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Doctors settle debate over drinking coffee on an empty stomach and potential health risks

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Chafe, S. (2026, November 2). Doctors settle debate over drinking coffee on an empty stomach and potential health risks. Fox News. https://www.foxnews.com/food-drink/doctors-settle-debate-over-drinking-coffee-empty-stomach-potential-health-risks

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Fox News · collected 2026-11-02 · by Sadie Chafe

Quick Summary

Drinking coffee on an empty stomach has been debated due to social media claims about increased stress hormone levels and gut damage. Gastroenterologists like Dr. Asma Khapra from GastroHealth in Fairfax, Virginia, argue that studies do not show significant health issues related to this practice. They note that while coffee can cause the release of stomach acid and might contribute to heartburn for some individuals, it generally does not pose major problems when consumed on an empty stomach. Dr. Douglas Weine also mentions that caffeine stimulates the central nervous system but stresses individual differences in tolerance and reaction.
Written by AI on 2026-11-02, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

Story summary

Doctors have settled a debate over whether drinking coffee on an empty stomach is harmful. Initially, social media posts suggested that it could damage the gut lining and cause spikes in cortisol levels, which are linked to stress. However, Dr. Asma Khapra from GastroHealth in Fairfax, Virginia, stated that there is no substantial evidence linking coffee consumption on an empty stomach to issues like increased cortisol or blood sugar problems. The Cleveland Clinic notes that cortisol naturally peaks in the morning, so any perceived spike might simply be part of this natural process rather than a side effect of drinking coffee. This clarification should reassure those who enjoy their morning cup without having eaten first.

Written for “Doctors Debate Coffee Risks” on 2026-11-02, grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
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No political leaning scored for article 122862 · logged 2026-11-02

Story

📰 Doctors Debate Coffee Risks
Health · 1 article(s) covering the same event.

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How this article was measured signals, leaning charts, publisher record, byline, topics and claims

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted
15
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
33%
5 of 15 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
not political
takes no side on a contested political question
Publisher signals
69/100
Fox News's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
1
Health
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
Analyzed 2026-11-02 · how these are computed

How this is being covered How these are calculated →

Article leaning vs. publisher reliability
Source leaning vs. consistency

Publisher

Fox News · 6284 article(s) · 11 correction(s) detected
Running correction rate · 11 correction(s)

Who wrote this

Sadie Chafe
23 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction
🔮 Cortisol naturally peaks in the morning, according to the Cleveland Clinic, so the "spike" in cortisol some people attribute to drinking coffee on an empty stomach might just be a natural process rather than a side effect of the coffee.
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🔮 "Our findings suggest that the link between diet and brain health may be detectable before people experience noticeable problems with memory or thinking," said Sonia Anand, senior author of the study and senior scientist at PHRI.
Also by Sadie Chafe
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.
All 23 articles by Sadie Chafe →

Topics

Fairfax GastroHealth TikTok Virginia the Cleveland Clinic

Subjects

the Cleveland Clinic ORG · 4× Asma Khapra PERSON · 1× Douglas Weine PERSON · 1× Everyday Health ORG · 1× Fairfax GPE · 1× Fox News Digital ORG · 1× GastroHealth ORG · 1× New Jersey GPE · 1× TikTok ORG · 1× Virginia GPE · 1×

Narrative

One social media post claimed that drinking coffee on an empty stomach can damage the lining that protects the gut from stomach acid, and in a post on TikTok, a medical professional advised against drinking coffee on an empty stomach, saying that it can cause a spike in cortisol levels.
framing: mixed · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-11-02
🔮 Cortisol naturally peaks in the morning, according to the Cleveland Clinic, so the "spike" in cortisol some people attribute to drinking coffee on an empty stomach might just be a natural process rather than a side effect of the coffee.

Claims (15 extracted, 5 hedged)

Drinking coffee on an empty stomach is a somewhat controversial practice, with claims circulating on social media that it spikes levels of the stress hormone cortisol and harms the gut, but some gastroenterologists say it's not harmful. uncertain
it → drink → gut
One social media post claimed that drinking coffee on an empty stomach can damage the lining that protects the gut from stomach acid, and in a post on TikTok, a medical professional advised against drinking coffee on an empty stomach, saying that it can cause a spike in cortisol levels. asserted
it → claim → levels
Cortisol is a steroid hormone produced by the adrenal glands, which are located on top of the kidneys. asserted
which → produce → kidneys
It helps regulate the body's response to stress, and high or low cortisol levels can affect a person's health, according to the Cleveland Clinic. uncertain
levels → help → Clinic
"Coffee doesn't seem to cause major problems when you drink it on an empty stomach. asserted
you → seem → stomach
Studies haven't really shown that it causes problems [with] your cortisol or blood sugar or any other kind of metabolic issues," Dr. Asma Khapra, a gastroenterologist at GastroHealth in Fairfax, Virginia, told Fox News Digital. asserted
Khapra → show → Digital
Cortisol naturally peaks in the morning, according to the Cleveland Clinic, so the "spike" in cortisol some people attribute to drinking coffee on an empty stomach might just be a natural process rather than a side effect of the coffee. uncertain
people → peak → coffee
Consuming caffeine relaxes the muscular valve between the esophagus and stomach, according to the Cleveland Clinic, which can cause stomach acid to move up into the esophagus and possibly lead to heartburn. uncertain
acid → consume → heartburn
Both regular and decaf coffee trigger the release of stomach acid and gastrin, a hormone that regulates digestion. asserted
that → trigger → digestion
This occurs whether a person has eaten, but without food, various symptoms can arise, such as nausea, burning in the abdomen, or the urge to use the bathroom, New Jersey-based gastroenterologist Dr. Douglas Weine told Everyday Health. asserted
Weine → occur → Health
Caffeine is a stimulant, so it can activate the central nervous system and contribute to an increase in blood pressure and heart rate, which can lead to anxiety, heart palpitations and sleep issues, Weine added. asserted
Weine → activate → anxiety
Everyone handles caffeine differently, and some are more sensitive to it than others. asserted
some → handle → others
It is true that the body absorbs coffee and, therefore, caffeine more rapidly when the stomach is empty, the Cleveland Clinic says, although some people experience no negative side effects when consuming coffee on an empty stomach. asserted
people → absorb → stomach
According to Khapra, "it shouldn't really cause too many GI symptoms. uncertain
it → accord → symptoms
" "I think it's fine if you enjoy your cup of coffee on an empty stomach," she said, with the caveat that a large amount of cream, milk, sugar or other additives is not included. asserted
amount → think → cream
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