Although coffee contains many beneficial ingredients and is even recommended for certain health conditions, there are three important reasons why you should have at least a small bite of something (a banana bite works perfectly fine) before sipping your coffee.

1. Coffee stimulates the production of stomach acid
Coffee “attacks” stomach acid, which can lead to digestive issues and heartburn. The strangest part is that these symptoms may appear a few hours later, even the next day or at night. Additionally, coffee first raises blood pressure, then lowers it, which leads to dehydration. If you drink coffee in the morning, your body can become dehydrated throughout the day, leaving you tired and more prone to illnesses, even some chronic conditions (joint pain, circulatory problems...). It is recommended to drink at least 3 deciliters of water after a cup of coffee (even more is advisable!).

2. Coffee wakes you up. That’s not true!
American scientists have found that coffee doesn’t actually have a wake-up effect. In fact, in the morning, most people already have high cortisol levels, which makes the idea of coffee as a wake-up drink a myth. Cortisol, as a stress hormone, naturally wakes up your metabolism in the morning. But coffee has the opposite effect. It suppresses cortisol, causing coffee drinkers to wake up up to three times slower. Additionally, it slows the return of this hormone to normal levels, which is why morning coffee drinkers are often more nervous and exposed to stress.

3. Coffee makes you tired
The morning effects of coffee tire the body. That’s why it’s always good to have a bite of real food, as this will wake up your body much more effectively, get it going, and help cortisol levels return to normal quickly. It also helps if you add a little milk, butter, or even cinnamon to your coffee, which has become trendy lately. This way, the side effects of morning coffee will be significantly reduced.

Take these tips to heart, as we’re entering the toughest part of the year, when autumn turns into winter, which puts a heavy strain on our bodies. This is also the time when illnesses are most common.