Best Coffee For A Sensitive Stomach: 5 Simple Options

Does your stomach feel upset after a cup of coffee? We’ve done the research to recommend the best coffee for a sensitive stomach.

Best coffee for a sensitive stomach
There are coffee options for a sensitive stomach

While we’re big fans of coffee here, some people love coffee more than coffee loves them – especially if you have a sensitive stomach. So if you feel a little unwell after drinking coffee or need to rush to the bathroom, you’re not alone. Thankfully, there are things to combat this.

Before recommending the best coffee for a sensitive stomach, it’s important to understand why it can have this effect. Caffeine is one reason for stomach upset. You might be interested in learning if you can use alkaline water to make coffee.

Caffeine can increase the amount of acid in the stomach, which is why it’s not all that common to have heartburn after a cup of Joe. This coupled with the diuretic effect, means drinking coffee isn’t a pleasant experience for some people.

The natural acids in coffee can also be a reason for stomach upset as they increase the production of stomach acid too.

So, while some people feel unwell after coffee, this doesn’t mean you need to say goodbye to coffee entirely. You might also like to find out about the best coffee for a hangover.

Try These Soothing Coffees For A Sensitive Stomach

If you enjoy a cup of Joe but know the painful consequences of your indulgence, why not consider giving any of these coffees a try?

Decaf

As caffeine can cause heartburn and indigestion, a quick aid is a decaf cup of coffee.

Decaff tastes identical to the real thing, but if you’re used to a caffeine kick, then you can expect to be tired. Decaff still has some of the acids naturally occurring in coffee, which can increase acid production. So this won’t solve all of the problems, but it’s a good start, and you should notice some improvement.

Just Add Milk

Best coffee for a sensitive stomach
Adding milk reduces the acidity

Adding your desired amount of milk to a cup of coffee can reduce the acidity in coffee. Although milk is technically considered an acidic substance, it can have a soothing effect on an acidic cup of coffee.

You can also add a creamer. For vegans, plant-based milk alternatives do not seem to have the same effect. In fact, many plant-based dairy alternatives curdle because of the acid in coffee.

It’s important to note that the acidity of coffee doesn’t refer to the pH level or how bitter it tastes. Instead, the more acidic coffee is, the closer it is to its original green bean state. This is why lighter roasts are more acidic than dark and medium roasts.

Use Arabica Beans

Arabica beans are a lot less acidic than Robusta beans.

Many coffee drinkers prefer the taste of arabica coffee more because it’s sweeter and smoother. So, switching from robusta to arabica beans doesn’t mean saying goodbye to a good cup of coffee.

Cold Brew

Cold brew coffee In the glass, milk, and ice
You can opt for a cold brew

Cold brew coffee has a lower acid level than hot coffee! Research has found that the method of brewing hot coffee can extract more acids than cold brewing. Some of the natural acids in coffee that irritate a sensitive stomach only seem to be extracted when the coffee is brewed at higher temperatures.

You might have already noticed that a cold brew tastes smoother and less acidic than hot coffee, even if they were made with the same beans. If you liked this post, you might be interested in learning how long nitro coffee can last in a keg.

Dark Roast

Dark roast beans are roasted longer and at higher temperatures than light roast and medium roast coffee. Not only does this impact the appearance and taste of the coffee, but the acidity too.

Dark roasts are less acidic, while light roasts are the most acidic. This is because a dark roast is much further away from the coffee beans’ original state than light roasts are. The least acidic is a dark roast, but if you drink a lot of light roast coffee, you might notice a difference if you switch to a medium roast or medium-dark roast.

Resources

If you like this article, read our guide on hard cold-brew coffee recipes.

In this article, we cover how to quit coffee without getting headaches.

Author

  • Savannah McClelland

    Savannah is a coffee lover who took her appreciation of the brew to the next level starting in college, becoming a barista before combining her love of writing with her affection for a good brew. She has written for several publications including Cracked.com and TopTenz, and also works as a ghostwriter. Find Savannah on LinkedIn.