Why does coffee make my stomach hurt?

Do you enjoy coffee but despise how it makes your stomach feel? You’re not alone in feeling this way. For many people, there is a link between coffee and indigestion. Coffee drinkers may believe that their morning cup of coffee automatically causes stomach problems, but this isn’t the case.

There are various reasons why coffee may upset your stomach, and fortunately, there are ways to prevent these problems. 

Continue reading to learn why coffee may be causing stomach problems and how to find a stomach-friendly coffee.

Reasons why coffee upsets your stomach

There are four major reasons why coffee can make your stomach hurt. Hence, if you always find your stomach hurting after taking coffee then you could be looking at one or more of the following reasons. The four reasons:

• Acid sensitivity or being extra sensitive to acids
• Caffeine content
• Taking coffee on an empty stomach
• Bad beans for making the coffee

Let’s take each of them and discuss them into detail.

Acid sensitivity: If your stomach is sensitive to acids 

Acidity is one of the most common causes of stomach distress after drinking coffee. Coffee includes some acids that stimulate stomach acid production, including chlorogenic acid and N-alkanoyl-5-hydroxytryptamide.

The pH of coffee, which measures how acidic it is, is about 5. The lower the pH number, the more acidic the substance is. Water has a pH of 7, but the pH of lemon is around 2.5.

The quantity of acids like chlorogenic acid, quintic acid, and citric acid in a cup of coffee varies depending on the conditions for roasting and brewing.

When coffee enters the stomach, it causes the stomach to produce more stomach acid and secrete more gastric acid. Heartburn, indigestion, acid reflux, and general stomach discomfort can occur (1, 2).

Coffee’s acidity can irritate ulcers and create other digestive disorders by breaking down the protective mucosal barrier in your digestive system. These adverse effects of coffee are potent when consumed on an empty stomach (3).

Caffeine content: Excess caffeine in your coffee may make your stomach hurt 

Caffeine, a natural stimulant found in coffee, keeps you awake. The caffeine content in a single 8-ounce (240-mL) cup of brewed coffee is about 95 mg (4). 

Coffee’s caffeine level is another factor that causes stomach distress. Caffeine is the cause of your digestive problems if you don’t have an upset stomach after drinking decaf coffee.

 The most common side effect(s) of caffeine on the digestive tract are stomach discomfort or gastrointestinal distress. In certain people, it stimulates motility in the digestive tract. Excessive caffeine use can cause a laxative effect and gastrointestinal discomfort (5, 6).

Caffeine affects the nervous system, and too much of it can make you feel jittery. Caffeine from a single cup of coffee can stay in your system for hours: after 5 or 6 hours, the average individual still has roughly half of the caffeine from their coffee in the bloodstream.

Some people have a jittery, overstimulated feeling that makes them feel as if their stomach is uncomfortable or hurting, intensifying the digestive effects of coffee (7).

Drinking coffee on an empty stomach can also make your stomach hurt

Consuming coffee on an empty stomach can result in stomach discomfort and abdominal aches. Coffee can irritate the stomach lining and intestinal tract when you don’t have anything else in your stomach to buffer the acidity of coffee. 

Many people who follow intermittent fasting schedules will consume coffee on an empty stomach. They require their morning coffee, and because black coffee contains only a few calories per cup, it does not break their fast.

On the other hand, drinking low-quality coffee on an empty stomach can cause stomach discomfort. Coffee stimulates stomach motility, which is why it can make you feel like you need to go to the bathroom and why some people believe it causes diarrhea (5).

Bad beans for coffee can make your stomach hurt

The quality of your coffee can also affect whether or not you get stomach discomfort. Contaminants in cheap coffee, such as fungi, can cause health problems. Some fungal toxins persist after roasting and can make you ill. (8).

The acidity of your coffee is also affected by the size of the coffee grounds you use. Coffee brewed with coarser grounds has lower acidity levels than coffee from finer grounds. You may have accidentally injured your stomach if you’ve been using finely ground coffee beans.

Some low-cost coffee isn’t ground to a uniform size. There are blends of coarse and fine coffee grounds available, and the resulting mixture may be more acidic than expected, with quite a strange taste. Lactose intolerant coffee consumers may have gastrointestinal upsets from the milk in caffe latte, not the coffee itself.

Small amounts of milk can cause bloating, stomach distress, and other serious digestive issues in people with lactose intolerance (9).

Can coffee cause stomach ulcers?

No, coffee does not cause stomach ulcers directly, but if people with ulcers drink too much coffee, it can increase stomach discomfort and other symptoms.

Why do I feel sick after drinking coffee?

After drinking coffee, you feel unwell because something in the coffee upsets your stomach. High quantities of acids, caffeine, or whatever you’ve added to your coffee are common culprits.

Can decaf coffee upset your stomach?

 If caffeine is the source of your stomach problems, switching to decaf coffee can assist with stomach upset in some cases.

However, decaf coffee contains coffee acids like chlorogenic acid and N-alkanoyl-5-hydroxytryptamide, linked to increased stomach acid production and intestinal spasms. 

In addition, adding milk, cream, sugar, or sweeteners to decaf coffee may create gastrointestinal problems in people who are allergic to these ingredients (10, 11)

How to avoid an upset stomach caused by coffee

There are a few things you can do to lessen the effects for you to enjoy your cup of coffee.

• For starters, taking small sips of coffee may make it easier on your stomach.
• Also, avoid coffee consumption on empty stomach.
• Because coffee is acidic, drinking it with food may help with digestion.

There are various techniques to reduce the acidity in coffee:

• Opt for a darker roast. According to a study, coffee beans roasted for long periods and at higher temperatures were less acidic, implying darker roasts are less acidic than lighter roasts (12).
• Cold-brewed coffee is a good option. Cold-brewed coffee, according to research, is less acidic than hot coffee (13).
• Larger coffee grinds are preferable. A study indicated that smaller coffee grounds allow for higher acid extraction during brewing. As a result, coffee brewed from large grounds may have lower acidity (13)
• Besides, if you like your coffee with milk but are lactose intolerant or find that milk affects your stomach, consider a plant-based milk replacement like soy or almond milk.

Article Summary 

Coffee contains some chemicals that might cause stomach problems. Caffeine, coffee acids, and other ingredients like milk, cream, sugar, and sweeteners are all part of this. 

If coffee makes your stomach uncomfortable, there are a few things you may do to reduce the effects. Drinking coffee with food, choosing a reduced acidic roast, moving from conventional milk to soy or almond milk, and reducing additives are just a few.