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Because heartburn shouldn’t ruin your morning ritual.

Reviewed by Dietitian Madeline Peck, RDN, CDN

Key Points

• Cold brew contains fewer titratable acids than hot brew, making it a better option for acid reflux.
• Opt for dark roast coffee; it’s gentler on the stomach than lighter roasts.
• Drink coffee with breakfast and eat small frequent meals to help reduce acid reflux symptoms.

To manage your acid reflux symptoms, you might eat dinner earlier, tone down the spice in your meals or even cut fried food out of your diet. But did you know your morning coffee could be setting off your acid reflux? For many people with acid reflux, coffee triggers unpleasant symptoms like heartburn and nausea. “Coffee stimulates your stomach to produce more acid, and it’s naturally acidic to begin with,” says Lindsey Moser, M.S., RDN. The caffeine in coffee may also relax the lower esophageal sphincter, allowing that extra stomach acid to travel into the esophagus.

Fortunately, you don’t necessarily have to give up your morning cup of joe to avoid acid reflux, but you may want to try cold brew instead. Cold-brewing your coffee and paying attention to a few other key factors could reduce your risk of starting the day with heartburn.

Why Cold Brew Is Better for Acid Reflux

Cold-brewing your coffee can make it easier on your stomach and less likely to cause acid reflux. “Cold-brewing uses time and cold water instead of heat to pull flavor out of the beans, and that process extracts far less of the acidic compounds than hot-brewing does,” explains Moser. While the pH of cold-brewed coffee isn’t much different from that of hot-brewed coffee, cold brew contains fewer titratable acids, which are the acids that actually interact with your stomach and esophagus.

Where you need to be careful with your cold brew is the caffeine content. It’s a common assumption that cold water pulls less caffeine out of the beans, but the 12- to 24-hour steep period makes up for the lack of heat. Cold brew made from the same beans has caffeine concentrations similar or even slightly higher than those of hot-brewed coffee. If you’re buying premade cold-brew concentrate, its caffeine content can be even higher. If caffeine tends to trigger your acid reflux, try diluting your cold brew with more water or milk, or brewing it with half-caf coffee.

Tips for Cold-Brewing Coffee with Acid Reflux

• Choose a dark roast. The type of coffee bean you use may make as big a difference as the brewing method. Dark roasts tend to be the best option. “The longer roasting time breaks down more of those acids, so a dark roast is actually gentler on your stomach than a light roast, even though it tastes stronger,” says Moser.
• Try decaf or half-caf. To reduce the caffeine content of your brew without overdiluting it, try brewing a half-caf coffee or making your own by mixing some decaf dark roast grounds with your regular beans.
• Drink your coffee with breakfast. Introducing an acidic drink to your stomach with no food to help buffer that acid could make symptoms worse. “Drinking coffee with food instead of on an empty stomach can also help reduce acidity and irritation,” says Whitney Stuart, M.S., RDN, CDCES.
• Be cautious of add-ins. While coffee may be part of the problem, what you add to your coffee could also contribute to acid reflux. “High-fat creamers, like whole milk or heavy cream, can contribute to reflux symptoms in some people,” says Jane Leverich, M.S., RDN. Instead, use low-fat milk or a plant-based option like oat milk or almond milk.

Expert Tips for Managing Acid Reflux

• Avoid lying down after eating. To help keep stomach contents where they should be, avoid lying down after eating or drinking coffee, recommends Moser. If you typically eat dinner later in the evening, moving it to at least two to three hours before bed can help. If that doesn’t help, raising the head of your bed with extra pillows can also help.
• Eat smaller meals. “An overfull stomach puts more pressure on the lower esophageal sphincter,” says Moser. You may experience fewer symptoms by trading two or three large meals for three to five smaller ones.
• Wear looser clothes. Not only are tight waistbands uncomfortable, but they put extra pressure on your stomach, which can push acid upward and into the esophagus. Ditch the shapewear and opt for flowy dresses and stretchy waistbands to ease the pressure.
• Don’t cut foods you don’t need to. While there’s a long list of foods that could potentially trigger acid reflux, there’s no need to avoid them all if they don’t trigger symptoms. Use a food journal if you need help sorting out which foods are triggers and which you can keep on your plate.
• Consult a health care professional. If a few diet tweaks aren’t enough to reduce acid reflux and stop heartburn, it may be time to consult with your physician. “If someone’s dealing with heartburn several times a week regardless of what they eat, that’s worth a conversation with a doctor rather than just a diet fix, since frequent reflux can be a sign of something that needs actual treatment,” says Moser.

Our Expert Take

Coffee can be a trigger for people with acid reflux, but that doesn’t mean you need to give up your daily cup of joe. Cold-brewing coffee and choosing a lower-acid variety, like dark roast, can help reduce acid reflux symptoms such as heart burn. For the gentlest cup, start with a dark roast, cold-brew it overnight, dilute it with water or low-fat milk, and drink it with breakfast instead of on an empty stomach. Paired with basic strategies like eating smaller meals and staying upright after eating, you may be able to reduce symptoms without forgoing your morning coffee routine.