Do you love a great cup of coffee but sometimes feel dizzy afterward? Coffee can leave you feeling a bit queasy, especially if you drink it before breakfast.  Find out the reasons why you may feel nauseous after a latte, cappuccino, or even an instant coffee and how to manage it.

Overall Dehydration

You may feel nauseated or drained when you’re not properly hydrated. So, when you wake up, don’t grab a cup of coffee immediately. Instead, drink at least a glass of water to help your body flush out toxins and hydrate your cells first thing in the morning. It is also advisable to drink eight glasses of water a day. Don’t use coffee as a substitute for sparkling clean water.

Abdominal Distress

Coffee is one of the major causes of acid reflux and heartburn. Caffeine stimulates the release of gastrin and secretion of gastric acid and may become more obvious when you take coffee in the morning on an empty stomach. The abdominal distress may make you feel nauseous. So, before you drink your favorite brew, have some food in your stomach.

Coffee contains various acids that add flavor to your brew. However, these acids, when drinking on an empty stomach, can lead you to feel dizzy. The irritation in your stomach lining can cause feelings of queasiness.

Coffee also triggers acid indigestion, but there are ways to manage heartburn and reducing the likelihood of experiencing acid reflux every time you sip your favorite drink:

• Try a low acid coffee bean. The darker the roast, the lower the acid; so choose your coffee beans wisely. You can also buy Sumatra and Mexico coffee or decaf because they are lower in acid.

• Reduce your consumption of sugars and, unhealthy fats, because they require more acid to break down in the stomach. Adding coffee to the mix increases acidity and the risk of heartburn. Caffeine is often considered an acid trigger, especially when taken in excess. But, avoid artificial and zero-calorie sweeteners because they could stir up your gut-bacteria, and in turn, lead to acid reflux. If you don’t like sugar, just settle for alternatives like stevia or cinnamon.

Non-dairy, low-fat and artificial creamers also contain fructose, hydrogenated oils and other harmful ingredients that can actually lead to nausea. So, just go for all-natural milk or creamer because calcium offsets acidity.

Coffee is a Stimulant

Caffeine can have various effects on your body. Aside from increasing your pulse rate and breathing, it can also cause anxiety jittery feeling and dizziness. But, ingesting a cup or so of coffee don’t usually lead to these negative reactions. Only those who consume large amounts of coffee may experience the unpleasant stimulating effects of caffeine.

To be on the safe side, just limit your coffee intake to 100 mg of caffeine. But, if you’re not experiencing adverse reactions from caffeine intake, you can take as much as 4 cups of coffee or 400 mg of caffeine without worrying about any issues.