Is Coffee Bad For Your Gut Health?

Our gut health has a huge impact and plays a role in our overall health and well-being. There has always been debate surrounding coffee, its benefits, and its downfalls. Some people believe coffee is good for your health while others believe it’s something that can be detrimental to your health. The truth is both sides are right. Coffee can be both good and bad for your gut health and here’s how that works.


Inside of our gut is somewhat of a small ecosystem and it requires the proper elements in order to function properly. According to several studies, coffee can lead to a more diverse bacterial microbiome in long-term java drinkers. Diversity is a crucial key component of a healthy gut. Bacteria is beneficial to our gut  helping the digestion process, as well as, better enabling us to be able to absorb and store the vital nutrients we need to survive and thrive. Often times bacteria is viewed as negative and destructive but when it comes to our gut health it is needed and important.


The controversy goes back and forth when it comes to drinking coffee. As previously mentioned, the controversy surrounding the consumption of the beloved drink goes back and forth. The truth is it can be good and it can also be bad however, the outcomes depends on a few different things.


  • How It’s Brewed: Certain brewing methods leave the coffee more acidic which can be bad for our gut. A french press is amazing but if you’re trying to avoid the acidity it isn’t quite so nice.
  • What You Add To It: Sugars, syrups, and flavored creamers can cause coffee to go from beneficial to officially bad.
  • If There Are Pre-existing Gut Health Issues: Digestive issues and gastrointestinal issues are affected and impacted by too much coffee and unfortunately, for some even a little bit can wreak a lot of havoc.
  • How Much You Drink: 1 -3 cups of coffee a day is said to be alright but any more of that is too much. We all know the saying, too much of anything can be a bad thing.

  • Black coffee is best for gut health but in those who have an already healthy gut. For those out there struggling with gut issues any way you drink coffee can be having a negative impact on your insides. One thing we know for sure is that coffee usually has a high acidity level. For those of you who wouldn’t dream of giving up the go-juice, do a little detective work and you just might find some coffee contains less acid than others. Limit the amount of sugar, syrups, and flavored creamer you add to coffee and your stomach will most likely thank you!