Drinking water, low fat milk, and herbal teas may help manage it. Alcohol, caffeinated drinks, and sodas may worsen symptoms, however. Acid reflux, or heartburn, occurs when stomach acid flows up into a person's esophagus, or food pipe.
Due to this fact, coffee addicts are recommended to switch to tea as they should not exceed the daily advised amount of 300 milligrams of caffeine. Coffee leads to the relaxation of muscles – the band between esophagus and stomach. It creates a space that aids acid reflux due to the splash back of stomach acid.
Drinking coffee on an empty stomach may cause acid reflux
While coffee may increase the acid your stomach produces, it can also lower the pressure of your lower esophageal sphincter (the sphincter in between your stomach and esophagus).
Water. My favorite morning beverage is always water, first and foremost. Your body is deprived of water when you sleep, so it is best to rehydrate with water first thing before anything else. I then follow with coffee or a homemade matcha tea latte for a caffeinated boost.
“Caffeinated food and beverages can increase the acidity of gastric secretions. In order to decrease the acidity of these secretions, it is best to minimize the amount of caffeine in your diet,” she says. Caffeine may relax the lower esophageal sphincter, triggering acid reflux or making it worse.
Chamomile tea is commonly used to fight symptoms of acid reflux and GERD. It's known for its anti-inflammatory properties and ability to reduce digestive symptoms such as upset stomach. Consuming chamomile tea can also reduce stress which is a key trigger for acid reflux and GERD symptoms.
Any of the teas outlined above can help with acid reflux. The ones we like the best are ginger tea, chamomile tea, licorice tea, marshmallow root tea, turmeric tea, fennel tea, and slippery elm tea.
The fat in milk can aggravate acid reflux. But nonfat milk can act as a temporary buffer between the stomach lining and acidic stomach contents and provide immediate relief of heartburn symptoms."
Yerba mate
If you're looking for a coffee substitute but don't want to part with your morning caffeine, yerba mate is a good choice. One cup (237 ml) contains roughly 78 mg of caffeine, which is similar to the caffeine content in an average cup of coffee ( 16 ).
Indeed, according to experts, drinking coffee on an empty stomach right after waking up can interfere with your cortisol levels and actually leave you feeling even more tired later on in the day.
If you are getting acid reflux in the morning, this could be because you're not swallowing during your sleep. When you rise in the morning, you experience much worse symptoms than you do during the day. Because stomach acid can sit in the esophagus without saliva helping out. This can be very frustrating.
Sometimes, when heartburn symptoms set in, a few sips of water will bring relief. This can be the result of water neutralizing acids and washing them out of the esophagus. Water has a pH that, at 7, is neutral. This dilutes the more acidic stomach fluids, bringing relief.
2. Bananas. This low-acid fruit can help neutralize stomach acid by coating an irritated esophageal lining. And not only are bananas alkaline, they're also rich in pectin — a soluble fiber that helps keeps food flowing nicely through the digestive tract.
Noncitric fruits such as melons, apples, pears, and bananas are less likely to trigger reflux symptoms. Bananas are especially good for neutralizing stomach acids because they are high in potassium and low in pH (acidity).
Acid reflux is an uncomfortable condition that often leads to belching and heartburn. Drinking lemon water is a potentially helpful remedy to reduce symptoms. Always drink it diluted and pay attention to the body's reaction.
Decaffeinated green and herbal teas are low-calorie, low-acid and low-heartburn beverages that you can enjoy without the looming threat of acid reflux.
Apples and other non-citrus fruit can help to reduce the effects of Gastroesophageal reflux disease, which affects an estimated 27% of consumers in North America.
Any Regular Tea (True Tea)
True teas should also be avoided when dealing with heartburn as the caffeine can make stomach acid even worse. True teas are those that come from the camellia sinensis plant. Namely, black tea, green tea, oolong tea, white tea, and Pu'er tea too.
This is because caffeine can cause your stomach to generate more acid. So, for those who struggle with symptoms of GERD (Gastroesophageal reflux disease), decaf may be a healthier option for your body.