For millions across the world, coffee is the go-to drink, especially in the morning when you not just need energy, but also something incredibly soothing to help you get on through the day. Many coffee lovers say they cannot imagine a day without it.

While many studies indicate you could be getting more from your favorite morning beverage than you thought, experts warn the habit might leave you battling an uncomfortable health problem.

Coffee is chock full of substances that may help guard against many conditions including Alzheimer’s disease and heart disease. Caffeine is also loaded with antioxidants and other active substances that reduce internal inflammation and protect against disease. But if you are skipping breakfast in favour of coffee, it can affect the balance of your stomach acid levels.

As a result, drinking coffee without any food can trigger painful and harrowing indigestion, heartburn, and gas. According to doctors, while it is not avoidable, the situation can be easily solved - not by avoiding caffeine totally, but by indulging in some food alongside your morning cuppa.

Coffee is naturally acidic and so, when you have it empty stomach –first thing in the morning, it can irritate the lining – leading to more acid production which causes heartburn. Doctors say that there are many components to coffee that increase the levels of acidity in our stomachs.

Caffeine – a natural chemical - stimulates the production of the hormone gastrin, responsible for gastric acid production. Even though it helps in starting the process of digestion, gastrin also adds acidity to your stomach. The pH level of coffee is around 5 while the gastric is 3 – making coffee more acidic and so, it may not be able to handle the acid that drinking coffee empty stomach causes.

Also, many studies say coffee contributes to more than just pain, nausea, and acidity in your upper abdominal area. Caffeine also relaxes the lower esophageal sphincter - the valve that separates the stomach from the esophagus, allowing the acid in your stomach to flow more easily back, leading to a burning sensation that can be very uncomfortable.

If you have been having episodes of a gastric disorder due to drinking coffee on an empty stomach, avoid coffee and other triggers like citrus fruits, chocolate, and mint although eating food with coffee helps. And so, you must choose lighter meals that can reduce stomach acid and lower the risk of heartburn as heavy foods take longer to digest and produce more acid.

Eat a moderate quantity of:

Get Latest News Live on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from Diet, Health and around the world.