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Low Acid Coffee
June 3rd, 2010

Image by mtbjohn via Flickr

Heartburn, anyone? Low acid coffee might be a solution. Acid reflux, indigestion, GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) – all names referring to that uncomfortable burning that starts in the pit of your stomach, coats your esophagus and radiates up to your chest and throat. Anyone who experiences heartburn symptoms on a regular basis can tell you the importance of diet and how certain foods and drinks, usually acidic, can trigger a flare of this condition. For people who love drinking coffee, this can create quite a conflict. To drink or not to drink, that is the question. Thankfully, there is the existence of low acid coffee.

Coffee, in general, absorbs tastes and attributes from the surrounding terrain and region in which it is grown, as well as other environmental factors. Coffee naturally produces acids and sugars among other properties of the coffee bean. Coffee growing regions of the globe each produce distinctive coffee beans with variations in genetic properties, including taste, smell, color, and yes, even acidity. Low acid coffee beans can be found in specific areas where coffee plants are inherently bestowed with natural low acid characteristics. That’s good news for the reflux-afflicted consumer. The easiest way to find these low acid coffee beans is to simply ask.

Besides the naturally grown low acid coffee bean, there are other ways to generate a low acid cup of coffee. Certain roasting and brewing processes can significantly impact the amount of acid created without affecting the taste or aroma of the coffee itself. Special roasting techniques designed to balance pH levels can minimize acidity. A time consuming, yet simple and productive, cold brewing process can significantly reduce acidity as well. The cold brewing method can be achieved with any ground coffee of choice and involves adding cold water to the coffee grounds and allowing them to steep for approximately 12 hours. After steeping and subsequently separating the grounds, the concentrate can then be served by adding the desired amount of hot water - and voilà, you have a cup of low acid coffee.

For those coffee lovers suffering from chronic reflux or heartburn and the coffee conundrum this creates, investigate the benefits low acid coffee provides. The less acid, the less likely it is to aggravate the gastrointestinal system, leading to a “happy” stomach. Perhaps it will be discovered that you can have the best of both worlds.