Is It Really That Bad to Drink Coffee on an Empty Stomach?

Not everyone has an appetite for a hearty breakfast right when they wake up. But a steaming hot cup of coffee? Hand it over ASAP, please. We all have that delicious food or beverage vice that gets us through the day, and for most coffee lovers, that starts as soon as they open their eyes and head to the kitchen or their fave local coffee shop. But…is it bad to drink coffee on an empty stomach?

Sure, that jolt of caffeine wakes you up fairly quickly, but the problem is that coffee is also pretty acidic. Out of a pH scale of zero to 14—with anything below a seven being considered highly acidic—coffee lands somewhere around the 4.8 to 5¹ spot. This means if you already deal with gastrointestinal issues like acid reflux, drinking a cup of joe on an empty stomach might make things a little worse.

Below, we’ll learn whether drinking coffee on an empty stomach is truly bad for you long term. Plus, tips to make your morning cup a little easier on your gut—if you’re not quite sold on ditching this daily ritual.

Is it bad to drink coffee on an empty stomach?

Spoiler alert: Downing a cup of coffee before breakfast isn’t necessarily bad for your stomach. A recent review about coffee’s gastrointestinal effects found that its acidity isn’t likely to mess with your stomach lining² or increase your risk for gastrointestinal problems. (But it can still cause temporary irritation if you have acid reflux.)

Supriya Rao, MD, a gastroenterologist with Tufts Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts, agrees with this finding. However, she’s not personally a fan of drinking coffee without also eating a bit of food, which can help serve as a buffer to prevent an upset stomach or flare-up of symptoms from gut health conditions (like diarrhea with irritable bowel syndrome, for example).

Side effects of drinking coffee on an empty stomach

For many people, drinking coffee first thing in the morning helps them poop…fast. But for others, there might be some lesser-known (potentially negative) consequences to drinking the bean juice right when they wake up. Here’s a breakdown of those effects:

• It may increase stomach acid. Because coffee is acidic, it’s possible that it can trigger or worsen symptoms of acid reflux or GERD (where stomach acid flows up into your esophagus, causing burning and pain) if you already have it, Dr. Rao notes. Also, if you have an ulcer (an open sore on the inner lining of your stomach), you might find drinking coffee on an empty stomach—or drinking it at all—makes your stomach uncomfortable.
• It could cause bloating or pain, especially if you have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Caffeine contains stimulant properties that can jumpstart your bowels and make you poop. But this effect can cause your stomach to cramp, especially if you have a condition like IBS, which often leads to diarrhea, constipation, or a mix of both. “I generally advise patients who have bloating, abdominal pain, or changes in bowel habits from coffee to reduce their consumption overall,” Dr. Rao says.
• It might make you more jittery. When you have coffee on an empty stomach, caffeine can enter your bloodstream faster, potentially making you more sensitive to its stimulant effects. This can leave you feeling jittery, restless, and anxious, and even cause your heart to race.
• It may spike your blood sugar. For some people (especially those with diabetes or high blood sugar) coffee can slightly raise your blood sugar—even if you drink it black. According to recent studies, this effect is about 50 percent stronger when coffee is consumed on an empty stomach compared to when it’s consumed with breakfast.

The best way to drink coffee to protect your gut

Long-term, it’s unlikely that coffee is going to do serious damage to your gut. So drinking it on an empty stomach (if it doesn’t bother you) is just fine. That said if you do notice an uptick in symptoms like reflux, pain, bloating, or jitteriness, and you still want your morning caffeine ritual, there are some things you can do to dampen the unpleasant effects.

Here are some tips to try:

• Add some low-fat milk to your coffee. Some people have found that adding low-fat milk to their coffee helps to reduce its acidity and prevents reflux symptoms. There’s not much scientific evidence to back this claim, but as long as you’re not lactose intolerant or allergic to dairy, it is worth a try. Just remember to avoid whole or full-fat milk as it can worsen symptoms like bloating and gas. Dr. Rao is also a fan of nondairy options like almond or oat milk because dairy can trigger symptoms³ for some people with IBS.
• Try a darker roast. Research has found that dark roast coffee is slightly less acidic than lighter roasts, so it might be worth giving them a try next time you’re at the store.
• Have a small bite to eat. Try a little nibble of food if you can’t stomach the idea of eating a full breakfast first thing, Dr. Rao suggests. A slice of whole wheat toast, a banana, or a few spoonfuls of yogurt will help coat your stomach and potentially reduce pain, cramping, or diarrhea.

When to see a healthcare provider for acid reflux

Because coffee and many other foods (like citrus, spicy, or fried foods) can cause acid reflux to flare up, let your healthcare provider know if you’re having these symptoms on the regular. The Mayo Clinic notes these symptoms will often include the following:

• Burning in your chest
• Food or sour liquid washing up into the back of your throat
• Upper belly or chest pain
• Trouble swallowing
• Feeling like there’s a lump in your throat

These could be signs that you have gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD—a chronic form of acid reflux that should be treated. Your healthcare provider may prescribe prescription antacids or request tests like an MRI or endoscopy to figure out the underlying cause of your symptoms.

The final takeaway

Drinking coffee before breakfast isn’t likely to damage your stomach, but it might make you a little uncomfortable if you’re prone to gut health problems. If your pre-meal caffeine fix causes symptoms, you can keep them in check by adding some low-fat or nondairy milk to your coffee, switching to a dark roast, or having a bite-sized snack with your morning beverage. (No need to say goodbye to your beloved wake-up ritual!)