Does Coffee Kill Probiotics? (how caffeine destroys good gut bacteria)

Are you a coffee drinker but also wish to enjoy the benefits of probiotics in your gut? 

You’ve probably heard that coffee is bad for probiotics, can make your gut more acidic and less bacteria-friendly, and shouldn’t be consumed with your supplements. 

While studies on probiotics are limited, there’s some evidence that drinking coffee might actually help promote better gut microbiome diversity.

In short, the more you drink coffee, the more diversified strains can thrive in your gut.

Is there evidence for that claim? Does drinking coffee kill probiotics? How long after taking probiotics can you drink coffee? Is there a way to get the best of both worlds with a coffee that has probiotics?

Key Highlights

• The answer isn’t an absolute “yes” or “no”
• Yes – coffee can kill your probiotics if you drink hot coffee together with taking probiotics
• Yes – coffee can kill your probiotics if you drink it less than 30 minutes before taking probiotics
• No – coffee isn’t likely to kill probiotics if it’s cold coffee 
• No – coffee isn’t likely to kill probiotics if it’s taken at least 30 minutes after taking probiotics
• If in doubt about the time interval or if you really prefer taking your probiotic and drinking coffee at the same time, you might want to consider a probiotic coffee product instead

Does Drinking Coffee Destroy Probiotics & Good Gut Bacteria?

I’m a heavy coffee drinker, so when I heard about the benefits of probiotics, I got curious: “Will coffee kill my probiotics?” I bet you’re as curious about the answer as I am.

Well, the answer isn’t an absolute “yes” or “no.”

In a 2019 study published in The American Journal of Gastroenterology, researchers studied the effects of drinking a lot of coffee vs. a low amount on the diversity and relative abundance of good bacteria in the study subjects’ gut.

They aimed to answer the question, “Does caffeine kill probiotics?”

Surprisingly, the study discovered that higher coffee consumption can be associated with a broader diversity and higher relative abundance of good bacteria. 

Using DNA sequencing, they determined that heavy coffee drinkers have more anti-inflammatory bacteria, particularly Roseburia and Faecalibacterium species. These human study subjects also showed lower levels of potentially harmful bacteria such as Erysipela Clostridium species.

So, although we’ve heard a lot about coffee “killing” probiotics due to acidity and other reasons, it’s likely that the heat from the drink is the main thing that can harm the good bacteria in your probiotic supplement.

Can I Take A Probiotic With Hot Coffee?

Remember that you need good bacteria to be alive so they can reach your small intestines where they can thrive.

Yes, the study above might have established that drinking more coffee doesn’t appear to interfere with probiotics. However, there’s no sense in killing these good bacteria with your hot coffee.

But does that mean you can’t drink hot coffee now? Well, it seems that the right timing when you take probiotics (before or after coffee) is the key to helping them survive.

How Long After Taking Probiotics Can I Drink Coffee?

As a rule of thumb, it’s ideal to take your probiotics on an empty stomach so that your stomach acids have not been activated yet. This gives them a chance to reach your small intestines as quickly as possible, without getting killed off by the harsh stomach acids.

Still, be sure to wait at least 30 minutes after taking your probiotics before you drink your coffee.

This way, there’s very little chance that the hot drink can come in contact with the probiotics. If possible, however, wait longer than 30 minutes (up to 10 hours is even recommended).

That’s because it is estimated that gastric emptying takes around 30 minutes after the meal. Then, it takes about 4 hours for small bowel transit, plus another 30 minutes to reach the colon.

The good news is that if you prefer cold coffee, then you won’t have to wait that long.

Does Coffee Interfere With Probiotics If You Drink It First?

Now, suppose you want to drink coffee first. Will it have any effect on your probiotic if you space out taking them within 30 minutes or more?

Well, it’s actually a different story. It’s still best to take probiotics first, before drinking coffee.

The main reason is that coffee and other caffeine-rich foods or drinks are already acidic on their own. Although they’re not as acidic as your harsh stomach environment, they can increase the acidity of your gastric secretions.

In short, drinking coffee can make your already acidic stomach even more acidic. The higher your stomach acidity, the harsher environment it would be for your probiotics to survive.

And while coffee’s acidity isn’t likely enough to kill all your probiotics, the harsher stomach environment can. 

So, always take note of this rule: only drink coffee after probiotics – and make sure you wait at least 30 minutes.

Does Coffee Kill Probiotics In Yogurt?

Yogurt is known to be rich in probiotics. The same rules above apply:

• Don’t mix hot coffee with yogurt because the high temperature can kill the probiotics
• It’s better to eat the yogurt and wait at least 30 minutes before drinking coffee
• Don’t eat yogurt within an hour or so after drinking coffee because the caffeinated drink can make your stomach more acidic, increasing the chances of your probiotic bacteria dying from the harsher environment.

Special Coffee Products with Probiotics

Here’s good news if you’re still afraid that your coffee might kill the good bacteria in the food supplements you’re taking: there’s actually probiotic coffee!

Scientists who love coffee have found a way to let us drink our favorite brew without worrying about killing the probiotics. Let me explain it to you below.

What’s Probiotic Coffee?

A probiotic coffee is similar to your regular coffee but has a type of probiotic bacteria (usually varied strains of Bacillus coagulans). 

This coffee probiotic strain is made up of hardy bacteria that are different from the others because they aren’t heat sensitive – that means that they can survive being in a hot coffee drink and still have lots of viable strains that can colonize your gut.

In another 2019 study published in the Food Research International Journal, researchers discovered that Bacillus coagulans MTCC 5856 has a highly impressive survival rate even after brewing.

Based on this study, Bacillus coagulans MTCC 5856 had the following amazing survival rates despite the hostile environment during brewing:

• 94.94% viability in unroasted green coffee 
• 99.76% viability in tea

What’s more, adding water-soluble fibers (prebiotics) during brewing increased the probiotics’ survival rate to a whopping 99% viability.

Of course, this only applies to special probiotic strains such as Bacillus coagulans species.

So, if you’re planning on taking a probiotic coffee, it’s best to consider one that contains 1) these hardy probiotic species and 2) prebiotics or water-soluble fibers.

Conclusion & Suggestions

Some studies show that the more you drink coffee, the more diversified strains can live and thrive in your gut.

Just make sure that you take your probiotics first, and wait at least 30 minutes before drinking coffee to give your good bacteria a head start through your gut. This can increase their chances of reaching your gut.