ANCHOR LEAD:
SOURCE: National Coffee Association of the USA
EVERYDAY ON AVERAGE, AMERICANS CONSUME MORE THAN 400 MILLION CUPS OF COFFEE... BUT IF YOU FIND YOURSELF REACHING FOR AN ANTACID ALONG WITH THE CREAM AND SUGAR, YOU'RE NOT ALONE. IN FACT, THE UPSET STOMACH-COFFEE CONNECTION IS SO COMMON, MANY SAY THEY HAVE TO BANISH THE BREW ALTOGETHER.
HERE'S A HEADS UP! ON NEW GENTLER JAVAS THAT MANUFACTURERS SAY WILL LEAVE YOU SIPPING EASY. ___________ EXPLAINS.

NAT SOT Length: 03
Coffee percolating

TRACK ONE: Length: 04
FACE IT... DRINKING COFFEE IS ALMOST AN ADDICTION FOR MILLIONS OF US.

SOT
KEY @: 07 Troy Merkel, Drinks Coffee
"I usually have coffee every morning, at least two cups of coffee."

SOT
KEY @: 10 Jason Freiman, Drinks Coffee
"It makes me ready to begin my work."

TRACK TWO: Length: 12
SURE... YOU GET THAT CAFFEINE PICK-ME UP, BUT GASTROENTEROLOGIST RITA STEFFEN SAYS THE ACID IN COFFEE COMMONLY CAUSES PROBLEMS...LIKE STOMACHACHE, INDIGESTION, REFLUX OR HEARTBURN.

SOT
KEY @: 24 Dr. Rita Steffen, Gastroenterologist(The Cleveland Clinic)
"One out of five people who drink coffee will have that kind of symptoms and maybe even enough to make them consider not drinking it anymore."

SOT
KEY @: 32 Phil Murgatroyd, Drinks Coffee
"It makes me question why I'm drinking coffee if it's making me feel that way."

TRACK THREE Length: 12
NOW, SEVERAL COFFEE MAKERS SAY THEY'RE MAKING NEW STOMACH-FRIENDLY BLENDS. DO THEY MAKE A DIFFERENCE? WE RECRUITED THREE AVERAGE JOES WHO SAY THEIR JOE OFTEN MAKES THEM SICK... SOMETIMES WITHIN MINUTES.

SOT
KEY @: 48 Jason Freiman, Drinks Coffee
"I would give a lower acid brand a shot, see what, see how it felt."

TRACK FOUR Length: 24
EACH OF OUR DRINKERS TRIED OUT ONE OF THREE NEW BLENDS: MELITTA CLASSIC LITE, WHICH BOASTS 45% LESS ACIDITY AND 40% LESS CAFFEINE THAN ITS REGULAR BLEND.
PUROAST COFFEE'S HOUSE BLEND, CLAIMING TO BE 33% LESS ACIDIC THAN MOST COFFEES.
AND FOLGER'S SIMPLY SMOOTH. NO CLAIM ABOUT ACIDITY, BUT IT SAYS IT'S GENTLE ON YOUR STOMACH. EVEN AFTER AN HOUR, ALL THE GUYS REPORTED NO TUMMY TROUBLES.

SOT Length: 02
"My stomach feels fine, so I guess it was good."

SOT Length: 01
"It feels fine."

SOT Length: 02
"My stomach felt pretty good."

TRACK FIVE Length: 07
DR STEFFEN SAYS IT MAKES SENSE THAT LESS ACID WOULD LEAD TO LESS STOMACH UPSET. BUT SHE SAYS THAT THERE MAY ALSO BE ANOTHER POWER AT PLAY.

SOT
KEY @: 1:27 Dr. Rita Steffen, Gastroenterologist(The Cleveland Clinic)
"... the placebo effect, and in some people, it can be up to 30 or 40 percent of the response rate."

TRACK SIX Length: 06
OUR TESTERS BELIEVE THEIR IMPROVEMENTS ARE REAL, AND THEY SAY THEY LIKE SIPPING THE STOMACH-FRIENDLY WAY.

SOT Length: 03
"I would consider using the brand in the future."

SOT Length: 02
"I'd probably buy myself a pack, yeah."

ANCHOR TAG:
SINCE OUR TESTERS TRIED ONLY ONE BRAND EACH WHILE WE WERE WITH THEM...WE SENT THEM HOME WITH ALL THREE BRANDS TO SEE IF ANY OF THE BLENDS WOULD CAUSE ANY STOMACH CHURNING. AFTER SEVERAL DAYS...STILL NO UPSET...
AS FOR TASTE... THEY ALL SAID THE GENTLE JAVAS TASTED PRETTY MUCH LIKE REGULAR COFFEE.

(Additional tag information):
THE COFFEES ARE AVAILABLE IN EITHER GROCERY STORES OR ONLINE AND RANGE FROM FOUR TO TEN DOLLARS.

SOURCE INFORMATION:

Dr. Rita Steffen
The Cleveland Clinic
9500 Euclid Ave
Cleveland OH, 44195
PR Contact:
Erica Foreman
216-444-7935

Dr. Steffen is a Staff Physician at The Cleveland Clinic. She holds joint appointments at The Cleveland Clinic in Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Pediatric Gastroenterology, and the Center for Integrative Medicine. Dr. Steffen says coffee will increase the productivity of acid in the stomach which leads to heartburn, indigestion, and reflux. She says it makes sense that less acid and caffeine in the coffee would lead to less symptoms but that a placebo effect may also be at play.

COFFEES
FOLGER'S SIMPLY SMOOTH: available at grocery stores: 11.5 oz pack: $4.49
MELITTA CLASSIC LITE: available online and at supermarkets. 11.5 oz pack, about $4.00 PUROAST: Order online. 14 oz costs $9.99.