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Comment by ambivalents | Hacker News Reader

I often do this too, but I'm starting to feel what might be the pains of a stomach ulcer.

Has this bothered your stomach? I'm worried about what all that coffee is doing on my empty stomach.

> stomach ulcer

If you feel stomach aches, you should see a doctor and make sure you don't have H. pylori, "the third highest cause of worldwide cancer mortality as of 2018" [1]. H. pylori is treatable with antibiotics.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helicobacter_pylori#Cancer

Thanks for looking out, this is scary. I'll be seeing a doctor soon.

My mother had H.pylori, developed cancer at the stomach (and the doctors believe it was because of H.pylori), had her stomach removed, did chemo (which is a version of hell on earth), and she is fine now, 6 years later. But it could all have been avoided if she had taken an antibiotic treatment. Unfortunately, although she had tested positive for H.pylori, she was given a non-antibiotic treatment, and that was simply not enough.

After this episode, I went to a gastroenterologist together with my wife, we both got tested. I didn't have it, my wife did. She took the antibiotic course, which was slightly unpleasant (leaves a metallic taste in your mouth, I think), but it's a small price to pay to avoid a cancer that is quite deadly (about 70% 5-year fatality rate).

If you have stomach or acid reflux issues due to coffee but want to still feel the effects, you should absolutely look into low acid brewing techniques, you'll find that cold brew / toddy style brewing is much less harsh on your stomach and can be purchased at most coffee shops, at a grocery, or created at home with a super simple glass jar and a simple paper or cloth filter and time.

Toddy / cold brew is not the same as iced coffee (iced coffee does not have the low-acid properties that toddy / cold brew does. There are also different types of beans and a dark roast is lower acidity.

Finally, if that still doesn't work, switch to matcha. You can get culinary grade from ippodo rather than the finest grade and it's the same quality.

Another way to reduce the acidity is to mix in ground up egg shells into the ground coffee. As you brew this mixture, the calcium carbonate of the egg shells (alkaline) partially neutralises the acids from the coffee beans.

You can even combine this with the two usual methods for low acidity coffee that you mentioned (cold brewing and using dark roasts). I haven't actually tried this combo yet but I'm keen to!

You can also just buy calcium carbonate. It comes as a powder.

I like my coffee black-no-sugar, but sometimes my stomach doesn't like it as much as I do. I find that a dollop of cream prevents any stomach issues. I suppose by neutralizing the acids int eh coffee, but that's just a guess. Of course, this may not work for you if you're lactose intolerant.

Try a teaspoon of coconut oil in your coffee.

I used to do that every day with my first cup of coffee, but for the perceived health benefits of the coconut oil, not the stomach thing. However, I stopped after my cholesterol shot up in my yearly labs, and this was the only thing I had changed about my diet since my last labs. That was right before the studies started coming out saying coconut oil wasn't as healthy as previously reported, so I just decided to cut it out altogether. For the rare occasion when coffee is bothering my tummy, if I'm going to add something bad, I'll add cream cuz it's yummy.

Stomach ulcers are often H. pylori, so do check into that.

So far I find it's been fine for me. If I get acid reflux it's at night after a heavy meal or alcohol.

yeah, honestly i'm sort of worried about decade+ effects of coffee with intermittent fasting (read: coffee on very empty stomach). i am about 3 years in. i don't eat until the afternoon probably 85% of the time, but typically have 1 cup a few hours before that i eat any "real" calories.

Yes this effects my stomach ulcer. Somedays its good, somedays it fine.

You say that like you just live with a stomach ulcer?

They can be fixed in almost all cases with diet and antibiotics.

you are right. But i need to fix my smoking addiction :/ .

You don't have to quit. The goal is to smoker fewer cigarettes in any five year period.

Given very few quitters remain non-smokers for five years, if you can smoke about the same number of cigarettes as a cyclical quitter would in five years, you're as good.

So, I advocate for the use of multiple methods of nicotine intake. Wear patches / use gum / chewies, and if you feel like a cigarette, have one. Have ten! Rejoice!

Just smoke fewer.

Yep!

I can’t drink much coffee. Maybe it’s the acids? I don’t know. I find it’s super harsh on my stomach.

I usually just munch whole cocoa beans these days, or drink cocoa powder in hot water with milk and a small amount of sugar. Way more food-like as it’s very high in protein and fats, high in magnesium and anthocyanins, so results in an overall smoother stimulant effect and is way more nutritious.

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