The Relationship Between Heartburn and Coffee

More than 56 percent of Americans start their day with a cup of coffee and 68 percent enjoy it at least once a week. And as many as 20 percent of men and women in the US are unable to have it because it causes them heartburn. Coffee is recognized as one of the biggest triggers of heartburn. Heartburn and coffee problems are never more obvious than while working at a job, but there are solutions that can be implemented that allows people to drink their coffee while getting through their workday.

Heartburn is that burning pain in the throat and esophagus that happens because of acid reflux. Acid from the stomach and food float into the esophagus when the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), which is found between the esophagus and stomach, doesn't function correctly. This is usually due to stomach acid constantly touching it or it becomes irritated by some of the food we eat. Some foods have also been known to increase stomach acid production which doesn't help the problem. There are many types of foods that will irritate the valve and allow stomach acid to enter the esophagus. Coffee is one of them.

It was generally thought that the cause of heartburn was the caffeine in the coffee. But, the latest research found that there are three components involved in the scenario of heartburn and coffee - caffeine, catechols, and N-alkanoly-5-hydroxytryptamides - that work together to cause heartburn by increasing the production of acid in the stomach. It's interesting to note that coffee has another component - N-methylpyridium (NMP) - that halts stomach acid production by counteracting the other three elements found in coffee.

This beneficial ingredient isn't present in raw beans. The beans need to be roasted in order for NMP to be triggered. Coffee that has more NMP will produce a stronger blend of coffee.. This signifies that darker brew like French roast are stronger and more aromatic and contain more NMP than what is found in weaker blends of coffee.

Coffee has a wide range of helpful ingredients that has been known to reduce the risk of developing stroke, diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, and heart disease in addition to being a very popular drink.

Dr's. Thomas Hoffmann and Veronika Somoza were the researchers involved in identifying the effects coffee's components had on the stomach. These conclusions will hopefully create new techniques in the roasting of coffee that will cut back on the ingredients that induce acid production. It would mean that coffee can be eliminated from the 'bad list' of foods heartburn sufferers cannot consume.

It might seem like a trivial victory, but bear in mind that there are 60 million individuals living in the US who are dealing with heartburn. Many of them would be very happy to hear that their favorite brew is available to them again. The results of the research is also beneficial to coffee retailer and manufacturers who could be potentially getting sixty million more coffee drinkers.

Coffee is very powerful in our society. It's not only a beverage that people enjoy. It is also a powerful stimulant whose ingredients can be found in energy drinks, diet supplements, and numerous soft drinks. For a many people, the plight of heartburn and coffee is definitely lessened when the irritants found in coffee are minimized.

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