One of the major complaints I get from people, though not very often, is that whether coffee is acidic or basic and having tea or coffee causes them a lot of acidity.
Now, just by listening to this, the anti-coffee brigade will be ready to fire. No, it’s not that simple people. Let’s see what the research says.
Coffee is acidic in nature but so are many fruits and berries like tomato, orange, lemon, garlic, onions, etc. So, the problem is not with everyone but only with the few individuals who have a problem of high acid production and suffer from heartburn or acid reflux or ulcers.
Coffee is acidic in nature, as a lot of studies have shown, does increase the production of stomach acids.
#1. However, it was seen during a study in 1995 published in the journal Gastroenterology that, when researchers neutralized coffee’s acidity and found that those prone to heartburn still experienced symptoms. This led to the conclusion that something in the coffee was causing the stomach to increase its production of acid.
Later studies also showed that there is no one compound that leads to the acidic nature of coffee but a mixture of a number of compounds that lead to an increase in the acid production in the stomach.
#2. A 2003 study published in the journal Digestive Diseases and Sciences found that different roasting methods as suggested to reduce acidic conditions may not work as sensitive individuals will still experience acidity issues. Also, acidity is true for both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee.
Coffee is acidic but there is no need to worry about it. So just like people being sensitive to certain foods, it’s better for people who have acidity issues with coffee, that they avoid coffee. But, this is not the case with everyone. For the rest, please enjoy your coffee without worries.
