Is the smell of your morning cup of joe heavenly, but the first slurp leaves you with an unpleasant feeling in your stomach?
For coffee lovers like you, low acid coffee comes to the rescue. Here’s some interesting facts about why to choose low acid coffee and how it is better for you.
What is Low Acid Coffee?
Low acid coffee means a coffee that is low in chlorogenic acid, which is an organic acid found in coffee beans. Because of this minimal exposure to acids, low acid coffee gets a high pH value that helps balance alkaline levels in the body.
Learn more about Best Low Acid Coffee Brands For Stomach Sensitivity.
In the rest of the article, we will talk about why we should drink low acid coffee, make it, taste it, and alternatives for low acid coffee.
Why Drink Low Acid Coffee?
Choosing a low acid coffee helps avoid irritation in your stomach and lets you enjoy that cup of coffee. GERD and heartburn are common triggers for some people. The lower the pH, the higher the acidity, and the less stomach irritation when drinking coffee. Gastroesophageal reflux disease occurs when stomach acid frequently flows back into the tube, connecting your mouth and stomach. This backwash (acid reflux) can irritate the lining of your esophagus.
Due to the high levels of chlorogenic acid in coffee, many coffee drinkers suffer discomfort and pain when they drink it. Sometimes, coffee drinkers have to quit drinking coffee altogether. Low acid coffee is the best possible choice for people who suffer from acid reflux or heartburn.
How to make Low Acid Coffee?
Acidity in coffee can be described as a bitter, sour, and tangy quality in the mouth or an unpleasant feeling in the stomach.
As we all know, major factors that influence low acidity coffee are beans, roast, and brew. Acidity level originates from the bean itself and changes the way it’s roasted and brewed.
Coffee beans grown in different land & climate affect the quality of the flavor. Treated coffee and Inadvertent coffee are the best low acid coffee choices.
- Treated coffee is how the coffee beans are treated in a different process to change the bean acidity.
- Inadvertent coffee is a process of growing coffee beans naturally low in acid with an unintentional result.
Roasting also significantly impacts acidity levels. In this process, the natural acids in coffee beans are broken down and changed. The dark roast beans have less acidity in coffee, resulting in lower levels of chlorogenic acid and increasing the level of N- Methylpyridinium (NMP), which suppresses the gastric acid.
Brewing, Immersion brewing methods like a French press, Chemex pour-over, and cold brew decrease coffee acidity, less chlorogenic acids, and caffeine. Coldwater brewing tends to have 70% less acid than hot water brewing methods.
Balancing all these aspects is crucial. However, if your cup doesn’t taste right, try adjusting one of these to get the ideal brew just for you.
- Here is an interesting article that will give you 11 different ways to reduce acidity in Coffee
Does Low Acid Coffee Have Less Caffeine?
The caffeine content in a low acid cup of coffee is a moving target. It changes significantly based on several factors.
- The type of bean (Arabica vs. Robusta)
- Altitude the coffee is grown.
- Level of roast
- Level of grind (Grind Size)
- Coffee ratio to Water
- Method of Extraction
Suppose you want to increase the caffeine content and enjoy the smoother, better tasting, lower acid coffee from Arabica beans. In that case, you can grind finer, increase your coffee ratio to water, and use an espresso machine for full extraction.
The caffeine content in low acid coffee can also vary by roast type.
- Darker roast has less caffeine per bean compared to light roast.
- Lighter roasts have more caffeine than darker roasts, but because darker roasted beans are lighter in weight.
If you measure with a scale, you will get similar levels of caffeine, ounce for ounce. If you use a measuring tablespoon or a scoop, the same volume of a darker roast will contain less caffeine than a lighter roast.
The symptoms of GERD from coffee maybe because of the components of coffee than caffeine. Regular black coffee contains 95 to 165mg caffeine per serving, whereas instant black coffee has around 63mg of caffeine.
Cold brewed coffee has a lower amount of caffeine and maybe less acidic, making it a much more acceptable choice and better for your stomach for those with heartburn or GERD.
How Does Low Acid Coffee Taste?
A low-acid coffee tastes excellent, displaying intensity, quality, and texture. An aftertaste is not an essential part, but it is why we love our coffee smooth in the mouth and lingers.
Describing the taste of a cup of coffee is complex and incredibly enjoyable. Acidity is by far the complicated, controversial, and challenging aspect of coffee. Some coffee professionals do love acidity in coffee and even call it fantastic. Coffee with high acidity can help you feel the freshness, crispness, richness, and beautiful contrast in a morning cup.
Does Low Acid Coffee Work?
Low acid coffee works best for people who suffer from an unpleasant feeling in their stomach after drinking coffee. You know that coffee is acidic, and it can aggravate acid reflux and heartburn. Switching to a low-acid coffee is one great way to let yourself keep drinking your morning cup of coffee. Finding a coffee with a low-acid alternative or taking a few extra steps to reduce the acid in your daily cup can definitely help you with these symptoms.
What Is The Low Acid Coffee pH scale?
The pH of low-acid coffee is around six on a pH scale. Depending on the coffee type and brewing method, coffee pH can measure anywhere from 4.5 to 6 on the pH scale. Every kind of Coffee has a pH level. Low-acid coffee is a term applied to coffee beans with lower acid content than regular coffee. It does not mean they are entirely neutral or alkaline on the pH scale, simply that they will produce a less acidic cup than other beans on the market.
What Are Low Acid Coffee Brands?
There are a few great bean brands that produce low-acid coffee beans using the two categories. Organic and nonorganic.
- Trucup uses a method of lowering the acid in their coffee. They use all-natural and unique processes, relying on steam and water only.
- Puroast, organic french roast beans are slow-roasted at a lower temperature, which reduces acid and increases antioxidants in coffee.
- Healthwise: This company uses a unique Techno roasting method that reduces acidity and increased vitamins and antioxidants in coffee, giving it a mellower and mild taste.
- Mommee Coffee is an entirely organic coffee that is water processed to reduce the acid content and caffeine levels—designed mainly for a different pregnancy stage.
Low Acid Coffee vs. Decaf
Decaf coffee means DEcaffeinated coffee. So, 97% of the caffeine will be removed while processing the beans prior to roasting. Though the nutritional value is almost identical to regular coffee, the taste and smell may become a little milder, and color may change depending on its method.
If you love the aroma, the beautiful color, and the hit you get with the sip of your coffee. The chances are high that you will miss all of those.
Whereas, low acid coffee makes the aroma and taste stay precisely how the regular coffee would, making the experience of drinking your coffee last as you want it.
A few Low acid coffee alternatives can help you feel like drinking coffee but with a twist of being healthy.
What Are Low Acid Coffee Alternatives?
Chicory coffee is one of the best low acid coffee alternatives. It is a beverage made using chicory root. Roasted, grounded, and brewed precisely like coffee. A healthy alternative for coffee has a slightly woody and nutty flavor. It is an excellent way to reduce caffeine intake as it is a naturally caffeine-free drink.
You may also try antioxidant-rich herbs and spices, probiotics, acetic acid, which are potential healthy alternatives for coffee and provide more benefit than coffee.
Summary:
The best part of waking up is Coffee. I’m sure you might have noticed that I’m inclined to try a low acid coffee using the cold brew method and choose darker roasts. We can’t guarantee this will remove your discomfort with coffee, but it sure does reduce it, and isn’t it worth a shot? I mean, For coffee! I’m sure you agree it is.
Frequently Asked Question (FAQs)
What Is The Best Coffee For Acid Reflux?
Coffee brewed using Arabica coffee beans is best for acid reflux. Drink 100% arabica coffee and limit your caffeine content (anywhere between 200mg to 400mg is OK per day, makes up to 4 cups). As you might know, robusta beans are grown at low altitudes. It has twice the caffeine content compared to Arabica coffee beans.
You don’t have to stop drinking coffee because of acid reflux or heartburn. Just avoid over caffeination and drink Arabic coffee!
What Is Arabica Coffee?
Arabica coffee comes from the Coffea Arabica plant. These expensive coffee beans take up to 60% of the coffee production worldwide. Arabica tastes anywhere from sweet-soft to sharp and tangy.
What is pH?
Any substance is either acid or alkaline. It is determined based on pH value. Pure water has a pH value of 7. The pH value of 7 is neutral, which means it’s neither acidic nor alkaline. Anything less than a pH value of 7 is acid, and anything above is alkaline.
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