As Parvinder Sagoo, Pharmacist and Online Health Adviser for SimplyMedsOnline, explains: “Drinking coffee as soon as you wake up could interfere with your body's cortisol production which could leave you feeling more stressed and anxious if you dive straight in for a coffee as oppose to a glass of water.”
By waiting for about 30 to 60 minutes, you allow your cortisol levels to naturally start decreasing. Drinking coffee too soon after waking up, when cortisol levels are already elevated, may reduce the desired stimulating effects of caffeine.
During the first 90 minutes after waking up, Mr Upton recommends trying to avoid caffeine. "Ninety minutes after waking your brain function has woken up and the stress hormones have all changed and everything's starting to come into daytime mode," he said.
If you drink coffee on an empty stomach, your cortisol levels can increase and, depending on your individual hormone levels, it could cause unnecessary stress in your morning. However, generally, it shouldn't be anything to worry about.
“Coffee can stimulate the production of stomach acid, which might cause stomach upset or acid reflux [i.e. heartburn] symptoms,” says Christina Manian, RDN. “Coffee can also stimulate cortisol production, a stress hormone in the body.
Drinking water first thing in the morning immediately helps rehydrate the body. Your six to eight hours of sleep is a long period to go without any water consumption. Drinking two or three glasses of water right when you wake up is a good way to rehydrate your body quickly.
“If you drink coffee on an empty stomach and the effects bother you, then you're better off eating something with your coffee," she says. "However, if you don't experience stomach issues after drinking coffee on an empty stomach, there's nothing harmful about drinking coffee before breakfast.”
Eat fiber and protein
“But when we start the day with fiber from a whole food source, we can majorly help to balance blood sugar.” She suggests having half a cup of berries, a banana, an orange, or a date with almond butter before your morning coffee.
So the first thing you should reach for is a glass or two of water, according to nutrition experts interviewed by USA Today. Doing this not only starts you off on a good path for your daily hydration, but it ensures you've got water in your system to help digest your breakfast.
Decades of research has already shown that caffeine, a psychostimulant, can help people feel more aroused and alert. However, the MRI scans showed that drinking coffee increased activity in parts of the brain involved in short-term memory, attention and focus, whereas ingesting caffeine on its own did not.
Does Caffeine Disrupt Your Sleep? The simple answer is yes. That is, after all, why you have that cup of coffee in the morning; it helps you shake off sleep inertia (the lingering effects of sleep) and get the day off to a good start. So, it's only logical that caffeine can cause insomnia.
The level of caffeine in your blood peaks about one hour later and stays at this level for several hours for most people. Six hours after caffeine is consumed, half of it is still in your body. It can take up to 10 hours to completely clear caffeine from your bloodstream.
“After brushing, it is safe to drink water and coffee immediately since the minerals in toothpaste have strengthened, remineralized, and rid the teeth surfaces of bacteria build up,” Dr. Huang shares. “However, for the best taste, you may want to wait 10 minutes to avoid toothpaste-flavored coffee or water.”
Ideally, I recommend to have breakfast within an hour after waking up. This helps to get your metabolism started for the day," says Wright. "Also, you are more likely to choose better options if you have breakfast earlier and plan ahead.
If falling asleep and staying asleep comes more easily to you, Clauss recommends capping off caffeine at least four hours to six hours before bedtime. So unless you're staying up late, that after-dinner espresso may not be ideal.
Tea/coffee might give you that boost of energy but having them empty stomach may cause indigestion/heartburn/acidity. Having water also cleans bacteria from your mouth and gut. Also, having water before coffee/tea rehydrates your cells thus improving mood, energy levels and alertness.
We wake up dehydrated.
Over night, the body can become relatively dehydrated, says Dr. Maria Peña, who specializes in obesity medicine at Mount Sinai in New York. "What many people do first thing in the morning is grab a cup of coffee," Peña said. But water is a more effective way to hydrate.
All of this being true, you can rest assured that you don't need to abandon your morning coffee altogether. Rather, order of operations is what matters here. Dr. Breus recommends drinking roughly 20 to 30 ounces of room-temperature water before you drink any other liquid, preferably room temperature.
It contains caffeine, which is a stimulant increasing alertness and wakefulness. Coffee also improves focus and concentration. In addition, coffee can help improve your physical performance. Caffeine increases the release of adrenaline, which gives the body a boost of energy.
Coffee is acidic, which can lead to the erosion of tooth enamel. Coffee also is known to stain teeth. We don't want either of these things to happen, but dental experts agree that brushing BEFORE you drink coffee is better than after.
While a few glasses of water are the best thing to drink in the morning, black coffee is an awesome second drink after hydrating. Black coffee has some caffeine to kick-start your energy levels. Add some grass-fed butter or MCT oil to feel satiated until breakfast rolls around.