The Secret Ingredient To Make Coffee Less Acidic

If you're a coffee lover, there's probably nothing you look forward to more, when your morning alarm goes off, than that first hot, steaming mug of the day. And who could blame you? Coffee — whether it takes the form of cold brew, espresso, a flat white, or any number of other preparations — is absolutely delicious, and brings some pep to our step in the form of caffeine.

In the world of beverages, coffee is universally beloved, especially by Americans, who consume the drink more often than they do water, soft drinks, or tea (via Statista). And although java boasts a myriad of health benefits, from protecting against heart failure to boosting liver function to helping stabilize blood sugar (via Johns Hopkins), it doesn't sit well with everyone. Coffee intake can produce some unwanted effects, from heartburn to upset stomach (via Verywell Health). If you count yourself among those with a coffee-sensitive stomach, then you might want to add this creamy, fatty ingredient to your next morning cuppa.

As delicious as coffee is, it can cause some drinkers to have an upset stomach upset or heartburn, especially when consumed on an empty stomach. According to Coffee Affection, this is likely due to coffee's high levels of acidity, a factor which causes some aficionados to seek out specifically low-acid coffees. But the site points out that adding ghee — aka Indian-style clarified butter — to your coffee drink of choice can help protect against an upset stomach by neutralizing some of that acidity.

Coffee Affection writes that the high calcium content of ghee can help counteract coffee's acidity, and therefore make the drink easier to stomach, so to speak. Ghee also contains butyrate, the outlet explains, an anti-inflammatory fatty acid that has been shown to improve intestinal health.

The idea of adding ghee to coffee is likely already familiar to you if you've ever tried bulletproof coffee, a butter-mounted java style that originator Dave Asprey, claims to have first encountered in the form of Tibetan tea mixed with yak butter (via Insider). Bulletproof coffee claims to increase focus, minimize cravings, and burn fat — but if your morning beverage aspirations are less lofty, a little ghee might do the trick.