Friday, July 5, 2013

Does Caffeine Cause Heartburn? The Truth!

Does caffeine cause heartburn? Heartburn is a condition wherein gastric products are regurgitated or thrown back to the esophageal tract thus causing discomfort in the chest area.

Does caffeine cause heartburn? Heartburn is not literally heartburn. It is not a cardiac disorder either. Can coffee give you heartburn? Can coffee cause acid reflux? What is it in coffee that can cause gastric upset? Here are some insights on the question: does caffeine cause heartburn?


Heartburn is a condition caused by acid reflux. There are many causes for this. One cause is that the stomach may have too much on it that acid, along with food contents, simply regurgitates back to the esophagus. Another cause it that the stomach may have ingested harmful chemicals or irritants that forces stomach acid to regurgitate such harmful ingredients. Such conditions, when severe, can cause the stomach to inflame and regurgitate everything. The condition is known as gastritis and the person experience nausea and vomiting for days. Prior to gastritis, the much milder version is heartburn. However, it may also be felt by someone with a severe condition such as GERD or gastro-esophageal reflux disease. When food goes into the stomach, it first enters an esophageal sphincter, a small opening that acts as a gate to keep food in. If this sphincter becomes weak it may not keep food in anymore and food easily gets regurgitated to the esophagus. GERD is a menacing problem that needs medical attention.


On harmful chemicals, coffee has caffeine that is likewise irritating to the stomach. Most people have coffee in the morning. However, for people with sensitive stomachs, coffee can easily cause gastric upset. Milk is a better substitute to coffee although it may not have the same chemicals that keep someone awake. Other chemicals that are irritating to the stomach are alcohol, fatty foods and carbonated beverages. When it comes to over the counter medication, aspirin or ASA is a gastric irritant and demands to be taken with food or after a meal.

Since people would often pair coffee with a donut or a bagel, the rate of hyperacidity or acid reflux is lowered. Coffee, due to its caffeine content, is a gastric irritant. If you’re a coffee addict and regularly suffer from heartburn, limit your coffee intake. If worse comes to worse, remove coffee and replace it with milk. Or, you may want to add in more milk to your coffee to calm your gastric flora down. Now, does caffeine cause heartburn? It definitely does.