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I've read that Caffeine has some properties that relax the stomach sphincter and may lead to acid reflux which causes heartburn and other stomach problems.

Is there a way to enjoy coffee and other caffeinated beverages without removing caffeine but still be safe from heartburns and acid reflux?

Miguel Vieira
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1 Answers1

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One way which has worked for me -- but this of course depends on the severity of your condition -- is adding cream. Not milk but full fat coffee cream.

This dilutes your coffee a little bit, and suppresses any sour or overly bitter notes. Personally I like it even better than coffee without it because you get the softer coffee flavours that might usually be over powered in a standard coffee.

I would also ask why the caffeine is important to you? Regular consumption doesn't improve one's concentration as the body normalises to it.

However

I would consult your doctor and seek their advice. Acid reflux can be just a mild irritation and easily managed but it can lead to more complicated issues -- such as Barrett's oesophagus. If you are that sensitive to caffeine you might want to leave it alone, or, restrict yourself to decaffeinated drinks.

There is a good question, with answer, here on the subject of brewing coffee with a lower acid content. It seems cold brew coffee could be the way to go!

user27119
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    The reason for the caffeine, is because decaffeinated is really expensive around here, and most teas I like also have some caffeine! That's why I'm interesting on finding out ^^ – Miguel Vieira Apr 04 '20 at 05:56
  • That makes sense! From what I understand, hot beverages in general exacerbate acid reflux unfortunately. I'm British so have milk in my tea anyway, so you could try having your black tea with milk. The way I enjoy coffee at the moment is I make an espresso, add half the espresso measure's worth of hot water, then add cream to taste. If I have an espresso neat, sometimes I have issues. You could always take a medicament like Gaviscon before hand, but I don''t think there is a lot you can do to the coffee itself. It's an acid drink -- that's just the chemistry it seems! – user27119 Apr 04 '20 at 11:52
  • I've tried having my coffe with a little bit of sodium bicarbonate, to neutralize the acidity of the coffee with a bit of this alkaline salt, but it didn't help with the reflux, plus it made the coffee smell a bit weird :c – Miguel Vieira Apr 06 '20 at 18:35