Question

Eating an Apple Before Coffee Prevents Stomach Issues

Comments

This is a question that has a million different answers, because everyone has different digestive systems. Some people may still experience stomach discomfort from coffee regardless of what they eat first. However, it is generally thought that eating an apple before drinking coffee may help prevent some stomach issues for certain people. Coffee on an empty stomach can increase stomach acid, potentially leading to irritation, acid reflux, or discomfort. Apples contain fiber and natural sugars, which can help neutralize stomach acid and provide a buffer for your stomach before coffee's acidity is added.

Here’s a good source:
https://www.healthline.com/health/digestive-health/apples-and-acid-reflux

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You bring up a great point by explaining that although it could be possible, the effectiveness can vary based on different individuals. I agree that this is a tricky claim to fact-check as True or false.

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I think its great that you debunked the argument with just a few articles showing that they had no real evidence for their claim.

Answer 1

In my research i could not find one piece of substantial evidence to back up this claim. When googled nothing of substance came up except for AI telling me that there is no substantial evidence to support this. On the other hand it is a fact that apples do help bowel movements but I don't think that this is a die hard rule that if you eat an apple the effects of coffee wont effect you.

Comments

I thought that this was a good response to this claim. When I searched for more information about this claim I also got no information about apples having a specific effect on coffee caused stomach issues. I also really like that you added information about how apples are already known to help with digestive issues so it does have the possibility of being true but you still really can't find anything suggesting it to really be a fact.

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This, in my opinion, was a good answer to the statement.  Additionally, I was unable to locate any information regarding apples' specific impact on stomach problems associated to coffee. I enjoyed that you brought up the fact that apples are recognized to aid with digestion, so while it's conceivable, there isn't yet any concrete proof to back it up.

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I think this fact check is well done. You can tell research was put into this and the only information found was no substantial proof. They found information that could help suggest the claim, but it's not concrete evidence. I appreciate the honesty and research done.

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This is a good response to the claim. The absence of evidence can often be evidence in itself for why a claim is false.

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This is a rather weak rebuttal to the fact that this is not true as you merely stated that you could not find anything to prove it true and therefore it must not be true. This is a flawed line of thinking and proves nothing.

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I agree, I think the fact that you can't find any evidence or discussion about the claim that apple before coffee can prevent stomach issues shows that the claim might be false.  Too add, the second paragraph in the article that the original claim links states that "While there hasn’t been any scientific evidence to confirm this-"... which is a big indicator that no solid information can back this claim up.

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I think this fact check is well done for an article that really has no evidence to back it up. In the article itself it states that there is no concrete information or evidence about apples effect on acid reflux. I think in the future to try and find any information about acid reflux and if having other sources of acidity effect it at all or could help.

Answer 2

This claim is exaggerated and misses the point of it's source article. The original source does not actually claim that apples eaten before coffee will prevent stomach issues. The Healthline.com post states that apples are able to help with acid reflux, especially the sweeter apples. It is a general fact that acid reflux can be worsened/instigated by acidic foods or drinks including coffee. Below I attached a separate article by Healthline that explains how coffee can cause acid reflux because this article doesn't mention coffee once. The original source's own closing statement was that "Some people believe apples may help reduce symptoms of acid reflux. Though specific research on apples and acid reflux is still needed, apples contain some nutrients that may help neutralize acid."

https://www.healthline.com/health/gerd-acid-reflux/diet-restrictions

Comments

I appreciate how you highlighted the original article’s intent and clarified the limitations of the claim. It’s a good reminder to look closely at what sources actually say and not rely on summaries that may exaggerate or misinterpret. Your explanation about how apples may help with acid reflux due to their nutrients is a good point cause of how it relates to coffee.

Answer 3

The claim given with this article is about eating an apple before coffee, not about eating an apple to help acid reflux, like the article discusses. On the other hand, this claim only applies if the reader has acid reflux issues after drinking coffee. The article starts off by stating that apples "may help some people with acid reflux". In just a few paragraphs below, they say "Although people report success in managing acid reflux with apples, no specific scientific studies support these claims. ". They go on to explain the apples have a low pH level, making them acidic. Campbell County Health, a major health system in Wyoming, published an article essentially stating that an apple a day does keep the doctor away. In this article the benefits of apples are listed and explain how research suggests apples can help food digest better, and thus improve acid reflux. While there might not be any specific scientific evidence of apples improving health, I would say apples can help acid reflux issues, including those caused by coffee.

https://www.cchwyo.org/news/2023/december/an-apple-a-day-10-health-benefits-of-apples/#:~:text=May%20help%20with%20digestive%20diseases,may%20be%20helpful%20with%20constipation.

Comments

You only have one source which gives an opinion on the original claim, but don't offer up much else. Looking at the source, it actually copies a Healthline article and does not give a definitive answer for either side.

Answer 4

This fact claims that “Eating an apple before coffee helps prevent stomach issues.” This fact is misleading and based on little to no confirmed evidence. The claim is drawn from an article by Healthline, which never claims to link apple eating to post coffee drinking digestion. In fact the article clearly states, “While there hasn’t been any scientific evidence to confirm this, apples contain certain nutrients known to have an acid-reducing effect.” Healthline merely suggests a potential correlation to the health benefits of fruit eating after dinner. They never confirm the benefits, or mention coffee. In fact, the article goes more into depth about the benefits of acidic foods, making it an unreasonable supporting article to talk strictly about apples. When finding further sources about the benefits of apples and coffee, there were little to no articles about their association. One article from the National Library of Medicine, states that apples have shown evidence of helping with inflammation, fat metabolism, and vascular functions, but “few studies have attempted to link these mechanistically with the gut microbiota.” This further supports the idea that the claim is misleading since there is little evidence in the scientific world relating to apples and digestion. Apples are helpful to digestion in the same way any fruit is, there is no evidence they are more beneficial than any other seeded fruit. Studies in Harvard found an overall helpful link in apples and health, but not specifically for digestion. Overall it is noted that apples will not hurt your health, but there is little information on how truly they link to stomach issues. It is safe to say this claim is exaggerated, and misleading and more research must be done on apples, and coffee in order for this to be secured. 

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4488768/ 

https://www.healthline.com/health/digestive-health/apples-and-acid-reflux#faq 

https://nutritionsource.hsph.harvard.edu/food-features/apples/

Answer 5

It’s important to note that the claim highlighted by the fact-check post “Eating an Apple Before Coffee Prevents Stomach Issues” is not the claim presented by the Healthline article. Instead, the Heathline article addresses the question “Will Eating Apples Help If You Have Acid Reflux?” The article avoids misleading claims such as the one posted, examining the possible causes of apples’ effect on stomach acidity, acknowledging that this effect is not universal by stating that “some people report”, and acknowledging that “there hasn’t been any scientific evidence to confirm this”. The article explicates that apples have certain nutrients, such as calcium and magnesium, that can create a more alkaline environment in the stomach, possibly reducing stomach acidity and acid reflux. After searching “the effect of apples on acid reflux”, I found similar research articles by Medical News Today, Very Well Health, The Tart Tart, and Web MD. However, it is clear that this topic is still being explored, and there is no evidence to definitively verify or deny whether apples reduce acid reflux. 

Additionally, the article cites the National Library of Medicine to assess the pH levels of different types of apples, which tells us of their acidity versus alkalinity, with all measured apples having less acidity than the gastric juices in an average human stomach. The article provides a balanced and science-oriented view of the topic while addressing nuances and possible disadvantages to the claim examined. So, while the claim proposed in the posted fact-check is exaggerated and misleading, the linked article is factual and a balanced research of apples’ possibility effect on stomach acidity and acid reflux. Additionally, the article cites multiple government and educational institutes, such as the National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, and Clemson University. The article is written by Heather Hobbs, who is an editor at Healthline Media and RVO Health, with academic and professional experience in journalism, content creation, and education. To add further credibility, the article is medically reviewed by Imashi Fernando, who is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist with a Master’s Degree in Nutritional Science. Given the sources used and the creators of the article, Healthline presents relevant academic sources and qualified researchers behind its article. 

Sources:

Heather Hobbs 

Brown Sugar Nutrition | Imashi Fernando | Dietitian

Apples and acid reflux: How they help, benefits, apples to try

Are Apples Acidic? Apples for Acid Reflux [Good or Bad]

Apples: Nutrition and Health Benefits

Answer 6

The claim presented is unrelated to the source. The source is focused entirely on whether apples reduce acid reflux but never explores whether the reduction applies to coffee. Although the source mentions that apples help reduce acidic reflux, I couldn't find any other sources that support this claim. Apples are acidic, as the article in your claim mentioned, which wouldn't make sense for reducing acid reflux. Foods like yogurt, bananas, and oats are all proven to reduce acid reflux.

https://www.verywellhealth.com/are-apples-acidic-8623591#:~:text=Some%20believe%20eating%20apples%20after,apples%20are%20a%20safe%20food.

Answer 7

There is no evidence to support this claim in the article you've linked. The article is about the effects of apples on acid reflux, and it never mentions coffee specifically. Healthline has another article published about how coffee and tea can cause heartburn and worsen acid reflux. The article you linked describes that apples MIGHT be good for acid reflux, but there isn't strong evidence to support that claim. The article says that "Although people report success in managing acid reflux with apples, no specific scientific studies support these claims." and that, "Some people believe apples may help reduce symptoms of acid reflux." So yes, some people may believe it to be true that eating apples could help with acid reflux as a result of drinking coffee, but there is no scientific evidence to support this as a factual claim.

Link to the Healthline article about coffee's effect on heartburn and acid reflux:

https://www.healthline.com/health/gerd/coffee-tea