An empty stomach is often the origin of bad decisions. When you’ve got an empty stomach, your brain tends not to make the wisest of choices. However, if you have a big appetite and have been starving for quite some time, food is a kind of temptation you cannot avoid. When the hunger strikes, it can be tempting to grab the first thing you see around. However, some foods (and some drinks) are more a bane than a boon for an empty stomach. These are the foods that can mess with an empty belly, particularly if you have a sensitive GI tract.
To avoid mishaps that wouldn’t be a fond memory, you need to keep a few things in mind. These are more ‘don’ts’ than ‘do’s. Read on to know which foods and drinks you should say not to when you’ve been on an empty stomach for long.
Coffee
Sorry, fellas.. especially, the coffee lovers for whom caffeine is the elixir of life and fuel to stay productive! But you might want to avoid consuming shots of coffee right after waking up. Coffee, especially strong black coffee, can be tough on an empty stomach as the caffeine in coffee promotes the release of gastrin—the hormone that secretes stomach acid. This effect can lead to reflux symptoms, such as bloating, nausea, and regurgitation. However, fear not! Doctors aren’t suggesting you give up coffee entirely. They rather recommend having a small high-protein or high-fat snack before drinking coffee. Foods like hard-boiled eggs, a few tablespoons of nut butter, or even having a dollop of full-fat coconut milk in your coffee make it easier for the stomach to tolerate coffee and reduce the side effects.
Citrus Fruits and Juice
While beverages like fresh grapefruit or orange juice are classic breakfast items, one may rather avoid these on an empty stomach if they have a history of digestive issues or an extra-sensitive belly. Citrus fruits like guava and oranges may increase acid production in your gut, increasing the risk of gastritis and gastric ulcers. And the heavy dose of fibre and fructose in such fruits can slow down your digestive system if eaten on an empty stomach.
Fortunately, with the right approach, you can have your citrus and eat it too. According to doctors, the trick is to consume citrus fruits and drinks with carbohydrates, so that the carbs help soak up excess acid in the stomach, potentially easing uncomfortable symptoms.
Yogurt
Thanks to its high content of probiotics and lactic acid, yogurt is great for the gut. However, consuming fermented milk products such as yogurt on an empty stomach makes the lactic acid bacteria present in the yogurt ineffective due to high acidic levels in the stomach. Moreover, due to the high acidic levels, the stomach produces hydrochloric acid, which leads to acidity. While eating yogurt on an empty stomach can increase the production of stomach acid, causing irritating GI symptoms, this can also destroy some of the beneficial probiotics that are found within the yogurt itself. Doctors recommend consuming yogurt on a full stomach, so the lactic acid can be soaked up and not destroy some of those beneficial components.
Carbonated drinks
Bubbly beverages, like seltzer, soda, and seltzer water, can be fun to drink. However, they’re known for causing unpleasant GI symptoms like burping and bloating, especially when there’s no food in your stomach. As per doctors, the carbon dioxide bubbles from the drink can create a lot of pressure in the stomach, causing discomfort and burping, and can also cause the LES to open, leading to reflux symptoms. The sugar content of the sweetened carbonated drinks can cause sugar spikes as well. As with sugary foods, drinking sweetened beverages on an empty stomach can rapidly increase your blood sugar, potentially leading to an energy crash.
Sugary foods, spicy and greasy foods
Although people with a sweet tooth might take personal offence for not being able to suffice their meal with nothing but dessert, it is best to save the sweet stuff for later. As per doctors, eating sugary foods on an empty stomach may lead to a faster spike in insulin and blood sugar levels, which often results in a ‘crash’ soon after. To prevent this, eat high-fibre foods first. The fibre will slow down the absorption of sugar, thereby supporting a slower rise in blood sugar. Apart from that, sugary foods can also cause diarrhea if they’re eaten on an empty stomach. This happens when electrolytes and fluids are pulled out the bloodstream and into your gut, which is your digestive tract’s attempt to balance the high concentration of sugar. The result is loose and watery bowel movements, which can be super uncomfortable.
Most spicy foods have a chemical called capsaicin that binds to receptors in your gastrointestinal tract, which makes your body think something harmful has entered your GI tract, causing it to increase mucus production and speed up digestion to remove the substance. This can trigger excessive digestive moments, along with an upset stomach, loose stools, urgency, and diarrhea.
The high fat content of greasy fried foods like French fries, onion rings, fried chicken, can be a lot for an empty stomach. Foods that are high in fat take longer to digest, which causes more acid production, which can lead to stomach pain, discomfort, and overall GI upset. High-fat foods also reduce how well the LES contracts, creating a gap that results in acid reflux.
Lastly, it is important to be cautious of not just what you are eating but also when you are eating. So while a number of your favourite staple morning foods might not be the best choice, there are still various alternatives that you can consume on an empty stomach that will also help you pivot from your established morning food habit. Be it fruits such as watermelon, composed of 90% water or low calorie and nutrition-rich porridge—the variety available is both healthy and delicious.
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