For most of us, the answer is no. But your symptoms may
worsen if you have a sensitive stomach, are predisposed to certain
gastrointestinal conditions such as reflux, or already have damage to your stomach
lining, says Kim Barrett, professor of physiology and membrane biology at the
University of California at Davis’ School of Medicine, in The Washington
Post.
The caffeine in that first shot of coffee may also increase
the effect of cortisol, which is usually highest in the morning. Cortisol is
the stress hormone that produces the fight-or-flight response and can also
raise blood sugar levels. If you have diabetes and love your morning coffee,
you might want to make sure you are combining healthy carbs with protein to
balance out your blood sugar levels.
Even though coffee can be acidic and stimulate the
production of stomach acid, this is not likely to be a problem for most people,
and the stomach is “extremely well equipped to protect itself,” said Barrett.