Drinking flavoured coffees? Having it on empty stomach? These 6 mistakes can harm your gut and liver health

Drinking coffee is fine, but just avoid certain mistakes to avoid damage to your health (Picture Credit: Pexels)

There are many coffee lovers out there. Some simply can't do without a few cups of coffee in a day. It is one of those pick-me-up drinks for many, an instant energizer that helps one deal with a gamut of emotions in a much better way somehow. Dr Saurabh Sethi, a California-based gastroenterologist, recently posted a video on his Instagram handle highlighting some of the common mistakes people make when they consume coffee. He says coffee can be great for liver, but one needs to be mindful of a few things or else drinking it can prove to be harmful for gut and liver health.

Below are some of the common mistakes that people make when drinking coffee. How many of them have you been making inadvertently? Let's find out.

Dr Sethi explains that when one drinks coffee on an empty stomach, it raises the stomach acid levels and which then leads to acid reflux, nausea and even gastritis.

Love sipping on flavoured coffees? Well, Dr Sethi has a warning for you. These coffees comes loaded with 30 to 50 grams of sugar. When you intake this much amount of unhealthy calories, it fuels fatty liver and diabetes too.

Also read: Delhi-based cardiologist has a warning for samosa lovers; Learn why his post is going viral

The next time you have more than 400 milligrams of caffeine in a day, your conscience should prick a little. Why, you ask? Well, this much amount of caffeine spikes your cortisol levels, irritates your gut, gives you palpitations, among other things.

 

 

 

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A post shared by Saurabh Sethi MD MPH | Gastroenterologist (@doctor.sethi)

Drinking coffee on empty stomach is bad and equally poor is when you have it late at night. It can give you a hard time sleeping on time at night and also impair the functioning of liver.

A lot of order a cup of coffee to beat Monday blue and that lingering feeling of fatigue. But does coffee really helps? No! Dr Sethi says when one neglects their sleep cycle and consumes coffee every time for that instant boost of energy, one actually ends up feeling worse. It can make one feel more tired, burnt out and stressed.

Also read: Sleeping for less than 6 hours every night? Doctors have a warning that you must not ignore

Dr Sethi warns against using artificial sweeteners like sucralose and aspartame. These are often touted to have ‘zero calories’, but in actuality, they can cause damage to your gut microbiome.

Yes, it can increase acidity and irritate your stomach lining.

Excess caffeine can cause anxiety, dehydration, and sleep problems.

Yes, it increases calorie intake and can lead to weight gain.

Yes, it can disrupt your sleep cycle and cause restlessness.

No, always hydrate, as coffee is a mild diuretic and can deplete body fluids.