Coffee and Heartburn
Discover how to make coffee easier on your stomach with low-acid brewing tips—dark roast, cold brew, alkaline water, paper filters, and eggshell hacks.
Cold brew
Cold brew is going to result in a coffee that has lower levels of all the compounds found in coffee. This means that the parts of coffee that cause an increase in stomach acid are going to be lower.
Lower grown
There is some evidence that coffee grown at a lower altitude is less acidic. My lowest grown coffee right now is the Kaʻu. Lower grown coffees also tend to be more expensive.
Water
98% of coffee is water. For another simple fix that might work and keeps all of your coffee/brewing options open would be to try brewing with alkaline water. Easy to find in supermarket. This might be just the nudge your tummy needs.
Egg shell theory
It may seem odd to use egg shells while brewing coffee to reduce its acid, but it works because of simple chemistry. Egg shells are alkaline, which works to neutralize any acid, including those in coffee beans. Using egg shells while brewing your coffee will also reduce any bitter taste that it has as a result of the brewing method you choose or the roast of the beans.
- Take one or two eggshells that have been rinsed well and have no more egg attached, and crush them with your hands into a bowl.
- Place the crushed eggshells into your coffeemaker — if you’re using a French press, percolator, moka pot or some thing similar, put it into the chamber or carafe with the coffee grounds.
- For automatic drip machines, place the shells into the basket you put the coffee into.
- Brew as you normally would, and you’ll find that the taste of your coffee is cleaner and your acid reflux symptoms should be improved.
