Coffee is a contraindicated drink in case of gastritis and stomach ulcer because it causes more irritation and acidity. We explain why.
The coffee is, along with tea, one of the most widely consumed beverages in the world. Millions of cups of coffee are served every day, believe it or not. And as an example, let’s take the example of our country: in Spain, 14,000 million cups of coffee are taken every year according to data provided by the OIC (International Coffee Organization, the main organization in the world dedicated exclusively to coffee).
According to the ‘Coffee and Tea Report on Consumption Habits’, it prefer to drink coffee in the morning and preferably during the week. And depending on the time of day when they take it, they tend to take it alone (after eating) or with milk (in the morning and in the afternoon). But be careful, since every morning we usually make a mistake: drink coffee on an empty stomach, which is not recommended for our digestive well-being.
In addition, it becomes the drink par excellence to share with friends, family and work colleagues, since 78% of Spaniards tend to drink it in company instead of alone.
Regarding the reasons why a person tends to drink coffee, in reality the vast majority do it simply because they like it. While only 11% take it with the aim of staying awake.
Be that as it may, there is no doubt that there are many qualities of drinking coffee alone: it is a useful drink to keep us active as it is a good stimulant. But it not only brings us these benefits. It also stands out for its content in natural antioxidants that protect us against diseases in which the oxidative stress of the cells is inflamed (acting especially against free radicals).
On the other hand, it helps in the prevention of diabetes mellitus (also known as type II diabetes), since it helps to avoid insulin resistance and improves metabolic glucose control.
But far from providing us with many benefits and properties, it is also a drink that has its contraindications, as in short it happens with practically any type of food or drink. For example, its consumption is not recommended in case of high blood pressure, heart disease by increasing the risk of arrhythmias or tachycardias, osteoporosis, insomnia or anxiety disorders and before the consumption of iron supplements.
And what happens with such common digestive diseases or conditions, such as gastritis or stomach ulcers?
Gastritis
The gastritis is an irritation of the gastric mucosa caused by many different causes. The most common are related to the maintenance of inappropriate or healthy eating habits, the abuse of certain medications (such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) or Helicobacter Pylori infection.
It also appears as a result of drinking too much alcohol or eating spicy foods. Even regular tobacco use is one of the other common causes.
There is also a type of gastritis more related to stress and anxiety disorders, popularly known as emotional or nervous gastritis.
Among the most common symptoms of gastritis we can mention abdominal pain, especially in the stomach, the appearance of uncomfortable gas, an upset stomach in general and heartburn accompanied by burning and the feeling of being almost always full.
Stomach ulcer (or gastric ulcer)
What is known as a stomach ulcer (also medically known as a gastric ulcer or peptic stomach ulcer) consists of a deep wound located in an area of the stomach lining.
It is currently believed that one of the main causes that cause the appearance of a gastric ulcer is due to infection with the bacterium Helicobacter pylori, which causes an inflammation that ends up reducing the protection of the mucosa against the stomach acids itself.
Also the consumption of some medications such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can influence the appearance of an ulcer, in the same way that occurs with gastritis.
Its symptoms actually tend to be more varied than those caused by gastritis, but it usually feels like pressure or pain in the epigastric region that can travel to the lower abdomen or back, which is felt mainly by the night and when you have an empty stomach.
Why is coffee consumption not recommended for these two digestive conditions?
Prior to the identification of the Helicobacter pylori bacterium as one of the causes that causes the appearance of peptic ulcers, coffee was associated with the development of stomach ulcers. A belief that is still very much in force in many people, but that from a medical point of view in a certain sense has lost interest as a possible causal factor.
However, we must not forget that coffee is an irritating drink for the digestive system. In addition, it increases the production of acid in our stomach, hence it is a drink specifically not recommended or recommended in case of gastritis.
That is, although it is true that coffee does not cause peptic ulcer (having no influence on its development), it is a contraindicated drink after the diagnosis of this digestive condition. The same goes for gastritis.
And what about decaffeinated coffee?
Contrary to what is erroneously thought, the reality is that it is not only caffeine that tends to increase the production of acid in our stomach every time we drink a cup of coffee. It is an effect that is also produced by other substances that are part of this drink.
Hence, it is actually a mistake to take decaffeinated coffee as a substitute for coffee when we have gastritis or ulcers, since it will continue to produce the same effect, only that its caffeine content will be lower and it will not have the same stimulating qualities.
Of course, it will also contain caffeine: specifically, a cup of decaffeinated coffee contains between 3 and 11 grams of caffeine, so any amount of caffeine will ultimately cause more irritation.
What’s more, decaffeinated coffee is very acidic so it will cause further irritation to the lining of our stomach.
