Making a choice between cold brew and regular iced coffee in the morning may seem relatively pointless. After all, aren’t they both coffee at the end of the day?
One is made using hot water, and the other is made with a low-temperature steeping process. Both coffee drinks lead to a decreased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, neurodegenerative disease, and dying prematurely, according to researchers at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
But, experts say one of the beverages is better for people with sensitive stomachs.
Cold brew is less acidic than normal coffee, helping to protect caffeine addicts from negative health impacts.
While regular ice coffee has a pH level of around 4.8, cold brew may have one around 5.5 or higher, according to the coffee maker manufacturer Breville. The higher the pH level, the less acidic the drink.
“Cold brew is over 60 percent less acidic than hot coffee, which can be a major relief for people prone to acid reflux or heartburn,” San Diego’s Sharp HealthCare explains.
Although acidity in coffee gives the drink its lively and crisp flavor, consuming too much acid may lead to heartburn, stomach ache, and damage the lining of the esophagus, making it hard to swallow and eat, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Acid reflux, which occurs when stomach acid rises into the esophagus and causes heartburn, can result in esophagus cancer.
Esophageal cancer only makes up about 1 percent of all cancers diagnosed in the U.S., but the American Cancer Society predicts more than 22,000 new cases and 16,250 deaths this year, the majority of which are in men due to higher rates of tobacco and alcohol use.
However, while there has been a years-long debate about the role of extremely hot beverages and esophageal cancer, doctors have not found a direct link between drinking coffee and esophageal cancer.
Still, drinking coffee can result in the production of more stomach acid than humans naturally have to help us digest our food.
So, cold brew may be a smarter choice, and gives you even more caffeine than regular iced coffee. It has about 205 milligrams, while the same-sized ice coffee has about 165 milligrams, according to Verywell Health.
As a smoother drink, it may also require less cream, milk or sugar. It’s also a little easier to make, if done right.
“A major perk of cold brew is that you don’t need fancy equipment to make it at home — just a pitcher and some coffee grounds,” Gabrielle Tinsley, a registered dietitian nutritionist, told Sharp HealthCare.
Of course, people who choose mild-tasting regular iced coffee over bolder, cold brew can still decrease its acidity by diluting it using cream or milk.
Drinking a darker roast can be similarly beneficial, because the beans are roasted longer, at hotter temperatures, and have fewer acid-producing compounds, registered dietitian Abigail Hueber told Well+Good.
Drinking as many as four cups of coffee a day is considered safe by the U.S Food and Drug Administration.
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