Can You Drink Decaf Coffee With GERD?
Generally, when you are affected by GERD, decaf coffee is considered the better option. Scientific research indicates that people who drink decaf coffee experience fewer symptoms than when drinking normal coffee [1].
However, in some cases, GERD can be caused by more than just caffeine [2]. Other components of coffee, even when it is decaf, can cause the characteristic symptom of GERD. Therefore, you have to pay attention to how you feel after drinking decaf coffee.
You should stop drinking decaf coffee when the symptoms of GERD come back.
Remember that everyone is different. Decaf and normal coffee can cause problems for one person while the other is not affected by their consumption.
Always remember what you ate before the onset of GERD symptoms. The direct cause of your GERD symptom could be something that you had eaten with your coffee.
Why Do I Feel Heartburn After Decaf Coffee?
Your GERD symptoms may increase after decaf coffee. However, the direct cause of this is not caffeine.
Decaf coffee increases acid secretion in your stomach. The increase is very high and can be compared to gastric acid stimulators like pentagastrin [4].
When your stomach produces a lot of stomach acid, it can cause symptoms such as heartburn.
Additionally, decaf coffee can lead to relaxation of the lower esophageal sphincter. This can potentiate your GERD. The exact how decaf coffee relaxes the sphincter is not fully understood.
One study suggests that increases in cyclic nucleotide content, specifically cyclic guanosine monophosphate, are associated with relaxation of the lower esophageal sphincter in humans 1. However, it's important to note that this effect is not solely due to caffeine, as both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee have been found to decrease lower esophageal sphincter pressure 32. Therefore, other components in coffee, not just caffeine, likely contribute to this effect.
The two main mechanisms by which decaf coffee can cause GERD symptoms are:
- the relaxation of the muscle closing the stomach
- increased production of stomach acid.
Regardless of whether with or without caffeine, there are some more acidic types. For example, darker roasts are more acidic. Such types of coffee can aggravate GERD symptoms more than the less acidic types [2].
What Drinks Should Be Avoided If You Have GERD?
When you have GERD, you have to remember that certain types of drinks are not beneficial for you. Drinking them can lead to unpleasant symptoms.
Here are a few of the most common drinks that can trigger GERD symptoms:
- Alcohol
Regardless of the type, alcohol is not good for your stomach. You will most likely experience GERD symptoms after drinking.
Heavy drinking, on its own, increases the risk of acquiring GERD [5].
- Coffee
Not only caffeine but also other substances in coffee can provoke GERD symptoms. This applies to both normal and decaf coffee. Coffee causes the stomach to produce more acids. It also relaxes the gastric muscle that closes your stomach. This allows more of the acid to come out and causes bad symptoms [5, 6].
- Tea
Especially tea containing caffeine can aggravate reflux symptoms. Also, consumption of more than six servings of tea per day can increase the risk of developing GERD in women [7].
- Carbonated beverages
These types of drinks can also potentially exacerbate GERD symptoms. Carbonated beverages have high acidity and carbonation, which both make the stomach more acidic [5, 6, 8].
- Citrus and tomato juices
They are highly acidic and can also aggravate acid reflux. When you have GERD, you should avoid lemon juice, orange juice, tangerine juice, lime juice, grapefruit juice, and tomato juice [5].
What Drinks Are Good For GERD?
Having GERD can be annoying and exhausting. There are many beverages you should avoid. To make you more optimistic. Here are a few beverages you can safely drink even with GERD.
- Water
Classic water is a safe choice for GERD. Whenever you would like to drink coffee, tea, or soda, you should replace them with water. This will not only reduce the risk to the health of people. It also alleviates the symptoms of GERD [7].
- Non-acidic juices
These juices are a good option. You can safely enjoy carrot, aloe vera, cucumber, or watermelon juices [5].
Remember, all people are different. What can cause symptoms of GERD in one person can be neutral for another. In case you don’t know whether a certain beverage can lead to symptoms of GERD, you can try it once.
To prevent discomfort and heartburn during testing the beverage, always have your medication ready for use. In case you don’t have any drugs prescribed yet, you can get some over-the-counter antacids.
You can get Pepto-bismol, Gelusil, or Maalox [9]. Always remember to follow the dose recommendation on the package.