Why does my coffee irritate my stomach?

When coffee has too much acid – and that is usually what causes a stomachache -,then the reason is usually the type or the roast of the coffee.

Picture of Babette Lichtenford

Babette Lichtenford

foto: ashley winter on unsplash

Arabicas are generally low in acid, they have between 3 and 6 percent chlorogenic acid. In comparison: Robustas have 10 percent and more. The growing region can also play a role: Our single origin from Peru for example is extra mild (and also Demeter certified).

Let’s talk about the roasting.

You can basically say that the longer coffee beans are heated the more acid is degraded. But – and this is important – they must be roasted gently, otherwise easy digestion is not happening. Our coffees are refined slowly in a drum roaster at about 400 °F between 11 and 14 minutes. That way, they develop their opulent aromas fully and the acids become fine and elegant. They never completely disappear, and they are not supposed to, because that would make the coffee taste dull and stale. Another comparison: The industrial roasting lasts 2-5- minutes, is carried out in huge machines and produces beans that are slightly burned from the outside, but not fully matured on the inside. You find more information on that in our encyclopedia.

Lastly, the preparation.

When the grinding degree is incorrect or the preparation is done wrong, that can also cause coffee to taste sour. How fine or coarse the coffee powder should be for which kind of preparation, you can read here in the chapter “coffee culture”. There, you also find many tips and tricks for filter coffee and the like.

One thing is certain: If you are having trouble with stomach aches, you do not have to entirely ban coffee from your life. The careful choice and preparation of coffee has saved many tummies.