Coffee is a reliable energy-boosting beverage that could also have a laxative effect that makes you rush to the bathroom as soon as you drink the brew in the morning. Although there is no harm in consuming coffee in moderation to aid your bowel movement as many coffee drinkers do, it helps to learn how to stop coffee from making you poop so you can stay in control.
We will take a look at why coffee acts as a laxative, explain its effects on your body and provide potential solutions that will help you to reduce the side effects and to maintain a healthy digestive system so you will no longer have to rely on coffee to poop.
Coffee may trigger different reactions in individuals depending on the type of coffee and how it is prepared and consumed. The most common side effect is bathroom urges that could become an inconvenient morning ritual for some coffee drinkers when they occur repeatedly.
At least 30 percent of coffee consumers will dash to the restroom after their first cup of coffee in the morning. Some attribute it to lactose intolerance which makes them sensitive to dairy products and coffee additives and others suggest that coffee acidity is to blame.
The best way you can learn how to drink coffee without pooping and other side effects is by identifying the root cause of these issues.
According to WBUR Trusted Source Coffee And The Ritual Bowel Movement A doctor responds to the question: why does coffee make me poop? www.wbur.org , the Boston University Radio, researchers believe that the caffeine content of coffee and other substances in the brew are responsible for the bowel-stimulating effects. Coffee may act as a laxative and trigger peristalsis in some people because of the increased gastrin levels caused by the chemical compounds of coffee. During peristalsis, your gut muscles contract and relax in a coordinated manner that moves the food in your digestive system and causes bowel movement.
The extent of peristalsis effect has been compared to the one induced when you eat a meal. Colon stimulation from caffeinated coffee is also 23 percent stronger than one induced by the best decaf coffee and 60 percent stronger than the peristalsis effect caused by water.
We will also explain how to prevent diarrhea from coffee since heightened peristalsis can cause looser stools because it reduces the time that your colon can reabsorb water to produce solid stool.
Caffeinated soda contains 35 milligrams of caffeine whereas a cup of coffee contains 95 milligrams Trusted Source Analyzing Caffeine in Selected Dietary Supplements About half of adults in the United States report consuming dietary supplements regularly. What they may not know is that some of these supplements contain caffeine, even if it’s not listed on the label. www.ars.usda.gov of caffeine. Although the reaction varies according to the individual, it is not surprising that we often get an urge to poop after consuming strong coffee because caffeine is a laxative that stimulates our digestive system.
Some people use coffee to regulate their bowel movement although we do not recommend using it as a solution for chronic constipation because your poop issues could be as a result of underlying issues that should be checked out by a doctor.
If you are looking into how to drink coffee without pooping, you should check out other substances such as creamers, sugar, dairy products and sweeteners that you add to your coffee as they could be causing the problem. These additives can have a laxative effect especially in individuals who are lactose intolerant because they do not produce enough lactase to break down lactose so it can be absorbed in their bodies.
A healthier way to prevent diarrhea from coffee is to substitute milk with non-dairy alternatives such as almond or coconut milk and creamer with syrup and non-dairy milk for additional flavor. You could also take black coffee such as Lavazza Intenso, the strong, rich and smooth coffee available in a 12-ounce bag.
The World Journal of Gastroenterology Trusted Source Diet in irritable bowel syndrome: What to recommend, not what to forbid to patients! A substantial proportion of patients with irritable bowel syndrome associate their symptoms with the ingestion of specific foods. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov reports that caffeinated coffee may boost gastric acid secretion which speeds up protein digestion and causes increased colonic motor activity. The result is an urgent trip to the restroom to poop a few minutes after drinking high-acid coffee.
Coffee contains several compounds such as N-alkanoyl-5-hydroxytryptamides, caffeine and chlorogenic acids that lend it the flavorful tart notes. While these acids may help with a bloating stomach, a high amount of gastric acid can lead to irritable bowel syndrome and cause diarrhea from coffee because your body may not break down food and absorb it properly.
Did you know that darker roasts are less acidic than lighter roasts? We have reviewed the best low acid coffee that will allow you to enjoy a delicious drink without causing you heartburn, acid reflux, a sour stomach and other unpleasant symptoms.
You also have low-acid options such as cold brew and decaffeinated coffee. You could also add fortified almond milk to your coffee so the calcium can neutralize the acid. Another unorthodox solution is to add eggshells instead since they are alkaline in nature.
Although not everyone dashes to the porcelain throne after their morning cup of coffee, it is a common occurrence for a large number of coffee connoisseurs.
We will now discuss how to drink coffee without pooping by trying out the following solutions:
The first step is to switch from high acid variety to less acidic coffee that does not make you poop frequently. The acidity of coffee acts as a measure of its quality, and it is determined by the type of coffee beans, how they are grown and roasted and how you brew your coffee.
You can reduce coffee acidity by cold brewing it. Simply soak the coffee grounds in a pitcher with water for 12 hours to extract flavor and make low-acid coffee.
Also, ensure that you drink coffee as soon as you brew it since the acid levels change if the coffee sits for an extended time.
French roast, mushroom blend and dark roast are also great low-acid options that can prevent diarrhea from coffee.
As we mentioned earlier, decaffeinated coffee has significantly less laxative effect than caffeinated coffee due to less caffeine. The caffeine content of a cup of decaf coffee is 7 milligrams.
Although regular coffee has more health benefits because it has more antioxidants, decaf coffee has little to no side effects and the lower amount of acid makes it an excellent choice for a sensitive stomach.
It is also ideal for adolescents, pregnant women and people on certain medications that could interact with caffeine.
Consider drinking decaf coffee that does not make you poop because it does not stimulate your bowels as much as the high caffeine content of regular coffee does. If you have to drink caffeinated coffee, half-caff offers the right balance because it combines regular and caffeinated coffee and you can gradually taper your caffeine consumption caffeine and lessen any side effects and withdrawal symptoms.
For many people, a cup of coffee first thing in the morning is a daily ritual that boosts our alertness levels, and the best instant coffee is convenient when we are too busy to brew a fresh batch. It is inexpensive, can make a hot brew or iced coffee easily and it is also available as specialty coffee.
However, you may want to skip or switch your coffee consumption to a later timing after your morning bathroom routine. This way, you will be able to identify whether coffee is the issue since it may not be the culprit for the extra bathroom trips. Your bowel movements in the morning might simply be triggered by your body clock, and not by coffee. Otherwise, read on for more tips on how to not poop after coffee.
Drinking coffee on an empty stomach will boost your energy more quickly but it might also increase the effects of coffee by inducing your gastrocolic reflex and increasing your bowel movements.
According to Harvard Trusted Source The Nutrition Source Many of us can’t imagine starting the day without a cup of coffee. One reason may be that it supplies us with a jolt of caffeine, a mild stimulant to the central nervous system that quickly boosts our alertness and energy levels. www.hsph.harvard.edu , caffeine takes 15 minutes to 2 hours to peak in the blood but food in your gut can delay the peak time. This means that you can prevent diarrhea from coffee and reduce its laxative effect by having your coffee after a meal of fruits or bread.
The more caffeine you consume, the greater the effects on your digestive system. A simple solution to not pooping after coffee is to reduce your intake or to replace coffee with tea which has lower caffeine content.
Try eliminating sugar and dairy products in your coffee for a while so you can narrow down to the root cause of the laxative effect since lactose intolerance can also trigger diarrhea. If you find that removing them lessens your bathroom trips, then you can switch to oat milk, soy milk and coconut milk as they are all lactose-free.
High acid coffee may trigger diarrhea in some individuals as the acid induces gastric acid that stimulates your colon.
Below we have listed the kind of coffee that does not make you poop because it has less caffeine and laxative effect.
The brewing method is one of the factors that determine the acidity level of coffee. However, dark roasts such as Starbucks Ground Coffee Caffè Verona are typically less acidic than lighter roasts because they are roasted for a longer period. Dark roasts are gentler on your digestive system because the roasting process reduces the compounds that prevent you from drinking coffee without pooping.
Try switching from Robusta blends to 100% Arabica beans which have better flavor profiles and lower acid content that makes you less susceptible to diarrhea from coffee.
There are multiple variable that impact the taste and quality of coffee Trusted Source Coffee Around the World The ideal conditions for coffee trees to thrive are found around the world in along the Equatorial zone called ‘The Bean Belt,’ located between latitudes 25 degrees North and 30 degrees South. www.ncausa.org ; coffee variety, climate, altitude, and soil chemistry, among other factors. Low-altitude coffee varieties generally have fewer acids than coffee that grows on high altitudes. For instance, coffee from Brazil is sweet, low-acid and medium-bodied and Sumatra coffee is characterized by mild acidity and a rich, full body.
Nicaragua also produces coffee beans that are sweet with medium acidity. Coffee that does not make you poop has low to medium acidity.
Many of us have been wondering how to not poop after coffee and may have accepted it as an unavoidable problem because we cannot pinpoint what makes us sprint to the bathroom immediately after consuming coffee, considering there are other culprits other than caffeine.
To identify the potential cause, our guide on how to stop coffee from making you poop suggests that you eliminate additives with lactose, reduce your coffee intake, drink coffee after meals and postpone taking coffee until after you have used the bathroom.
We have also provided decaffeinated, dairy-free and low-acid alternatives that are just as delicious as coffee with the added benefit of little to no acid that would wreak havoc on your digestive system.
