If you suffer from gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), coffee may contain too much acid for you to tolerate. But low-acid coffee might allow you to continue enjoying your morning cup.

Traditional advice for people living with GERD was to avoid caffeine because it weakens the lower esophageal sphincter pressure (LES), which causes acid reflux. But newer research indicates that as long as one doesn’t overindulge, any amount can be beneficial – even just small amounts in one’s diet should not cause problems.

Finding coffee that’s low in acid can be challenging, but there are options out there to help make this easier. Many brands now offer herbal coffees with naturally low acid levels or use roasting techniques to limit how much acid gets absorbed by beans. You may even see “low-acid” coffees made with ancient medicinal herbs like turmeric, maca, and ginseng for an extra dose of flavor!

Are Caffeine Free Coffees Good for Acid Reflux? Some of my clients who’ve become sensitive to coffee have discovered that their sensitivities don’t lie in its caffeine components but in its entirety; switching from caffeinated coffees to decaf doesn’t work in such instances. On the other hand, many have switched to low-acid varieties with great success and reported reduced symptoms associated with their GERD conditions.