3 Reasons Why You Should Eat Before Your Morning Coffee

 Written by: Catherine Cline; SLU Dietetic Intern

            A popular piece of advice being passed around on social media right now is to stop drinking coffee in the morning on an empty stomach. It seems logical, but why exactly are so many dietitians and other care professionals suggesting this? I’ve researched the reason behind this advice so you don’t have to. Here are the main 3 responses your body has after a cup of joe before breakfast.

            1. Caffeine increases stress hormones

When you drink coffee, the caffeine causes a spike in cortisol levels. Prolonged high levels of cortisol can negatively affect your immune system and central nervous system responses. You may be thinking, “Well I’ve been drinking coffee for so long I don’t feel the caffeine anymore!” Thankfully, one recent study found interesting results for all those high-tolerance coffee drinkers out there. In a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind 4-week crossover trial, the researchers studied the effects of zero, moderate (3 cups), and high caffeine (6 cups) intake in young, healthy men and women. They wanted to see if those who had been consuming coffee daily had less reaction to those who consumed low amounts. They found that cortisol still spiked after consumption, even in those that were consuming caffeine daily. With these high cortisol levels, your body’s ability to regulate blood sugar is affected, which brings us to our next point.

            2. Blood Sugar Spikes

Blood sugar control is often overlooked as an important part of eating. If your blood sugar spikes and drops inconsistently, you’ll likely be more easily fatigued, struggle with irregular sleep patterns, and have mood imbalances, among other problems. Everyone can massively benefit from properly maintaining blood sugar, especially in the morning. One recent study looked at the effects of drinking coffee before a glucose drink compared to a group that only consumed the glucose drink in the morning. While the blood sugar control remained consistent for the control group, those who drank coffee on an empty stomach experienced a 50% increase in blood glucose response. This can negatively affect blood glucose control for the rest of the day. Eating breakfast with or before coffee, or just eating a meal higher in protein and fat can help mitigate any blood sugar fluctuations.

            3. Caffeine is an appetite suppressant

The third and final concern is that coffee can suppress your appetite. Drinking coffee on an empty stomach can result in the caffeine being absorbed more quickly. With the caffeine being absorbed more quickly, you may forget to even eat at all! Many people may have their morning coffee and then “not feel hungry” and skip breakfast. Not only are your cortisol levels higher now, but you’re less able to tune in to your body’s true appetite due to the fast absorption of caffeine acting on your body.

            In the end, high cortisol levels can contribute to blood sugar spikes, resulting in many consequences. Additionally, caffeine is more quickly absorbed on an empty stomach and can suppress appetite. Well-balanced meals containing fat and protein along with carbohydrate sources can help you get off the blood sugar rollercoaster of fatigue and poor mood regulation.

            Try switching it up and have coffee with or after breakfast and see how you feel. Ultimately, advice you see on social media may apply to you and may not. It’s important to look at the research to fully understand the reasoning behind the advice. Changing your coffee consumption time might be able to help you feel better throughout the day and ready to tackle whatever comes your way. Now all you have to do is try it for yourself!