We’ve all been there! Rushing to get out the door one morning to get to work on time, when all of a sudden…the coffee kicks in and nature is calling you to the bathroom. Do you risk it and make your way to work in the hopes that you can sneak in a cheeky poo at the office? Or do you relieve yourself first in the hopes that you can still make it to work on time?
Either way, it’s a tough call. But the real question is: why does coffee make you poop more? Is there a reason for this laxative effect? And does it affect everyone? Read on and we’ll explore the bowel-shifting nature of coffee in greater depth…
Why does coffee make me poop right away?
Everyone loves a good cup of coffee. Well, most people at least. And the reason being, is because it is a delicious caffeine-fuelled drink that can pick you up and help you get your day off to a strong start.
The trouble is…coffee can tend to jump start the other end of the body as well. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing; it simply means that you have to really work on your timing so that you don’t get caught in a desperate situation without a porcelain solution in sight.
You see, coffee is among the best sources of caffeine on the planet. And caffeine, being a natural stimulant helps to keep you alert.
Just one single cup of coffee provides around 95mg of caffeine, and while it is a great energy booster, it can also stimulate the need to poop!
Some studies show that caffeine can activate contractions in your colon and the intestinal muscles. The contractions in your colon push the ‘contents’ towards your rectum, which as you know, is the final stage of your digestive tract.
Further research has found that caffeine makes the colon 60% more active than water, and 23% more active than a cup of decaf coffee.
And the fact that decaf coffee can stimulate the urge to poop indicates that there are other factors which may be responsible for the bowel movements, and not necessarily the caffeine alone.
Is coffee good for cleaning out your system?
Yes, and no…Coffee shouldn’t be used for the sole purpose of cleaning out your system. There are many healthier and more effective ways of doing so. That being said, coffee can aid your liver function.
Additionally, coffee does have antioxidants. These are cleansers that oxidise free radicals in your body and convert them into harmless substances that can easily be expelled from your body naturally.
Some of these disease-fighting antioxidants include: quinines, cafestol, hydrocinnamic acids, melanoidins, trigonelline, and polyphenols (to name but a few).
Further to that, coffee can help to prevent Type 2 Diabetes.
Again, that doesn’t mean that you should use coffee as your primary cleanser. If you drink too much coffee, there are negative effects. Which means that it is all about drinking in moderation.
Several cups of coffee a day can work wonders on your body. However, if you are drinking six or more, then you might be undoing those positive effects and replacing them with the shakes, headaches, and dizziness.
How quickly does coffee work as a laxative?
One study has found that 29% of the participants taking place needed to poop within twenty minutes of drinking their cup of coffee.
This shows that coffee can affect people differently. And of course, if you had a recent bowel movement before drinking your coffee, then the likelihood of needing to go again in twenty minutes will be slim.
How effective is coffee as a laxative?
Certainly, a morning cup of coffee can be a great means of getting your body moving and promoting the need to poop. However, if you are constipated, relying on coffee as a means of moving your bowels is not recommended. Yes, it might help. However, if you are feeling uncomfortable, you should consult your doctors and get some proper laxatives to help you along.
The simple act of drinking coffee (or any other beverage in the morning) can stimulate the need to poop. This is known as the gastrocolic reflex. This helps jump-start your bowels whenever you eat or drink. Whilst there is no scientific evidence to prove that it is drinking coffee that makes you need a bowel movement, there are certainly many reports of it acting in that way.
Take people with irritable bowel syndrome as an example. They have a hypersensitive gastrocolic reflex which suggests that after drinking a cup of coffee, there is a high chance that it will stimulate a bowel movement for them.
Many people believe that the simple act of drinking a hot drink when waking up can stimulate the digestive system, thus leading to a bowel movement. The warm liquid widens blood vessels in the digestive system, helping increase blood flow and gastro/intestinal activity.
Conclusion
There are many theories, but to be perfectly honest, nobody really knows exactly why coffee makes you need to poop. Bearing in mind that most people drink coffee in the morning, which is a perfectly normal time to need to go to the toilet. For some people, with or without a cup of coffee, they will be somewhat regular when they wake up of a morning.
In any case, it is a delicious drink which can certainly help get you moving in the morning (in more ways than one).
If you are a big lover of coffee and need your daily morning fix, then you should get your hands on some Santi Panich Coffee and Roasters. Delicious brews that can help you need to…