Is Coffee too Acidic? PH Value of Coffee

Some people have a very unique body or metabolism. Every human is different, so as their tolerance for certain things. This applies to coffee as well, because not everyone can take and digest it the same way. We won’t be talking about some superhuman examples, where someone can drink up to 100 cups of coffee a day because that’s an exception.

We will be talking about coffee and its acidic taste that bothers some people, and we will be talking about the beverage in general. Our beloved caffeine drink is a wonderful thing, and the fact that this beverage is examined to the bone is going to help us understand every good or bad feeling it makes us experience.

Coffee Acidity Chart

To some people, acid and coffee are a surprise, to some, they are not. The reason for that is that we all taste coffee differently. Of course, not all of us are drinking the coffee made out of the same coffee beans, so the acidic taste may be different depending on the sort of beans you use.

Acidic coffee taste can be uncomfortable for people with GERD. Long story short, it’s an illness that can cause you to feel bad by giving you nausea or some other unpleasant feeling such as a headache or a stomachache, by eating or drinking acidic foods. Foods that can trigger this unpleasant effect are tomatoes or some citric fruits. Now, coffee is acidic, but it’s not that acidic as many other things people consume daily, such as a banana, lemon juice, etc.

Don’t forget that nausea and other unpleasant effects that you feel don’t have to originate directly from only coffee drinks. We just named a lot of other consumables that can result in a similar effect. Also, if all of a sudden you’re feeling these symptoms, then you maybe have to look back on your diet. A sudden drop or rise in caffeine consumption can lead to similar symptoms as well. Not only the drink we are talking about here, but other foods/drinks that trigger the effects. However, the best for you would be to go to a health expert since you’re feeling worse.

But there is a solution for those people since technology is on the rise today. They have developed low acid coffee. They do it by dark-roasting the beans, and they use special beans. Arabica is, for example, less-acidic then some other sorts, as the Robusta beans. Watch out for the French press though, because the cold-brewed method can be more acidic than a lot of other methods of brewing. Some great options of low acid coffee beans are LifeBoost Organic, Don Pablo Cafe, Puroast, Java Planet, Mommee, Healthwise, Tieman’s Fusion, Simpatico and many, many more.

Now, as we mentioned before, more things depend on the acidic element of the coffee. And by the way, just because it’s acidic, doesn’t mean it’s bad for you. Some acids inside it can make you lose weight. But back to the subject, the processes that can affect coffee acidic levels are the grinding, the roasting and the time of roasting, bean origin, bean type and brewing time and temperature.

But is coffee acidic or alkaline? Well, because on the PH scale it stands at number 5, it makes it acidic, not an alkaline.

Well then, is coffee acidic or basic in its natural form? Despite all the experiments and examinations, we can’t tell you for sure. It is acidic by nature, but again, there are a lot of sorts, grown in different soils, with different additives, so it’s not left out that maybe, somewhere out there, is a non-acidic coffee.

Just like we said earlier, the acids in the coffee aren’t always bad for you. One for such is called Chlorogenic acid, which diminishes sugar intake into the body, making you lose a few kilos over some time. Some experiments were being held to accurately figure out how much weight is lost over a specific amount of time, but it’s not anything drastic. Just so you know, it’s a nice and relaxing way to lighten yourself up a bit.

But again, let’s say you absolutely cannot stand even the slightest acid tones. So what can you do to reduce the acid in coffee? Well, you can do more things to achieve your goal and soothe out the flavor. The most common thing people do is put cream or milk inside their coffees, or water the coffee down. This is maybe the most reliable method.

 So what is the PH value of coffee with milk? Since the black coffee PH level is 5, and the PH level of milk is 6, this makes the drink slightly less acidic by diluting it.

Comparison to Other Acidic Foods/Drinks

Let’s just say at the beginning, caffeine is neutral, and the PH of caffeine is 6,9. The PH of tomato juice is anywhere from 4,10 to 4,60, depending on the sort of the tomato. The PH of carrot juice is somewhere at about 5.5 but can go from 4.5 to 6.0. since there are again, many varieties. Onions are generally somewhere around 5.0 but for example, pickled onions can go as low as 3.7. The PH value of pure water is 7, but the tap water can go anywhere from 6 to 9.5 on the scale.

It is different on each continent, in each country. It’s so interesting that for example, most countries in Europe can drink the water straight out of their taps, but if you do the same in Mexico, you can get sick and you’ll have to go to the hospital to have your stomach flushed. So, on the side note, if you’re traveling, make sure to do the basic research about the country you’re traveling to because the smallest thing can ruin your entire trip and experience.

Coffee Acidity by Region

South America

Mainly Brazil, Colombia, and Peru are the ones that represent this region. They do in fact, lead the biggest industries in the world when it comes to our beautiful caffeine angel. The region enjoys a warm and cool climate, great for growing nuts, cocoa, and different spices. The region is rich in good soil that adds wonderful qualities to the product. Colombian coffee acidity is way smaller and is sweeter, but has a less clean taste and tastes much more like chocolate and is much creamier compared to maybe some other region.

Sumatra

These beans originate from the Southeastern parts of the world, in Asia, mainly from Indonesia. Characteristics of these beans are deep, earthy taste, with a savory aroma and a cocoa hint.

Ethiopia

There are two ways of processing the beans in this region, and those are natural and washed. Washed gives a more floral, lighter flavor and tea-like texture. It’s less acidic than the natural Ethiopian way of processing the product.

Coffee Acid Reflux

When your caffeine consumption is a bit higher than it’s intended for your body, the muscle that connects the stomach to the esophagus is way more relaxed. This causes an opening for your stomach acid(PH 2) to go up to the esophagus, causing all the unpleasant feelings. So, now that we know what this even is, how to prevent it?

Of course, adjust the caffeine dosage you take in every day. Scientists say that somewhere from 400-600mg is too much for an average human. This amount is typically inside 4-7 cups a day, so we would recommend reducing the caffeine intake.

You can also prevent these unpleasant symptoms by drinking the products of Shade-grown beans. The ones grown in the shade are much better since the ones in the sun are much cheaper for producing. Sun- grown beans are much more acidic and bitter because they grow faster than they are intended to.

Lastly, you could switch up and drink only 100% Arabica beans. For some, it’s a major change, so expect a noticeable difference in your daily caffeine consumption. The Robusta beans are grown in lower altitudes and are way more bitter than Arabica.

FAQs: Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

So now you’re a bit more educated on this subject. If you were worried about having to leave out this caffeine beverage, now you don’t have to! You just have to change to the right sort, and adjust the level of caffeine you take in daily. Also remember all the processes that can change the chemical structure of the drink, making in a bit less unpleasant, such as cold brewing, adding milk to dilute the bitterness and such.