I love coffee. I absolutely love it and have several cups everyday. I also suffer from stomach problems and have for many years. About eight years ago I was diagnosed with an ulcer and have since been diagnosed with acid reflux disease. I was surprised to find out that acid reflux disease runs in my family and I began to think that it was more a matter of genetics than anything else. After several discussions with my primary physician, I had to rethink this assumption and instead turn my focus on my own habits and diet. Perhaps my zealous love of coffee was doing me some harm.
It is no secret that coffee can be very acidic. Because of the amount of coffee I tend to drink I had to wonder if all the coffee was causing or, at the very least, exacerbating the acid reflux. To test this theory I begrudgingly went in search of low acid coffee. I was only able to find one brand of low acid coffee at my local grocery store. It was Folger's Simply Smooth. Many of you I am sure have seen the commercial for simply smooth and the slogan "welcome back the second cup."
I decided to give the low acid coffee a shot. I have to admit that when it comes to coffee I have become very spoiled. I am used to having deliciously flavored coffees as well as sinfully sweet creamers to go with. Switching to the low acid coffee was not as hard as I thought it would be but switching to a non-flavored coffee was a bit of a shock for me. What can I say? I have been coffee spoiled.
Surprisingly enough, after a week of drinking only low acid coffee I did notice some improvements with my acid reflux. I was not getting heartburn nearly as often, and when I did, it was not as severe. I had to admit that the doctor was right and part of my problem was due to my own habits. I suppose that giving out extremely yummy coffee for a slightly less flavorful but more and beneficial coffee is worth it.
As an added bonus, Folger's low acid coffee is about half the price of the flavored coffees I have been purchasing for years. So there is more than one silver lining in this situation. If you suffer from heartburn or other stomach problems and are an avid coffee drinker as I am, I highly suggest trying low acid coffee. Give it at least a week and see if you notice a difference because if you do I think that you will make the switch for good.