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Is it healthy to drink coffee on an empty stomach?

By Mallika Marshall, MD

January 19, 2023 / 3:03 PM EST / CBS Boston

BOSTON – A lot of people begin the day with a cup of joe, but is it OK to drink coffee on an empty stomach?

A Mass General gastroenterologist discussed this in the New York Times, and the answer is it depends on the person.

For most people, the stomach can adapt by coating itself with a layer of mucus that can protect its lining from acids, like coffee.

And experts say coffee is less acidic to the gut compared to medications, like ibuprofen or aspirin.

But if you do get irritation from coffee on an empty stomach you can add some dairy or drink it with food to minimize the effects.

If that doesn't help, you may want to avoid coffee altogether or drink decaf instead.

Boston

Mallika Marshall, MD

Mallika Marshall, MD is an Emmy-award-winning journalist and physician who has served as the HealthWatch Reporter for CBS Boston/WBZ-TV for over 20 years. A practicing physician Board Certified in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Dr. Marshall serves on staff at Harvard Medical School and practices at Massachusetts General Hospital at the MGH Chelsea Urgent Care and the MGH Revere Health Center, where she is currently working on the frontlines caring for patients with COVID-19. She is also a host and contributing editor for Harvard Health Publications (HHP), the publishing division of Harvard Medical School.

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