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Drinking Coffee On An Empty Stomach? Add This To Make It Better For You

Hannah Frye
Author:
March 17, 2023
Hannah Frye
Beauty & Health Editor
By Hannah Frye
Beauty & Health Editor
Hannah Frye is the Beauty & Health Editor at mindbodygreen. She has a B.S. in journalism and a minor in women’s, gender, and queer studies from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Hannah has written across lifestyle sections including beauty, women’s health, mental health, sustainability, social media trends, and more. She previously worked for Almost 30, a top-rated health and wellness podcast. In her current role, Hannah reports on the latest beauty trends and innovations, women’s health research, brain health news, and plenty more.
women with curly hair drinking coffee
Image by Victor Torres / Stocksy
March 17, 2023
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Plenty of people prefer to drink their coffee first thing in the morning, and we're not here to tell you what's right or wrong for your own body. (If it works for you, it works!) However, we should warn you that drinking coffee pre-breakfast can have some pretty common side effects. 

Coffee is highly acidic, so it may not feel the best on an empty and hungry stomach in general. What's more, it may not be the best for hormone balance. Here's what you should know about this common habit and what to do instead. 

How to make coffee easier on your stomach.

"If you ingest caffeine on an empty stomach, it will have a more potent stimulant effect that will also tend to increase the level of jitteriness that caffeine can produce," Stanford neuroscientist Andrew Huberman, Ph.D., once noted on the Huberman Lab Podcast.

More energy may sound great, but that extra caffeine may also increase cortisol—the famous stress hormone—both at rest and during periods of high stress, research shows1. However, for those who regularly consume coffee, this spike will be less significant than that of those who drink caffeine on occasion2. And some people may be sensitive to the blood sugar drop after coffee consumption on an empty stomach.

Of course, the simple fix is to eat breakfast before you drink your coffee. However, we know that not everyone is a breakfast person, so might we suggest adding some sugar-free calories to your cup?

No, we're not talking about artificial sweeteners. Instead, opt for hydrolyzed collagen peptides and prioritize blends that contain no added sugar (to mind the potential blood sugar spike). This way, you'll introduce some calories via amino acids when you drink your first cup rather than sending the coffee alone to your stomach. 

Not sure where to look for a high-quality collagen supplement? Luckily, we did the legwork for you—here's a carefully curated list of the best collagen supplements on the market right now, backed by a nutrition Ph.D.

The takeaway.  

If you must drink your coffee on an empty stomach in the morning, pair it with a collagen powder to ease its effect on your blood sugar and hormones. You'll be treating your skin and gut to some worthy benefits as well—a few of which you can read about here

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