Gut expert reveals why you shouldn’t drink coffee on an empty stomach

A gut expert has warned that drinking coffee on an empty stomach first thing in the morning can be detrimental to your health.

Olivia Hedlund, the functional nutritional therapist behind Livingwell, said that the caffeine hit can cause major issues for your gut and hormones.

The US nutritionist said that coffee is acidic and therefore tough on an empty stomach. It also causes the body to go into a high stress mode and upsets your hormones.

Instead she recommends eating gelatine gummies, eggs, raw dairy, berries or some stewed fruit including apples, pears or berries before picking up your morning brew.

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A gut expert has revealed why you should never drink coffee on an empty stomach – it can cause gut health and hormone issues

The young woman explained that coffee is acidic and can be hard on an empty stomach, it also sends your body into a high stress ‘fight or flight’ mode

‘If you drink coffee first thing on an empty stomach, stop what you’re doing and listen. You are messing with your hormones,’ the expert said.

‘Coffee is not only acidic, so it’s hard on our stomach in the morning, but it literally causes our bodies to go into a stress response, to shoot out cortisol, and to put us in kind of a fight or flight state.’

She explained that this stress response is what causes jitters and shakes after coffee, but it also causes that ‘really good feeling where we feel like we can conquer the world’.

However the good feeling takes it’s toll on your body, especially for women, and those with gut issues or hormonal imbalances.

The habit can also cause hormonal issues such as acne.

‘I used to drink multiple cups of coffee on an empty stomach, feel like I was on top of the world, and then I would have a bunch of hormonal acne and wonder why,’ Ms Hedlund said.

Ms Hedlund struggled with acne and a leaky gut for years, but has successfully healed hers through lifestyle change. She is now working to help others heal their bodies

‘It’s because your body is stressed out. Have something small before you have a coffee, make it your goal. I promise you will notice a difference,’ she said.

Over the past five years, Ms Hedlund has transformed her lifestyle to heal her skin and leaky gut.

Her followers were shocked at the revelation.

‘I drink coffee on an empty stomach almost every morning and this explains so much,’ one woman said.

The young woman recommends adrenal cocktails, coffee alternatives and low intensity workouts to help hormone health

‘Maybe this is why I have been breaking out more recently! Thanks for the tip,’ another fan wrote.

‘This explains so much. Thank you. I do this, and then crash and have hormonal acne so bad,’ another commented.

However some fans didn’t take the suggestion well.

‘Stop judging me,’ one woman said.