Many of us lean into our morning coffee as though the brewed goodness is our actual energy force. Without an AM cup of coffee, late nights would feel a lot more taxing, work wouldn’t get done as fast, kids wouldn’t be shuffled to school on time and don’t even mention that list of chores we need to achieve later today (better have another cup).
Yet in our haste to use coffee to launch ourselves into an energetic day of business, something has been forgotten: food.
In Italy, where AM coffee drinking is as normal as the morning light, it’s traditional to drink coffee with breakfast. The beverage is always consumed alongside a brioche, bombolone or any other type of pastry or small breakfast for that matter. Drinking coffee with a small amount of food in the morning is merely a way of life.
Meanwhile, in Australia, we rarely think twice about drinking a coffee in the morning without eating food first. So it’s about time we know what this practice does to our bodies. What does drinking coffee on an empty stomach do to us?
Drinking coffee without food in the morning may cause a bigger biological effect on our body than if we had food in our stomach.
Wake up with coffee (breakfast comes later)
Accredited Practising Dietitian and nutritionist, tells SBS that drinking coffee could cause undesired symptoms if you consume it without food. “For example, you may develop a fast heart rate or feel jittery,” says Bleathman, a spokesperson for
She describes this feeling as being different to the positive energetic state you might have when drinking coffee with breakfast. “If you’re running at a million miles an hour in the morning and you’re already feeling a little stressed, then you have coffee without food, you could end up feeling a lot more anxious.”
In essence, drinking coffee on an empty stomach could tip the balance between feeling ready to launch into the day and feeling stressed, and therefore unproductive.
Why? It’s all got to do with cortisol
Bleathman explains that in the morning, your body’s cortisol production naturally surges to move you into a state of wakefulness.
Cortisol is the ‘stress hormone’. It increases glucose in the bloodstream, enhances your brain's use of glucose and more. The lasts for about 30-45 minutes and then returns to its baseline state. Bleathman adds that adrenaline also rises in the morning.
“If we have a huge increase in adrenaline and cortisol early on in the morning, then have a coffee without food to absorb it, we really have no cushion to regulate the [additional surge]. Drinking coffee without food in the morning may cause a bigger biological effect on our body than if we had food in our stomach.”
On a positive note, she says, having coffee without breakfast on occasion as a one-off may not create much of an effect.
“But if you have a stressful lifestyle, are not sleeping well and not eating a balanced diet, then over time drinking coffee on an empty stomach can absolutely affect you. It may impact your adrenal gland’s ability to regulate cortisol over the long-term.” In essence, she says, it may contribute to the development of due to prolonged exposure to stress.
When in doubt, Bleathman comments, it’s always best to eat a little bit of food while sipping on your first cup of AM coffee. There are so many international breakfast choices available, so why not try adopting one that suits your busy lifestyle?
“Try enjoying food with your coffee. It’s really that simple. Eating breakfast as you drink coffee will provide you with the energy boost you seek and you may end up feeling a lot calmer.”
How about the old 'ulcer' wives tale?
There’s another health effect that’s often associated with drinking coffee on an empty stomach. An old wives’ tale dictates that the practice could damage the lining of our stomachs and cause an ulcer. Bleathman says that the statement is not true for the whole population.
“Looking at pH levels – where one is really acidic, seven is neutral and 14 is strong alkali – our stomach sits at around 1.5. The coffee we drink is about a five.
“Coffee is a lot more neutral than our stomach acid. So, all things being equal, drinking coffee on an empty stomach might change the acidity of our stomach somewhat but it’s not going to make it more acidic or cause an ulcer.”
However, she adds “if you have gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD), drinking coffee on an empty stomach might exacerbate the illness”. But if you don’t struggle with reflux, you’re in the clear.
Coffee is a lot more neutral than our stomach acid.
Is it the same deal with orange juice?
The same wives' tale extends to orange juice. It's been said that drinking orange juice on an empty stomach can cause an ulcer. Does this statement hold any truth?
Bleathman explains that orange juice has a pH value of around 3.5 because it contains citric acid, a moderately weak acid. "So drinking orange juice on an empty stomach shouldn't necessarily change the pH value of your stomach."
However, she adds, orange juice is different to coffee in that orange juice is high in sugar. "If you are having OJ on an empty tummy, you might experience a huge rise in glucose, which is essentially broken down sugars. The rise in glucose can result in a rapid increase in insulin."
What comes up must then come down. “So when insulin falls quickly, the drop in blood glucose can make us feel tired and thirsty."
Anyone who struggles with type one or two diabetes or has insulin resistance shouldn’t consume a drink like orange juice, which contains a high amount of sugar, on its own in the morning if they are trying to regulate their blood sugar levels.
Bleathman's take-home tip about orange juice is simple: just eat food as you drink your morning OJ. “Have a meal that is high in fibre, protein or fats and that should help to slow down the rate of sugar being absorbed into your bloodstream.”
