Coffee-nauseous?

Dear B-real,

Mmmmm, coffee! A love of coffee and resulting nausea are not a combination most would want. Coffee does stimulate the flow of stomach acid and thus potentially irritate the stomach lining (and ulcers if a person has them). It may also relax the sphincter at the end of the esophagus (as do alcohol and smoking), allowing for the backup of stomach contents and thus increasing the chance of heartburn in some people. Decaffeinated coffee is generally as much a problem as caffeinated, so that won't work to reduce your nausea. The principal culprits are either the bean's natural oils or substances apparently introduced during the roasting process, which explains why you don't have the problem with caffeinated soft drinks (it's not the caffeine!).

What to do? Your choices include, but are not limited to, cutting down on your coffee intake (don't go cold turkey -- it's guaranteed to increase your nausea, irritability, and result in headaches); substituting tea or hot water with lemon for a few cups a day; or trying eating something with your coffee — some say this cuts down on your stomach's acid secretion and gives a buffer for the nausea and stomach irritation. You might also add skim milk to your coffee as milk can be a bit soothing to the stomach.

As for your diet of Chinese food and pizza, it's certainly for another day's question. But at first glance, your diet seems pretty high in fat and sodium.... However, it likely doesn't have anything to do with your coffee nausea. If you are a student at Columbia, you can talk with a nutritionist at Medical Services to learn more about coffee options and other food choices. To make an appointment visit Open Communicator or call x4-2284.

Best of luck finding the right coffee balance,