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In a landmark independent study conducted at UC Davis by Dr. Takayuki Shibamoto and published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, researchers confirmed something that changes everything about how we think about coffee: traditional roasting doesn't just lower acid — it dramatically increases antioxidant content at the same time. These two benefits are the product of the same chemical process, and Puroast is the only commercially available coffee confirmed to complete it.
For coffee drinkers who've been told to give up their morning cup because of acid reflux, GERD, heartburn, or gut sensitivity, this research is a turning point. You don't have to choose between comfort and health — you need a coffee roasted correctly.
⚠️ The Science Is Clear: Studies have NOT shown that reducing caffeine directly decreases acid reflux symptoms. Lower acid intake — measured by pH — definitively helps. This is why switching to a genuinely low-acid coffee (pH 5.7–5.9) matters more than switching to decaf (which has the same acidity as regular coffee).
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7× More antioxidants than leading brands |
5.8 Verified pH — lower than regular coffee |
98% Antioxidant preservation at 230°C roast |
The UC Davis Research — What They Actually Found
Dr. Shibamoto's peer-reviewed research (Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 2009) examined the relationship between roasting temperature, duration, and two key outcomes: coffee pH and antioxidant content. The findings were unambiguous: longer, traditional roasting at the right temperature produces coffee that is simultaneously lower in acid and dramatically higher in antioxidants.
The specific mechanism involves chlorogenic acids (CGAs) — the primary antioxidant compounds in green coffee beans. When coffee is roasted at high temperatures for short durations (flash roasting), CGAs are degraded and converted to quinic acids — compounds that increase acidity and provide no antioxidant benefit. When roasted at the correct temperature for the full traditional duration, those quinic acids are further converted into phenolic antioxidants (flavonols), raising the pH and dramatically increasing antioxidant density.
Puroast's patented roasting process is the only commercially confirmed method to complete this second conversion at scale. The result: pH 5.7–5.9 (vs ~5.0 for most commercial coffee) and 7× the antioxidant content of leading brands including Starbucks and Folgers. (Moon, Yoo & Shibamoto, JAFC 2009)
Why Most "Low Acid" Coffee Is a Marketing Claim, Not a Fact
A 2024 study from North Carolina A&T State University tested 25 commercially available coffees labeled as "low acid" and found that the majority were more acidic than regular commercial coffee — meaning the "low acid" label had no scientific basis. (Ibrahim et al., BCHD 2024)
What makes a coffee genuinely low acid is the roasting process — not the bean origin, not the altitude it was grown at, and not whether it's labeled "smooth" or "easy on the stomach." Without the specific two-stage roasting chemistry that converts quinic acids to phenolic antioxidants, you simply cannot achieve a meaningfully lower pH in the finished cup.
🌿 LACCSA Certified: Puroast holds LACCSA (Low Acid Coffee Certification Standards Association) certification — the only independent third-party verification standard for low acid coffee claims. This certification requires independent pH testing of production batches and is not available through self-reporting.
☕ Try the Antioxidant-Rich, Low Acid Difference
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What This Means for Coffee Drinkers with Acid Reflux or GERD
For the estimated 60 million Americans who experience acid reflux monthly, the instinctive response is often to cut caffeine or switch to decaf. But the research doesn't support this approach. Decaffeinated coffee has the same pH as regular coffee — roughly 5.0 — because caffeine removal does not alter the acid chemistry of the roasted bean. The acidity comes from organic acids produced during roasting, not from caffeine itself.
What does help is reducing the total acid load of the beverage. Puroast at pH 5.8 delivers meaningfully less acid per cup compared to standard commercial coffee at pH 5.0 — a difference that many drinkers report as the first coffee they've been able to enjoy without discomfort. (Mayo Clinic — GERD)
The Antioxidant Story — Why It Matters Beyond Acid
The same roasting chemistry that lowers Puroast's pH to 5.8 also produces an antioxidant profile that independent testing confirms at 7× the level of leading brands. A follow-up study by Sulaiman, Moon, and Shibamoto (2011) confirmed that coffee roasted at 230°C for 16 minutes preserved 98.20% antioxidant activity, compared to 41.38% in coffee roasted at 250°C for only 10 minutes — the faster, hotter method used by most commercial roasters. (Sulaiman, Moon & Shibamoto, JDS 2011)
Coffee is already one of the primary dietary sources of antioxidants in the American diet. With Puroast's roasting process, that antioxidant advantage is multiplied — not diminished — compared to the standard industrial roasting methods most brands use to maximize throughput and minimize cost.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Shibamoto research found Puroast's antioxidant content to be higher than green tea as well as leading coffee brands. Green tea is often cited as a high-antioxidant beverage, but traditional roasting at the correct parameters produces a coffee with a comparable or superior antioxidant profile.
Yes — significantly. Because pH is a logarithmic scale, a pH of 5.0 is approximately 6× more acidic than a pH of 5.8. That difference translates directly to the acid load your esophagus, stomach, and gut experience with each cup.
No. Puroast's roasting process uses traditional temperature and extended duration — not lower heat. The chemistry is about completing the full two-stage acid conversion, not reducing roast intensity. The result is a full-flavored, dark roast coffee that happens to be verified low acid.
Traditional extended roasting requires more time per batch, which reduces throughput and increases cost per pound. Most commercial roasters prioritize speed and margin over the second-stage chemistry that produces lower acid and higher antioxidants. Puroast holds a patent on its specific roasting method precisely because it is not the default industrial approach.
The Only Coffee Verified Low-Acid by Independent Science
NC A&T University (2024): Most "low acid" coffees are more acidic than regular coffee. Puroast is the exception — verified at pH 5.7–5.9.
LACCSA Certified · UC Davis Studied · Patent-Protected Roasting Process
Shop Puroast Low-Acid Coffee →Sources: Moon, Yoo & Shibamoto — JAFC 2009 | Ibrahim et al. — NC A&T 2024 | Sulaiman, Moon & Shibamoto — JDS 2011 | Mayo Clinic — GERD
Puroast does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Any information published on this website or by this company is not intended as medical advice. Always consult a qualified health professional with any questions or concerns about your physical health.
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