If you like to throw away a caffeinated drink after a caffeinated drink, you may be beginning to notice an uncomfortable side effect.
Let’s start by saying that most drinks are good for you to drink in moderation, but, If you are drinking cups on top of cups of coffee, tea and soda throughout the day, medical experts say, you may be seriously increasing your risk of acid reflux and heartburn. (Related: The 7 healthiest foods to eat now.)
New guidelines suggested in a research letter published by JAMA recommend lifestyle changes you can make to lower your risk of gastroesophageal reflux (GERD). The main symptoms of GERD include acid reflux and heartburn, so radical coffee drinkers may want to stop. The letter also suggests not consuming more than two cups of coffee, tea or soda a day.
As the lead author of the research letter, Raaj S. Mehta, MD, a gastroenterology researcher at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and Harvard Medical School, explains the Eat this, not that!, “We decided to recommend a maximum of two cups of coffee, tea or soda a day, because in our previous study … we found that replacing two cups of coffee, tea or soda a day with two cups of water was associated with a modest reduction in the risk of GERD symptoms. “
But don’t worry – there’s no need to completely eliminate your morning cup of coffee. Mehta adds: “Coffee, in particular, has many other health benefits, so these recommendations do not suggest that people have to give it up completely!” Cutting just a few cups should be enough to reduce your chances of experiencing heartburn.
“The mechanism by which coffee, tea or soda can contribute to reflux symptoms may be related to caffeine, which can weaken the esophageal valve that prevents stomach acid from refluxing,” the study’s senior author, Andrew T. Chan, MD, MPH of MGH, explains. “However, this is probably not the only option, since even people who drink decaffeinated coffee seem to have an increased risk of reflux.”
The letter’s other recommendations for lifestyle changes to reduce GERD include practicing at least 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise daily, maintaining a “prudent” diet and avoiding smoking. By making these behavioral changes, you can avoid the risks associated with using potentially dangerous drugs to deal with the problem, explains Chan.
For more information on what foods to eat (and avoid) to avoid heartburn, check out these 28 Best and Worst Foods for Acid Reflux.