THIS is what happens to your body when you drink coffee in the morning on an empty stomach

YOUR daily espresso may be far more damaging than you realise.

Coffee first thing morningGETTY

Your daily espresso may be far more damaging than you realise

Whether it’s to wake yourself up for the working day or relax into weekend mode, many of us consider coffee an integral part of the morning routine. 

The brewed beverage has a host of widely-accepted benefits, including increased concentration and energy.

Recently, health experts found that coffee consumption could cut the risk of multiple sclerosis

But drinking coffee first thing in the morning can be more harmful than people realise, according to health experts. 

Man drinking coffeeGETTY

Caffeine on an empty stomach can wreak havoc on your digestive tract, warn experts

Caffeine on an empty stomach can wreak havoc with your digestive tract. 

Lloyds Pharmacist Nitin Makadia explains: "Hydrochloric acid has a very important function to support the digestion of food and is therefore released when you eat, smell or even start thinking about food.


And according to Dr Adam Simon, chief medical officer at this can cause heartburn or indigestion. 

He said: "It can increase the amount of water you pass and can potentially create symptoms of dehydration. It can affect your pulse, causing an irregular heartbeat by putting pressure on the heart and it can adversely affect your blood pressure."

“Too much caffeine can give you jitters, shakes and other withdrawal effects, including mood changes.”

Health experts advise drinking coffee after eating solid food. 

If this isn’t possible, adding milk or butter to your espresso will help your body consume other vitamins and nutrients, and may lessen the ill-effects of caffeine on an empty stomach.