Coffee Before or After Breakfast: What Science Says

If you’re like most coffee drinkers, you probably roll out of bed and head straight for the coffee maker. Food can wait. That first cup of coffee is what makes you human again, and breakfast is just something that happens later if you remember to eat it.

But maybe you’ve heard people say you shouldn’t drink coffee on an empty stomach. Or maybe you’ve read articles claiming that having coffee before breakfast messes with your blood sugar or makes you anxious. So what’s the real story? Should you wait to eat before you drink your coffee, or is that first-thing-in-the-morning cup perfectly fine?

The research on this topic is actually pretty interesting, and the answer isn’t as simple as you might expect.

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What Happens When You Drink Coffee on an Empty Stomach

When you drink coffee without eating anything first, several things happen in your body. The caffeine gets absorbed quickly into your bloodstream because there’s no food to slow it down. This means you feel the effects faster, but they might also be more intense.

Your stomach produces acid to help digest the coffee, but since there’s no food to work on, that acid just sits there. For some people, this causes heartburn, stomach pain, or nausea. For others, it’s no big deal.

Coffee also triggers the release of cortisol, your body’s main stress hormone. This isn’t necessarily bad, but when you combine elevated cortisol with an empty stomach and a quick caffeine hit, some people feel jittery or anxious.

Here’s where it gets interesting though. Your body naturally produces cortisol in the morning to help wake you up. It’s part of your normal circadian rhythm. Peak cortisol production happens between 8 and 9 AM for most people. Drinking coffee during this natural cortisol surge might actually be less effective than drinking it later.

The Blood Sugar Connection

One of the biggest concerns researchers have found is how coffee affects blood sugar when you haven’t eaten. Several studies have shown that drinking coffee on an empty stomach can temporarily make your body less sensitive to insulin. This means your blood sugar levels can spike higher than normal when you do eventually eat.

A 2020 study published in the British Journal of Nutrition found that people who drank coffee before breakfast had blood sugar levels that were about 50% higher after eating compared to when they had breakfast first. That sounds scary, but here’s the thing – the effect was temporary and went back to normal within a few hours.

For healthy people, this probably isn’t a big deal. Your body can handle these temporary changes just fine. But if you have diabetes or prediabetes, it might be worth paying attention to how coffee affects your blood sugar levels.

The Digestive Effects

Coffee stimulates the production of stomach acid and can speed up digestion. For some people, this helps with morning regularity (if you know, you know). For others, especially those with sensitive stomachs or acid reflux, drinking coffee on an empty stomach can cause problems.

The acid in coffee doesn’t help matters. Even though coffee isn’t as acidic as orange juice or soda, it’s still acidic enough to irritate an empty stomach in some people. Adding milk or cream can help buffer some of that acidity.

Some people also find that coffee on an empty stomach makes them feel nauseated or gives them stomach cramps. This seems to be more common in people who don’t drink coffee regularly or who are sensitive to caffeine.

What About Cortisol and Timing?

Remember that cortisol spike we mentioned? Some researchers argue that drinking coffee when your cortisol is already high (first thing in the morning) is wasteful. Your body is already working to wake you up, so the caffeine doesn’t add as much benefit.

The theory is that you’d get more bang for your buck by waiting until your cortisol levels start to drop, which happens about an hour to 90 minutes after you wake up. For most people, that’s around 9:30 or 10 AM.

This timing also coincides with when a lot of people start to feel their energy dip anyway. That mid-morning coffee break isn’t just a workplace tradition – it might actually be optimal timing.

So What Should You Do?

Here’s what the research suggests, but remember that individual differences matter a lot:

If you have no stomach issues and feel fine drinking coffee first thing in the morning, you’re probably okay to keep doing what you’re doing. The blood sugar effects are temporary for healthy people, and the benefits of coffee generally outweigh the temporary downsides.

If you get heartburn, stomach pain, or feel jittery from morning coffee, try eating something small first. Even a piece of toast or a banana can help buffer your stomach and slow down caffeine absorption.

If you have diabetes or blood sugar issues, you might want to experiment with having breakfast before coffee and see if that helps with your blood sugar control.

If you want to optimize your caffeine timing, try waiting 60 to 90 minutes after waking up before having your first cup. You might find that you need less coffee to feel alert, and the effects last longer.

The Middle Ground

You don’t have to choose between a full breakfast and coffee. Even eating something small can make a difference. A handful of nuts, a piece of fruit, or a small yogurt can help buffer your stomach without requiring you to cook a full meal.

Some people find that adding protein powder or collagen to their coffee helps too. It’s not the same as eating food, but it does give your digestive system something to work with besides just coffee.

Listen to Your Body

The most important thing is how you feel. If you’ve been drinking coffee on an empty stomach for years and feel great, there’s no compelling reason to change. The research shows some interesting effects, but they’re not necessarily harmful for everyone.

On the other hand, if you’ve been struggling with morning anxiety, stomach issues, or blood sugar swings, the timing of your coffee might be worth experimenting with.

Try different approaches for a week or two and see what works best for you. Maybe you’ll discover that a small breakfast before coffee makes you feel better, or maybe you’ll find that waiting an hour after waking up makes your coffee more effective.

The Bottom Line

Science suggests there might be some benefits to eating before drinking coffee, especially if you’re sensitive to caffeine or have digestive issues. But for most healthy people, the timing isn’t critical. The most important thing is finding a routine that makes you feel good and that you can stick with.

Your morning coffee ritual should make your day better, not worse. Whether that means coffee first thing in the morning or coffee with breakfast, the best choice is the one that works for your body and your lifestyle.