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andy de santis: does coffee help you poo?
turns out coffee does trigger a bowel movement, but you probably knew that already.
mar 3 2020
2 minute read
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i’m willing to bet quite a few of you have noticed that the first few sips of your morning brew are often followed by a gentle urge to run to the washroom.
four out of five canadians drink a caffeinated beverage, mostly coffee, every day. and according to an oft-cited study, nearly a third of those coffee drinkers feel inclined to poop right after.
it’s suggested that coffee stimulates the distal colon, the part of the colon that connects to the rectum, where your poop will ultimately be pushed through.
caffeine is well known to wake the body up and does so by blocking the cellular receptors in our central nervous system responsible for slowing us down. these receptors, known as adenosine receptors, slow down heart rate, blood flow, muscle functioning — and caffeine blocks temporarily blocks them off, which explains the stimulatory effect it has.
with that in mind, it’s quite likely that the increased stimulation of the muscles of the digestive tract is what encourages caffeine-induced bowel movements.
for some, these bowel movements will be both well-formed and welcomed. if you fall into this category, enjoy it. in fact, you may even want to use caffeine strategically from time to time if you feel a bit backed up.
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for others who are less fortunate, caffeine may represent an irritable bowel trigger that could bring on diarrhea and other poop-related unpleasantries. if you fall into the latter category, or otherwise notice an unpleasant reaction to caffeine, you may want to switch to decaf.
but there are other things you should know about coffee.
it may block the good stuff . coffee and tea can interfere with iron absorption and may affect other nutrients — even if it’s decaf.
if you are dehydrated, stick to water . contrary to popular belief, coffee and tea do not count towards your daily fluid intake because the modest diuretic effect of moderate caffeine intake does not adversely affect hydration status .
performance appeal. caffeine improves your performance in sports and physical activity by reducing perceptions of fatigue and increasing alertness.
caffeine is not one-size-fits-all. different people metabolize caffeine differently due to their genetics, those who are very sensitive to the effects of caffeine intake do not process it as quickly or efficiently than the average person.
so bathroom breaks aside, coffee has a lot going for it. but don’t sweat it if it’s not your beverage of choice. there are other ways to get your caffeine fix and avoid the toilet.
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andy is a registered dietitian and multi-book author who has operated a private practice in toronto since 2015. he spends his free time eating, writing and talking about kale @andytherd. he can be reached at andytherd.com
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