Have you ever wondered why a cup of coffee often leads to a trip to the bathroom? The connection between coffee and bowel movements is a common curiosity. Simply put, coffee stimulates bowel movements due to its effect on the digestive system. When you drink coffee, it triggers the release of gastrin, a hormone that stimulates the movement of your intestinal muscles.
Additionally, coffee contains compounds like chlorogenic acid and N-alkanoyl-5-hydroxytryptamides, which can increase the production of stomach acid and speed up digestion. These combined factors often result in the urge to poop shortly after enjoying your morning brew. So next time you find yourself heading to the restroom after a cup of joe, remember it’s all part of the natural process! Let’s Know Why does coffee make you poop?
Why Coffee Makes You Poop
There are several reasons why coffee makes you go to the toilet. Here are some of the most common ways that it affects digestion as you get ready for the day.
It Wakes Up Your Colon and Causes Contractions
There are things besides your mind that sleep every night. Your digestion slows down before you go to sleep.
That system starts up again when you eat or drink something first thing in the morning. If you drink coffee first thing in the morning, it starts working your stomach right away.
Your body moves food through your stomach by contracting and relaxing muscles in your digestive system. This process is called peristalsis. A review published in 2020 in Nutrients says that these contractions may begin four minutes after drinking coffee. As your body wakes up, any stool in your stomach may start to move towards your rectum.
It Increases Gastrin Production
Coffee in the morning not only wakes you up mentally, but it also starts many physical processes. A narrative review from 2022 in Nutrients says that it specifically increases the production of gastrin, which is one of the hormones that move food through the digestive system.
A doctor in New Jersey named Andrew Boxer, M.D., says that coffee can make you go to the toilet because it has acids that raise the hormone gastrin. “Gastrin causes involuntary muscle contractions in the stomach (peristalsis), which can get the bowels moving.” It is well known that this has this effect on the colon, and according to a piece from the International Journal of Colorectal Disease in 2022, some doctors suggest it to patients who have had colorectal surgery to help them go to the toilet.
It Stimulates Cholecystokinin Levels
Boxer says that caffeine raises gastrointestinal hormones like CCK (cholecystokinin), gastrin, and motilin. These hormones can help smooth muscles tighten and make the intestines move more quickly.
StatPearls says that cholecystokinin also makes the small intestine make more bile, which moves waste through the body faster. Cholecystokinin levels may rise if you drink more coffee than normal, which could make you go to the toilet faster.
Does the Time of Day You Drink It Matter?
It’s important to know when you drink coffee because your stomach is more sensitive at certain times. A 2020 study in the Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology found that the digestive system is more active in the morning as it changes from the circadian rhythms of sleep to those of awareness. If you drink coffee when your stomach is busy, you might go to the toilet faster.
Does the Type of Coffee Make a Difference?
What kind of coffee you drink might affect how often you go to the toilet. Before making your next cup, you should think about these things that might affect the taste.
Regular vs. Decaf
Caffeine is one of the things that makes you want to go to the toilet more, but it’s not the only one. “Caffeine stimulates the muscles in the digestive system, including the colon, which can increase the movement of stool through the intestines and result in more frequent bowel movements,” Dr. Danielle Kelvas says.
The Food and Drug Administration says that a regular cup of coffee has 80 to 100 milligrams of caffeine. Your body may be more or less responsive to that amount, depending on your health and how much caffeine you can handle.
Decaf coffee, on the other hand, has almost no caffeine. Based on the 2022 story review, decaf may also help you go to the toilet, though it may not have the same effect as regular coffee. Try both to see which one makes your condition better and help you decide what to eat every day.
Hot vs. Iced
When you make coffee, it gets stronger over time. For iced coffee, the grounds need to be soaked to get a concentrated brew strength, which makes the coffee extra-strong. The stronger coffee may directly increase the production of hormones in your body and cause contractions in your stomach that help you go to the toilet.
Read More: The 7 best Espresso Machines for home
Does Coffee Make Everybody Poop?
One of the most important studies on this subject found that 29% of people who participated felt the need to go to the toilet more often within twenty minutes of having coffee. The study found that this urge affected 53% of the women who took part, which was a surprise.
This complaint may happen more often in women than in men because irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is more common in women than in men (18 Trusted Source). It seems like a lot of people have the urge to go after coffee, but not everyone does. Also, it’s not clear if this sign goes away in people who drink a lot. People over 50 and those who have IBS may be more likely to get it because coffee can make their bowels more sensitive. This condition might also happen to people who can’t handle lactose if they put milk, cream, or other dairy products in their coffee.
Read More: How to descale a coffee maker? – The Best methods to clean your coffee maker
FAQ
1: Why does coffee make you poop?
Coffee contains compounds that stimulate your digestive system, such as chlorogenic acid and N-alkanoyl-5-hydroxytryptamides. These compounds increase stomach acid production and trigger intestinal muscle contractions, leading to bowel movements.
2: Is it normal for coffee to make you poop?
Yes, it’s common. The stimulating effect of coffee on digestion often results in a need to use the restroom shortly after drinking it. This response varies from person to person but is generally considered a normal reaction.
3: Does all coffee have the same effect on bowel movements?
Not necessarily. The impact of coffee on bowel movements can vary depending on factors like the type of coffee bean, brewing method, and individual sensitivity. Some people may find that certain types or preparations of coffee have a stronger laxative effect than others.
Final Thoughts: Why does coffee make you poop?
After the first sip of coffee in the morning, your body goes through a lot of changes. It might wake you up and help you go to the toilet. This is because both regular and decaf coffee makes your body make more stomach hormones and move your intestines more.
Changing the way you drink might help with your bowel movements. The changes you want will depend on what you want. Find out if you like coffee hot, cold, or in different recipes so you can drink it more often without making your stomach upset.