Acid-Free Coffee and IBS

If you have been diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS, you already know that you must be selective about what you eat and drink because certain foods and beverages can cause the condition to flare up. If you are a coffee lover, that can spell bad news, according to a publication on IBS from the National Institutes of Health, which says that coffee has been "associated with a worsening of IBS symptoms." Fortunately for some IBS patients, acid-free coffee may offer an alternative.

What is IBS?

Irritable bowel syndrome, also known as spastic colon or irritable colon, is a painful condition that affects as many as one out of five people in the U.S. The cause of IBS frequently cannot be determined, but some doctors theorize that sufferers have intestinal muscles that react strongly to the movement and stretching involved in the digestive process. Stress also appears to aggravate the condition. Symptoms include recurring abdominal cramps, constipation or diarrhea, gas and bloating, often brought about by eating. While there is no cure for IBS, patients can often manage the condition with medications, by eliminating trigger foods from their diets and reducing stress.

IBS Dietary Management

Small, frequent meals that are high in soluble fiber but low in fat and sugar seem to help calm IBS symptoms. Because "trigger" foods vary from person to person, but coffee happens to be one of the most commonly listed trigger foods, along with soda, alcohol, milk, spicy foods and acidic foods.

Why Coffee is a Trigger Food

According to the Health Center at Virginia Tech University, the caffeine in coffee may not be the primary trigger for IBS symptoms. There are three possible reasons that coffee could find its way on to the "forbidden" list of an IBS sufferer. One is the caffeine content, since caffeine can stimulate the intestines and cause spasms. Another possibility is that coffee contains an enzyme that irritates the gastrointestinal tract. Finally, coffee's acidity may be an issue, because acidic foods can irritate the gastrointestinal tract, especially if the patient is experiencing concurrent gastroesophageal reflux, which reacts negatively to acidic foods. This is quite likely according to a 2009 study, which found that "79 percent of IBS patients report gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) symptoms, and up to 71 percent of GERD patients report irritable bowel syndrome."

Acidity in Coffee

Most coffee is acidic to one degree or another. The amount of acidity in coffee has an overall effect on taste, making coffee seem "brighter" or "livelier." Therefore, a certain amount of acidity is normally considered desirable. However, to a person with gastric sensitivity to acid, low or no acid is preferable. According to CoffeeResearch.org, the pH in a cup of coffee does not always correlate with "perceived acidity" but has more to do with where the beans were grown and how they were processed. A few online retailers sell coffee labeled "acid-free." Be aware, however, that even acid-free coffee could still trigger IBS symptoms if it is not the acid but the caffeine that triggers your IBS. If so, you might try decaffeinated brands to see how these affect you. In all cases, talk to your doctor before making any dietary changes.