Coffee makes you poop, and many of us are familiar with that unfortunate feeling of having to rush to the bathroom after what seems like only a few moments after drinking the first cup. Whether it be caffeine or decaf, the results are the same. But there are plenty of other drinks that have caffeine in them, and they don’t make people rush to the bathroom as much as coffee does.
In fact, coffee is a known culprit of digestive havoc. This leaves the millions of people who drink coffee every day wondering, “What is it in coffee that makes people poop?” The answer, or answers, is complicated but can shed light on the reasons coffee is so bowel-busting.
Caffeine in Coffee Activates the Colon and the Intestines
Caffeine stimulates parts of your body by ‘pushing’ extra energy their way. Some of these parts include your colon and your intestines. This is a serious consideration when examining why coffee makes you poop. When your intestines are activated, they begin to flex/contract. This happens every day of your life after you eat food, and as it turns out, it also happens when you are done drinking coffee. Even if you haven’t recently eaten, the caffeine is strong enough to activate your colon and your intestines and jumpstart your digestive system.
Now, caffeine isn’t the only thing in coffee that makes you poop. There are plenty of other drinks available for purchase that contain large amounts of caffeine. It is, however, one of the primary parts of coffee that can cause bowel movements. Caffeine is, by nature, a stimulant, and so it shouldn’t come as
a shock that it can be a little bit volatile when it comes to making you go to the bathroom. This can help you when it comes to coffee; if you truly fear a bowel movement, you can either skip the drink or go with decaf. However, even decaf can cause poop; it just is not as prominent as with caffeinated coffee.
Coffee Triggers a Peristalsis-Like Reaction
Your body activates something called peristalsis when you are swallowing and digesting something, which basically means that a wave of pressure is issued to push things down your throat and into your stomach. This is common after you eat something, but it is also caused by coffee, even decaf. There are nutrients and chemicals in coffee that help trigger this response, so if you feel like it, you could say that coffee mimics eating. Also, there is another bodily function at work.
When you drink something, your body starts a gastric response as part of your gastric reflex, which also stimulates your need to go to the bathroom according to Kitchen Gearoid. This means that when you drink coffee, especially caffeinated, you are being affected by caffeine that makes your intestines and colon retract as well as peristalsis and gastric reflexes which force your body to get moving and produce waste.
However, it’s not just the caffeine that does this to you— there’s something about coffee that just makes your body start to process faster than almost any other beverage.This is still being researched, but possible culprits are Chlorogenic acids, which can react with your stomach acids, get them churning, and get you moving to the bathroom even faster.
These things are unfortunately part of drinking coffee because even decaf has certain ingredients that can cause bowel issues. Therefore, if you are wondering how these things can be avoided, there are only a few answers. One, the most obvious, would be to quit drinking coffee.
That, however, seems like an unfortunate price to pay for so many of the addicts of the world. Another solution is to plan when you are going to be getting the coffee. If you have a lot to drink at home, it doesn’t matter much, but if you suddenly have to rush to the bathroom during a meeting, that could be a problem.
Finally, you could drink smaller amounts of coffee. If you are worried about having to poop, but you really need that morning pick-me-up, get a smaller size than you typically would to combat the demon that is an uncontrollable bowel movement. Basically, be smart about when you and how you are drinking your coffee, and maybe consider switching to decaf sometimes.
The Process Starts Quickly
Peristalsis makes people feel they need to poop after drinking it, but often the process is even more intense, and it goes fast. Coffee can begin to influence bowel movements only minutes after it is consumed. When this is combined with everything else, it is simple to see why drinking a lot of coffee, especially for those who aren’t used to having it in their system, can cause such an immediate need to use the bathroom.
Coffee is unique in its total ability to manipulate your bowels and bladder, and most people don’t know how fast it can begin to work. Now that you’re aware, you can use this valuable information to plan ahead if you really feel the need to drink coffee.
For example, knowing that coffee is fast-acting means you can expect to need to use the bathroom soon after you drink. In this way, you can make sure that you only get coffee at times when it is appropriate in order to ensure that you do not find yourself in situations where you need to use the bathroom at uncomfortable times.
The fact that coffee is so aggressive when it comes to the bowels may mean that it’s a good idea for you to start swapping out your morning coffee for something else, like MUD. It pays to get in the habit of being smarter about your habits. By doing so, you can get to a point where you don’t have to worry about the common and unfortunate effects of coffee.
Coffee is one of the most popular drinks in the world. In fact, the global consumption of coffee is over two billion cups every single day. Read that again. More than two billion cups every day! That much coffee means that being sent to the bathroom is pretty common.
The great news is that with the proper information, you can learn to have a better relationship with coffee. The drink is helpful, after all. It can be a great start to the day, and it can be useful for a little boost of energy. But it can also be a nuisance.
It should be noted that the effect of coffee varies. For those that have been drinking it for a long time, who have built up a bodily tolerance, it is less likely to cause extreme bathroom problems. The more that you drink coffee, if you drink it regularly, you can expect that you will begin to grow more accustomed to it over time. That being said, not everyone drinks coffee every day. For many people, it is an occasional boost to the day, so knowing exactly what coffee is doing to your body can be really helpful.
All of these things combined contribute to a need to use the toilet, especially for those who do not drink coffee regularly. With this information, however, you can rest assured that your day will not be ruined and that you will not be interrupted during anything important because of poop. By using coffee wisely, you can control your habit.
What To Do To Not Have To Poo
It is important first to try to only drink coffee when you know that you are going to be in a place with a bathroom readily available. Now more than ever, most people are operating out of the home. In these situations, having to use the bathroom unexpectedly is not a big problem. Aside from that, drinking in moderation and switching to decaf can also help. And, of course, there is the obvious solution of cutting coffee out of your diet on days when you absolutely cannot afford to be indisposed.
In Summary
There is not, unfortunately, one clear thing that you can do on the fly to make yourself immune to the coffee-bowel conundrum. You can only manage and get your body acclimated. But with the knowledge of how coffee works against your body, you can effectively make the right decisions for you and ensure that you are not dealing with an unhealthy habit. After all, nobody wants to be rushing to the bathroom at inappropriate times! Using the above information, you can stop yourself from doing just that.
Sources:
Link 1 -https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/why-does-coffee-make-you-poop
Link2 -https://www.health.com/condition/digestive-health/why-does-coffee-make-you-poop
Link 3 - https://www.livescience.com/45465-why-does-coffee-make-you-poop.html
