Nothing really beats a warm cup of coffee right after you get up. When you’re feeling down, the fragrant coffee grounds make every coffee fan seek a nice warm cup. Until one day… you start feeling strange and nauseous. Is it due to too much coffee, or is there another reason?
It’s not uncommon for someone to feel nauseated after drinking their first round of morning coffee. So, does coffee have the potential to make you sick? There are several amazing benefits to consuming coffee, but there are still some risks that you should be wary of.
Many people will have negative effects if they take 5 or more cups of coffee each day. However, feeling sick after the standard 1-2 cups is commonly due to more specific factors that you may be unaware of.
Learn more about how coffee may make you sick, as well as some of the best remedies to avoid it.
Reasons Why Coffee Can Make You Nauseous
Coffee Is A Stimulant And Is Acidic
One of the most unpleasant side effects of coffee is nausea. Caffeine is a stimulant, which is one of the causes. As a result, it stimulates your digestion to function a little faster than usual.
In addition, coffee releases more acid in the stomach than your digestive tract requires. Stimulating your tummy, especially if you haven’t eaten anything in a long time, might create nausea.
Coffee also lowers your gastroesophageal sphincter, which is positioned at the bottom of your esophagus. The food you eat must pass through this aperture in order to reach your stomach.
Whenever your gastroesophageal sphincter relaxes, some of your stomach juices might pass up into your esophagus. You will get acid reflux, heartburn, and nausea as a result.
Caffeine Has Diuretic Effects
Caffeine’s diuretic effects are another reason why it makes you feel queasy. It makes your body expel water in a variety of ways. You will feel nauseous as a result.
A diuretic works by removing water from the blood and transporting it to your digestive tract. For persons who have a poor caffeine tolerance, the procedure produces not just nausea but also diarrhea.
Caffeine’s diuretic effect causes you to urinate more frequently than usual.
Consuming Coffee On An Empty Stomach
This is especially true with your first cup of coffee in the morning. Caffeine does not cause nausea immediately, but it does interfere with digestive processes when consumed on an empty stomach. This exacerbates the potential ill effects of consuming an excessive amount of caffeine in a short amount of time.
If you take a sip of water alongside your coffee, you can prevent coffee sickness. Even better, placing a few in your tummy before drinking coffee can help to lessen the likelihood of feeling nauseous.
Too Much Cream Or Sugar
If the factors above don’t clarify why you’re feeling nauseous after having coffee, it might be due to how you’re making your coffee. Adding sugar and milk? Both might upset the stomach and make you feel nauseated.
Artificial sweeteners can disrupt your gut’s natural microbiota, adding additional irritation to your acid-filled stomach, and if you find yourself feeling particularly uncomfortable after such a milky coffee, you may be lactose-intolerant. If you really have any worries or questions about your symptoms, you should consult your doctor.
Other Causes Of Feeling Weird
You may also experience an unpleasant response to coffee during the early stages of pregnancy. If caffeine makes you sick when pregnant, it’s most often due to morning sickness in the first trimester. According to the American Pregnancy Association, this effect is temporary and should fade around the 12th week of pregnancy.
If you’ve reduced your caffeine intake and incorporated meals into the morning routine, yet caffeine still makes you feel odd, you should speak with a skilled health care practitioner about your individual case. Stomach discomfort can be caused by a variety of factors, including food allergies or a stomach ulcer, the latter of which you should seek treatment for immediately.
What To Do If You’re Feeling Nauseous After Drinking Coffee
You’ll have to wait off your caffeine excess, just as you would a hangover. And this might take 4 to 6 hours, according to Sridhar, unless you’re one of those unfortunate people who are simply caffeine-sensitive, where you may even have to wait a lot longer. Sigh.
But, while you’re waiting, here are some things that can possibly work.
No More Caffeinated Beverages
Now, don’t drink any more coffee. It may seem like a no-brainer, but make sure you don’t eat your usual afternoon chocolate-coated snack bar out of habit.
Drink A Lot Of Water
Caffeine is a stimulant, so you’ll need to drink more water to compensate for what you’re urinating out. You don’t want to aggravate the situation by being dehydrated.
Electrolytes Should Be Replaced
You’re missing not only water but also electrolytes if you’ve been nauseous or have diarrhea. You can use an electrolyte replacement solution, such as Pedialyte, for them.
Take A Walk
If you have a lot of riled energy, go for a stroll to release some of it. However, if you detect anything strange about your heart rate, such as a sudden quick spike, stop.
Practice Deep Breathing
If you’re nervous, chances are your breathing is quick and shallow, which will exacerbate your worry. To restore normal breathing and lessen anxiety, be calm and take deep, deliberate breaths.
On the positive side, unless you suffer a cardiac side effect, you should mend with no permanent harm. So don’t be too hard on yourself.
How To Get Caffeine’s Benefits Without The Discomfort
Caffeine, a stimulant that has been found to increase memory and concentration, is one of the benefits of coffee.
Caffeine can also produce discomforts such as irritability, upset stomach, nausea, and headaches. Thankfully, there are methods you may try to enjoy the advantages of coffee without experiencing any discomfort.
Don’t Drink Coffee Alone
You may have experienced nausea after having a cup and wondered why this was occurring. In a broad sense, the stimulant in caffeine creates side effects including headaches, sleeplessness, and nausea – all of which may be readily remedied by eating something before your cup of coffee.
Try Dark Roasted Coffee
The caffeine level of dark roasted coffee beans is significantly lower than that of lighter roasted coffee beans. Lowering your caffeine consumption in accordance with your body’s sensitivity may aid in nausea prevention. People with bigger kidneys may be able to handle more coffee before becoming nauseated.
Eat More Proteins
Caffeine’s effects on your body are mitigated by protein. Including protein in your diet can help avoid these side effects from occurring when you consume coffee.
Drink Decaf
Decaffeinated coffee is indeed not completely caffeine-free. Decaf coffee has around one-tenth of the caffeine found in a standard cup of coffee. Decaf coffee is generally a preferable option for folks who become nauseous from coffee’s caffeine. There are several more advantages to drinking decaf coffee. It can, for example, aid in increasing your energy levels. It also lacks the calories and sugar that normal coffee has.
Add More Milk Or Water
This is an excellent idea for reducing the effects of caffeine. You can also consider taking a step back from coffee for a bit to see if that helps.
Consume Caffeine In Smaller Doses
If you consume a high dose of coffee at once, you will experience a negative reaction, most likely nausea. When you consume it in modest amounts during the day, your stomach will become used to this and your discomfort will subside.
Cold Brew Your Coffee
Cold-brewed coffee is growing more popular, and it is also more kind on the stomach. According to one of the main producers of cold brew coffee equipment, the beverage is 67 percent less acidic than typical coffee brewing techniques. This makes food much simpler to digest and helps to reduce symptoms like diarrhea.
No More Than 4 Cups
If anything really nothing seems to be effective, you may always try reducing your coffee consumption. Most experts advocate no more than four cups of coffee each day. There is less likelihood that your daily coffee may make you sick if you restrict yourself from 1 to 2 cups per day, drink plenty of water, and consume it with meals.
The Final Word
Caffeine should be consumed in moderation.
This wonderful cup of delectable coffee is really something you crave as soon as you wake up. While some individuals skip meals and start their day with a cup of joe, this is not suitable for everyone and is not encouraged.
There are several reasons why coffee may be giving you nausea including anything from consuming excessive caffeine to failing to remain hydrated correctly might be the source of your nausea.
However, nausea isn’t anything to be concerned about as long as you keep a watchful eye on your daily caffeine consumption and make sure you’re sipping your coffee correctly.