Caffeine cravers, avert your eyes. A growing chorus of experts are suggesting that while it may jolt you awake, your morning coffee habit may not be one worth keeping. (Cue the tune of your venti latte being poured down the drain.) To be fair, coffee has a ton of health benefits—vitamins! minerals! antioxidants!—but some people are more sensitive to its caffeine content and acidity than others. So how do you know if you’d benefit from switching to an A.M. coffee alternative?
“If coffee causes any stomach upset or jitters, then one may seek out a better option,” says registered dietitian nutritionist Keri Gans. And if you load up your coffee with sugary syrups to mask its flavor, Gans recommends switching to a healthier option for everyday sipping.
Moreover, coffee is a diuretic. That means it can further dehydrate your already thirsty body first thing in the morning, which may be why you find yourself feeling groggy even after your morning cup of Joe. But luckily, coffee is not the only morning beverage available in the 21st century, and finding a healthy, potentially more delicious replacement may not be as difficult as you would imagine.
