Coffee On An Empty Stomach Isn’t Helping Your Hormones
We love a good cup of coffee around here. I go to bed dreaming of my morning caramel latte. But, have you ever paused and noticed how you feel after you drink that cup of coffee first thing in the morning? You may notice you feel more anxious, uncomfortable, and even tired… We recommend to all of our patients to stop drinking coffee on an empty stomach! Here’s why:
1. Digestive Discomfort: Coffee is acidic and can irritate your stomach lining. It’s oftentimes the first thing we do in the morning, but when consumed on an empty stomach, it may lead to symptoms such as heartburn, indigestion, and stomach discomfort which over time can contribute to leaky gut and impaired nutrient intake.
2. Increased Acidity: Coffee stimulates the production of stomach acid, which can be particularly problematic on an empty stomach. High stomach acid can cause nausea, bloating, and diarrhea among other symptoms. Excessive stomach acid can lead to gastritis or, in some cases, more serious conditions like peptic ulcers.
3. Blood Sugar Spikes and Crashes: This is a big one that is very common when you consume coffee without food. It can cause a rapid spike in your blood sugar levels, followed by a subsequent crash. This can lead to feelings of fatigue and irritability. When our blood sugar drops, we get a rush of cortisol (our stress hormone) to let us know our body is in mission-critical red flag mode. Who knew that drinking a cup of coffee on an empty stomach could have the opposite effect on your system?
4. Reduced Nutrient Absorption: Coffee can interfere with the absorption of certain minerals, such as calcium and iron. Consuming it with or after food can help mitigate this effect.
5. Appetite Suppression: Coffee is known to suppress appetite, which is problematic when you're trying to nourish yourself well and food is your fuel. As women, we are chronically undereating because of diet norms we’ve been taught (cough cough 1,200 calories is enough for a toddler, not a full-grown adult female). Having a protein-packed meal or snack before your coffee can help ensure you're getting the necessary nutrients.
We love coffee for our patients who are specifically estrogen dominant because it is a wonderful way to detoxify excess estrogen through, you guessed it, poop!
If you're accustomed to drinking coffee on an empty stomach and want to change this habit, consider the following alternatives:
Wait Until After A Protein-Packed Breakfast: Try to have your coffee after you've had breakfast with at least 30 grams of protein. This can help reduce its impact on your stomach and stabilize blood sugar levels.
Limit Coffee Intake: Giving up your morning coffee is often not something most people are interested in, so consider watching how much caffeine you’re taking in. Reducing the quantity of coffee can reduce its potential negative effects like anxiety and nervousness. Half-Caff could be a great option to consider for that first-morning cup!
Stay Hydrated: Start your day with a glass of water with a pinch of sea salt added to hydrate your body before reaching for that cup of coffee. Not only will drinking water first thing in the morning helps you kickstart your hydration for the day, but offers other benefits such as flushing out toxins, supporting your digestion system, and boosting your energy. Sounds like a win-win!
Listen to your body and support what it needs: Consider how to support your body so that taking coffee in becomes more of a benefit and not a drain on your system!