Evaluated the consequences of drinking a popular fasting drink

One social media post claimed that drinking fasting coffee can damage the mucous membrane that protects the gut from stomach acid, and in a TikTok post, a health professional advised against drinking fasting coffee, saying it could cause a spike in cortisol levels.

Cortisol is a steroid hormone produced by the adrenal glands, which are located at the top of the kidneys, Fox News explains. According to the Cleveland Clinic, it helps regulate the body’s response to stress, and high or low levels of cortisol can affect a person’s health.

“It seems that coffee does not cause serious problems if you drink it on an empty stomach. Studies have not actually shown that it causes problems with cortisol, blood sugar or any other metabolic disorders, Dr. Asma Capra, a gastroenterologist at GastroHealth in Fairfax, Virginia, told Fox News Digital.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, cortisol levels naturally peak in the morning, so the “surge” of cortisol that some people associate with fasting coffee may just be a natural process rather than a side effect of drinking coffee.

The Cleveland Clinic notes that caffeine relaxes the muscle valve between the esophagus and stomach, and this can lead to gastric acid entering the esophagus and possibly heartburn.

Both regular coffee and decaffeinated coffee cause the release of stomach acid and gastrin, a hormone that regulates digestion.

This happens regardless of whether a person has eaten, but without food, various symptoms can occur, such as nausea, burning in the stomach or the urge to go to the toilet, New Jersey gastroenterologist Dr. Douglas Vane told Everyday Health.

Caffeine is a stimulant, so it can activate the central nervous system and promote high blood pressure and heart rate, which can lead to anxiety, heart palpitations and sleep problems, Dr. Wayne added.

Everyone tolerates caffeine differently, and some people are more sensitive to it than others.

It is true that the body absorbs coffee and therefore caffeine more quickly when the stomach is empty, experts say, although some people experience no negative side effects when consuming coffee on an empty stomach.

According to Dr. Capra, “actually, it shouldn’t cause too many gastrointestinal symptoms.”.

“I think it’s okay to have a cup of coffee on an empty stomach,” she said, adding that large amounts of cream, milk, sugar or other additives were not included.