that daily and moderate coffee consumption imparts beneficial effects. Coffee does not have a highly acid ph level. The commonly used taste descriptor of "acidity" references the taste sensations (sometimes also described with secondary terms like: fruity, floral, tart, bright, zesty, winey, etc) usually sensed in the front of the palate.
Perhaps you have been mislead by the dreadful tastes associated with coffee that sat on a hot-plate for so long that the chemical structure fractured, but even non coffee drinkers recognize that such a bitter brew is not fresh coffee and should be discarded. In any case, please read the following quote from the ICO website.

Can Coffee Cause Heartburn?

Heartburn, or acid indigestion, is a very common and uncomfortable condition for which there are many possible causes ranging from eating rich or spicy foods to undue stress. In a study involving 394 patients with heartburn, neither the acidity nor the strength of the coffee was associated with their reported heartburn (9). Some people do report suffering heartburn after drinking coffee, but it is thought more likely to be associated with the meal eaten previously, rather than the coffee. There is also no conclusive evidence that drinking coffee is bad for the stomach or involved in the formation of gastric or duodenal ulcers.

 

[ElPugDiablo]

CafeBlue, I think I read awhile ago that people who are allergic to caffeine will have acid reflex. Do you know if this is true? Or is my memory going?

 

[3ternal]

3ternal: your health claims are un-supported.

If your going to tell me that drinking straight espresso isn't bad on stomach lining, that's just straight naive.

I've had to cut down multiple times because my stomach couldn't handle how much I was drinking it, and a friend of mine got a bad ulcer from it and his stomach only was able to recover after going cold turkey on strong coffee.

My statement was directed to straight strong black coffee, especially espresso. I don't need a medical study, I already had the experience...

And when I said acidic, I meant it literally, not in terms of taste. I know that latin coffee's are more acidic/indonesian less and all that... We're not talking body of the coffee here are we?

 

[Alun_evans]

EPD is right on> acid reflux can be caused by a number of food/drink items. Top of the list are tomatoes, beer, rice, pasta, wine, some types of soft cheese (better hope your not an Italian!). Coffee also has its place in here. I eat or drink in abundance all of the above and until very recently have had no problems. However after a month in Singapore, where my diet changed somewhat (too much beer...not enough coffee, cheese, pasta etc :wink: ) did I start experiencing acid-reflux for the first time. I must say it is a horrible experince which is only now slowly coming right now that I am back in good ole Indonesia.

You know, I think we can look at surveys until we are blue in the face and get no where with conclusions. Many of the surveys that point to the positives in coffee are industry sponsored...conversely those with the opposing view are often sponsored by vested interest groups as well. I think, like anything, coffee (wine, beer, scotch) in moderation should not cause indegestion (acid-reflux). In excess, well I guess then it depends somewhat on the individuals tolerance levels for the items digested.

BTW a recent survey of Civet cats (Luwak) found only 1 in 23 showed signs of acid reflux

 

[ACSJava]

If your going to tell me that drinking straight espresso isn't bad on stomach lining, that's just straight naive.

I've had to cut down multiple times because my stomach couldn't handle how much I was drinking it, and a friend of mine got a bad ulcer from it and his stomach only was able to recover after going cold turkey on strong coffee.

I have suffered from GERD for almost 20 years and been to many specialists...take this for what it is, but the doctors I spoke with said that your stomach itself contains acid that would melt plastic, much much higher acid content than anything you would eat or drink.

What is more likely is your friend already had an ulcer and the caffeine in the coffee caused additional blood to run to it and inflame it. Ditto with your issues.

Coffee itself cannot and does not harm anyone's stomach lining. Your stomach has far more powerful acids in it that nature has put there.

 

[3ternal]

^ If that's true, you just totally owned this debate lol.

 

[davidsbiscotti]

stomach acids

Our digestive system actually begins when we bite into our food.
Chewing is important, but also our saliva, which contains enzymes to begin breaking down the starches we eat.
Stomach acid or gastric acid is mainly made up of hydrochloric acid in our stomachs. It breaks down the proteins of the foods we eat.
Many things actually help promote gastric acid in the stomach.
As mentioned in this post: spicy foods, fatty foods, fiber, meat (because it's harder to digest, your stomach says hey we need to pump out more acid to break this stuff down!).
Caffeine also contributes to an increase in normal gastric acid production.
More than anything for me, my nerves get my acids pumping, no matter what I've eaten.

 

[tericson]

Cream in Coffee...

I do experience what I would have described as \"Acid\" before reading this thread.... not a major problem.

I add cream/creamer to my coffee that seems to neutralize the \"acid\" taste.

BUT when I have a cold (like now!!!) the cream in the coffee tends to bother me (phlem!)

SO what can I do to neutralize the \"acidy\" taste without adding cream which drives me crazy when I have a cold.

My wife buys GOOD beans... medium roast.

Thanks!

tim

 

[davidsbiscotti]

Dairy products can cause excess phlegm to develop, not good for someone who has a cold for sure.

Soy milk or rice milk are great, more natural alternatives to milk.
Or you could try non-dairy creamers.

 

[cafemakers]

The guy works for a P.R. company; they're not looking for scientific data, just people that they can get quotes to promote some kind of product.

There is a general public misconception that only foods high in acidity cause stomach discomfort (it's overeating in most cases), so marketers jump on the low-acid bandwagon to promote products, coffee or otherwise.

 

[caffe biscotto]

If you ignore a rabid dog, it will eventually bite you in the butt.

 

[davidsbiscotti]

Anyone coming here looking for negative info on coffee will quickly lay down their cards once they see the wealth of truths in favor of coffee being discussed in this forum.