“Coffee has a pH level of about 5 while our gastric acid boasts a pH of about 2, making the latter more acidic,” Rao noted. As a result, our stomachs should be able to handle the acid that drinking coffee causes.
However, it’s all patient-dependent, Sohi explained. “Anything you eat causes the production of gastric acid, but coffee [produces] more of it,” she said. “So if you feel bloated or are dealing with upper abdominal pain and nausea after drinking coffee on an empty stomach, you know you are having some issues with it.”
Rao echoed those sentiments. “It’s not necessarily that too much acidity is a problem, because the stomach can handle it and there is actually a lot of mucus in it that protects it,” she said. “It’s more about your esophagus not being able to withstand that kind of acid damage. Nothing dangerous is going to happen to you ― it’s not like coffee causes ulcers ― but you may just feel uncomfortable.”
That theory has been proven true by a few studies, including one published in the Library of Medicine. Specifically, according to the survey, coffee may contribute to the relaxation of the lower esophageal sphincter, “allowing food to escape into the esophagus and cause heartburn.”
To put it simply: Drinking coffee on an empty stomach increases the production of gastric acid. Higher levels of the fluid don’t cause any problems for many people but may lead to discomfort in some others. If you happen to belong to the latter group of individuals but can’t part ways with the caffeinated beverage, try enjoying it with some food alongside it.
“Food gives you a bit of a buffer in terms of the acid,” Rao said, explaining that having food with coffee will offset the acidity levels by absorbing some of the fluid.
Rao also clarified that having a cup of java with milk or, perhaps, indulging in a cappuccino over a straight-up black coffee, may help offset the pH levels.
“Some people can tolerate it on an empty stomach fine but if it upsets yours, taking it with food can help,” Sohi agreed.
