So you’ve noticed that right after your morning dose of coffee you go straight to poop, this is really not unusual and it happens to many others as well. This particular effect of coffee may not always be welcome especially if it’s preceded by serious stomach discomfort.
But why does this happen anyway? Coffee is a mild laxative and can cause bowel movement by triggering muscle contractions in the large intestine which moves food quickly through your gut. All these lead to stomach discomfort and the urge to poop. This effect of coffee doesn’t happen to everyone and it’s more common in some people than others.
The reason why coffee makes people run off to the toilet is due to some substances it contains. The first culprit is the caffeine which can stimulate the distal colon and there are also the chlorogenic acids and N-alkanoyl-5-hydroxytryptamides which can stimulate the production of stomach acids and speed up digestion. So there are two reasons why coffee can make you poop; the caffeine and the acids.
Now that we have an idea why coffee can us poop, how can we stop it? The possible solutions to this problem is to drink less acidic coffee and try to reduce the amount of caffeine you consume. You can reduce your caffeine intake by brewing coffee beans with less caffeine, for instance, darker roast has less caffeine and brewing your coffee with this type of roast will give you less caffeinated coffee drink.
The next thing to consider is what goes into your coffee. You may not know it but coffee may not be the only thing making you rush off to poop every time you drink it. Milk and milk products also have the reputation of causing diarrhea especially in adults. And if you always drink your coffee with lots of milk and sweeteners, you may want to cut down on those too as they may be contributing to your frequent bowel movement.
[2] Can coffee cause diarrhea on an empty stomach?
Drinking coffee first thing in the morning is a daily ritual for many coffee lovers. And most times the beverage is taken on an empty stomach, which isn’t the best thing.
Coffee has lots of health benefits which makes it an excellent beverage for anyone who can tolerate caffeine and acidity. And among these amazing benefits is the ability to make you more awake and mentally alert, which is why the beverage is mostly taken in the morning.
If you drink coffee before breakfast it may cause diarrhea but that’s the least thing to worry about because there are much worse things that can happen when you drink coffee on an empty stomach.
Drinking coffee on an empty stomach can increase the acidity of the stomach and too much acid in the stomach will damage the stomach lining and lead to stomach ulcers. If you eat even a little food before drinking coffee, the food will interact with the extra acids and prevent them from eating up your stomach lining.
Coffee on an empty stomach can also cause indigestion, heartburn and increase the symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBM). When you drink coffee without food in your system, it intensifies the effect of the caffeine because you’ll have only caffeine coursing through your veins.
[3] Drinking coffee on an empty stomach diarrhea
It’s no secret that drinking coffee can cause diarrhea and this can be a lot worse if you drink it on an empty stomach. Coffee on an empty stomach can cause some serious stomach discomfort including indigestion.
Diarrhea from drinking coffee on an empty is not really a health condition and aside from the need to be close to a toilet, there is really nothing else to worry about because the running stomach will go away just as it came.
If you get diarrhea from drinking coffee then try drinking less acidic coffee and avoid adding sweeteners like sorbitol to your coffee drink because sorbitol is a known laxative and will worsen the diarrhea symptoms.
Drinking coffee on an empty stomach is not advisable because it can cause some serious health conditions like stomach ulcers. The best way to drink coffee in the morning is with a hearty meal or at least a snack.
[4] How to prevent diarrhea from coffee
The surest way to prevent diarrhea from coffee is actually to stop drinking coffee altogether but then that will be too much sacrifice. Right?
Well, the good news is that you may not have to ditch coffee completely because of stomach discomfort — except if it’s very severe and it’s affecting your lifestyle — because there are ways to prevent diarrhea from coffee.
Coffee upsets your stomach and makes you rush off to poop because it contains some acids, so drinking less acidic coffee may help you reduce the stomach discomfort that comes with drinking coffee.
Diarrhea from coffee may also be caused by caffeine, this means that you need to also watch the amount of caffeine in your coffee drinks and make sure you don’t consume too much caffeine. Opting for coffee with lower caffeine content — like coffee brewed from darker roast — can help you reduce your caffeine intake.
Another way to mitigate the stomach discomfort that come from drinking coffee is to watch what you add to your coffee drink because some sweeteners contain sorbitol which is a known laxative and can worsen the symptoms of diarrhea.
[5] Diarrhea after drinking coffee with milk
If you notice that you always rush off to poop right after you’ve had coffee with milk, then the dairy — and not the coffee — may be the problem.
On its own, coffee can cause diarrhea because it has the ability to act like a laxative. But this effect of coffee is not felt by everyone, especially people whose bodies have learnt to tolerate coffee. If you’re a regular coffee drinker and you observe that drinking black coffee doesn’t make you poop but when you add milk or other dairy products and sweeteners then you’ll have to rush off to the loo just 15 minutes after drinking the beverage. This can mean that the creamers and sweeteners may be the offenders.
Milk and dairy products are notorious for upsetting the stomach and sending people to the restroom in a somewhat undignified manner. And this doesn’t happen to only people who are strictly lactose intolerant, dairy products can also cause stomach discomfort in people whose bodies tolerate lactose and if you have issues with your digestive tract like IBS, the symptoms can even get worse.
If you find yourself reacting to dairy creamers in your coffee, try switching to non-dairy creamers which do not contain the big offender [lactose]. And you should also be wary of sweeteners which contain sorbitol because this substance can also trigger diarrhea symptoms as it’s a natural laxative.
[6] Diarrhea every morning after coffee
Even if diarrhea can be triggered by what you eat or drink and may not be a symptom of an underlying disease, it can still be very unpleasant and distressing. And if you always have to stay close to the toilet after your morning cup of coffee, then you seriously have to examine what exactly is in that beverage you consume every morning.
Coffee has an impressive number of health benefits but it also comes with some not-so-exciting side effects and one of them includes the urge to poop a few minutes after you’ve had the beverage. This happens because coffee contains certain substances that can trigger bowel movements and contractions in the distal colon resulting to stomach discomfort and diarrhea.
But sometimes it may not just the coffee giving you the runs, it could what you added to it like creamers and sweeteners — especially if the sweetener contains sorbitol which is a laxative. Milk and dairy products can also upset the stomach and make you poop and this can happen even if you’re not exactly lactose intolerant.
You can prevent the diarrhea from coffee by drinking coffee with low caffeine content and low acidity. If morning diarrhea is a regular occurence you may need to review everything you eat and drink, especially the night before because there are other things that can trigger morning diarrhea.
[7] Is coffee good or bad for constipation?
Coffee is an excellent beverage and it can get you up and moving in the morning because it boosts energy levels and stimulates the nervous system. But it also stimulates the digestive system and can have you running to the loo.
This is because coffee can act as a laxative and may even cause diarrhea in some persons. So if coffee can stimulate the intestinal tract and cause you to poop, it can be good for constipation. If you find yourself suffering from a bout of constipation, you may need help in facilitating your bowel movements and loosen your stool.
And a way to achieve this can be by drinking coffee. Yes, coffee can help you relieve constipation by triggering muscle contractions in the large intestine which will make you poop. Aside from coffee, some other beverages that can help with constipation include green tea, black tea, peppermint tea etc. You can also improve your bowel movements by adding fibre-rich foods like whole grains, legumes, fruits and vegetables to your diet.
