Coffee has been shown to trigger acid reflux symptoms in 5-10% of the population, even decaffeinated coffee being capable of doing this in some people.

Decaffeination involves steaming coffee beans before repeatedly soaking them in a chemical solvent such as methylene chloride or ethyl acetate that binds with caffeine and pulls it from their source – thus decaffeination is possible!

Caffeine

Caffeine is a naturally-occurring compound found in coffee beans, tea leaves, yerba mate leaves, guarana berries and cocoa beans as well as laboratory produced and added to certain foods, beverages and medicines. Caffeine acts as a central nervous system stimulant which increases alertness, attention span and reduces fatigue while simultaneously increasing heart rate, blood pressure, breathing rate and the loss of fluid from urine output; at higher doses it may pharmacologically relax lower esophageal sphincter leading to acid reflux.

Coffee has long been known to trigger gastroesophageal reflux for up to 10% of the population, regardless of caffeine content. A double-blind study conducted with 17 healthy volunteers involved oesophageal pH-metry three hours post ingestion of 300ml each of regular and decaffeinated coffee, tap water and tea adapted to normal coffee in caffeine concentration, along with breakfast and tap water consumption. Regular coffee ingestion increased gastro-oesophageal reflux more significantly compared to tap water or caffeine-containing beverages while decaffeinated varieties reduced it significantly – while regular coffee consumption increased gastro-oesophageal reflux significantly more compared with drinking tap water or caffeine-containing water-containing beverages; decaffeinated varieties significantly reduced it altogether.

Acids

Stomach acid is powerful stuff, designed to aid digestion of food. Your tough inner lining usually acts as a buffer against this powerful acidity, protecting it from injuring your esophagus — the tube running from throat to stomach. Over time, however, rogue acid may irritate its tissues and trigger heartburn symptoms in some people; in others repeated exposure could wear away at its lining over time leading to chronic inflammation (esophagitis) or precancerous changes (Barrett’s Esophagus).

Foods that often cause or worsen acid reflux include fried and high-fat items like french fries, bacon and deli meats. Others experience it due to an abnormality called hiatal hernia in which your stomach moves above your diaphragm allowing the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) muscle relaxation which allows acid into your esophagus.

Additives

Coffee’s additives may also play a part in acid reflux. Milk, sugar, whipped cream and other dairy products as well as certain spices like cinnamon may trigger it. To minimize symptoms from acid reflux induced by these types of additives it is wise to gradually decrease them over time.

Mingyang Song, ScD and colleagues found that drinking caffeinated coffee significantly increased gastro-oesophageal reflux among 16 healthy volunteers, using three-hour ambulatory pH-metry as the measure. Regular coffee was associated with significantly more gastro-oesophageal reflux compared to tap water or regular tea; decaffeination reduced this effect significantly; however this study did not find a connection between coffee consumption and cancer mortality, due to other factors in its study population – however this evidence suggests reducing added sugars may significantly decrease risk associated with acid reflux disease.

Dark Roasts

As the roasting process proceeds, the sugars within the beans begin to caramelize as temperatures increase and they release acid and aroma compounds, giving coffee its distinct taste and making it deliciously aromatic. An experienced roaster should be able to gauge when their beans have reached peak sweetness and balance so they can stop roasting before it turns bitter, brittle or burnt beans.

Lightly roasted coffee typically displays crisp and fruity notes with an acidic, citrus-filled mouthfeel, while also showcasing the “true” flavors of its beans; such as those that include raspberry or blueberry notes as well as floral or citrus aromas. Lighter roasts can also bring out more earthy notes such as peat, nuts and dirt (sounds gross but it tastes good!).

Dark roasted coffee boasts both a deeper and simpler flavor profile due to the extended roasting process, where more of its original bean flavors have been extracted during this phase of roasting. Dark roast can have either smoky or chocolaty-nutty notes depending on how it was prepared; making this variety ideal for espresso drinks such as lattes and cappuccinos, but can also be enjoyed using drip coffee and French press methods.

Many people believe that darker roast coffee has less caffeine than lighter ones, but this is not always accurate. Caffeine levels depend on several factors – serving size and method being major ones; large cups will generally have more than smaller ones when it comes to caffeine content; similarly for other brewing techniques.

On an Empty Stomach

If caffeine is an issue for you, try cutting back on how much coffee you drink each morning – one cup contains about 90 mg. For an alternative hot beverage option that doesn’t contain caffeine try switching to decaffeinated coffee or sipping mushroom elixirs or raw cacao instead.

Studies on the effects of caffeine and coffee on gastro-oesophageal reflux were conducted on 16 healthy volunteers over three postprandial hours using oesophageal pH-metry. Each subject received 300 ml of regular or decaffeinated coffee, tap water or coffee tailored to normal tea concentration with their breakfast; regular coffee led to increased gastroesophageal reflux while decaffeinated versions reduced it significantly. Regular coffee caused gastro-oesophageal reflux while decaffeinated versions reduced its effects while regular ones caused more.