Lifestyle

7 reasons you shouldn’t drink coffee on an empty stomach

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Is it an absolute necessity for you to gulp down that first cup of coffee before you can even start to think about breakfast? Or is coffee the only thing you ever have for breakfast?


Jump-starting your day with coffee isn’t such a bad thing, in addition to helping you wake up, coffee can also improve your mood (duh) and brain function (ditto).

It could possibly help with weight loss, and may even protect against type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and Alzheimer’s.

The catch is, though, in order to reap all the benefits coffee may potentially provide, you might have to mix in a little food. Yep, coffee on an empty stomach may do your body more harm than good.

Before you wake up and put that pot on, take a minute to think about whether it’s going to kickstart your day, or kickstart health problems!

Here are 7 reasons you shouldn’t take coffee on an empty stomach:

1. Causes gallbladder contraction

If you get gallstones often, then you are going to want to avoid drinking coffee on an empty stomach. Doing so can cause your gallbladder to contract, which means it shrinks in size and stops functioning correctly.

You may notice a loss of appetite, sharp pain, vomiting, jaundice, and diarrhea. While it’s not always something about which to be concerned and can be a regular digestive process, it can be painful and uncomfortable!

2. Anxiety

There is plenty of research to now show that caffeine in coffee is associated with anxiety.

The condition is known as caffeine-induced anxiety disorder and can cause anxiety attacks and may even grow into phobias and obsessive-compulsive disorders. Cutting out caffeine quickly could be an excellent idea!

3. Concentration

Many people swear by their cup of coffee to get them on their toes in the morning, but how engaged are you in your morning meeting? Are your hands shaking as you try to stay alert? Are you reaching for another teaspoon of coffee to take the edge off?

The truth is, your concentration levels and work performance are at an all-time low when you start with a morning coffee on an empty stomach.

4. Raises your blood pressure

Are you already suffering from hypertension? Then lay off the morning coffee. Those who don’t usually drink a lot of coffee, or suffer from hypertension, may experience high blood pressure from drinking coffee.

The changes can last for around two or three hours, which can be long enough to experience discomfort when you don’t have to! Have a glass of water instead.

5. Worsens menopausal symptoms

Even if you don’t consume coffee on an empty stomach, you may find that it does nothing to help the symptoms of menopause. If anything, it can make them far worse!

According to a study, caffeine enhances vasomotor symptom annoyance in postmenopausal women – including night sweats, hot flashes, flushes, and vulvovaginal atrophy. If you want your day to go smoothly, start it off with a glass of orange juice!

6. Decreased cortisol levels

When you wake up in the morning, your body releases a hormone known as cortisol to make you feel awake. You then use coffee to feel even more awake!

Research shows that once you drink that morning coffee for extended periods, day after day, you are decreasing your cortisol levels instead of increasing them. As a result, you may feel even more tired after your coffee than before it!

7. Affects your skin

Want beautiful, glowing skin forever? Then skip the coffee and head straight to work. While research is still limited, what is available currently shows that coffee reduces your collagen synthesis.

This happens in human-cultured human skin fibroblast. While the study is the first of its kind, it shows it may inhibit collagen biosynthesis linked to your skin’s elasticity. What’s more, the dose counts for a lot. The more caffeine you consume, the higher the impact.

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