© Oscar Wong / Getty Images
Coffee has a natural laxative, but doctors do not know exactly why. Oscar Wong / Getty Images
- Coffee promotes bowel movements, although doctors are not sure why this happens.
- Caffeine is not the reason why coffee makes people shit, because caffeine-free coffee can have the same effect.
- Four cups of coffee is the maximum recommended amount you should drink per day.
- Visit the Insider’s Health Reference Library for more advice.
For many people, a day does not start unless they have had a cup of coffee, but this morning the staple food is often followed by a trip to the bathroom. In a small 1990 study, coffee stimulated a bowel movement in 29% of participants. However, there is no definitive answer about coffee that causes a laxative.
Most people think that caffeine is to blame. Although caffeine appears to cause an earlier urge to defecate, and is a known stimulant, coffee without caffeine can also stimulate bowel movements.
“It should be something about coffee as a whole, rather than caffeine in isolation, which stimulates a bowel movement,” says Jill Deutsch, MD, director of the Yale Functional Gastrointestinal Disorder Program.
Here’s what you need to know about the laxative that drinks coffee.
Why does coffee make you shit?
The exact reason for coffee’s laxative effect is unclear, but doctors assume it’s a combination of factors. “The short answer is that we are not entirely sure! It seems to be the overall formulation of coffee that helps us shit,” says Deutsch.
How coffee affects your gut:
- Milk: Drinking milk can cause bloating, increased gas and diarrhea in people with lactose intolerance, the inability to digest the sugar found in dairy products. They can benefit from the choice of lactose-free milk options such as soy, oats, coconut and almond milk.
- Stomach levels: Caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee can increase gastrin levels, the hormone that makes the colon more active.
- Motor function of the colon: With or without caffeine, coffee can stimulate the motor activity of the colon, or the contractions that cause the urge to have a bowel movement.
- Timing: Colonial motor activity naturally increases after waking up, which may explain why some people feel like going to the bathroom in the morning.
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There is no specific amount of coffee that will stimulate the stool because it is different for everyone. “Not everyone gets the same kind of laxative by drinking coffee. And in fact, some people are not drunk by coffee at all,” says Deutsch.
Is it healthy to drink coffee as a laxative?
If it works for you, it may be healthy to drink coffee as a laxative, says Deutsch. Consuming up to 400 milligrams of caffeine daily is safe without adverse effects, which is about the amount in four cups of coffee. However, continued consumption of higher doses can lead to caffeine dependence.
What the research says: According to a 2013 study, caffeine is the most widely used drug in the world. It is important to use less than 400 milligrams of caffeine daily to prevent symptoms of caffeine dependence, such as a strong desire to use the drug, difficulty controlling your drug use, and withdrawal.
Other beverages also contain caffeine, such as soda, tea (including kombucha) and energy drinks. However, there is no research that proves that it has a similar laxative as coffee. “We do not have data to support that other caffeinated beverages stimulate a bowel movement,” says Deutsch.
Insider’s takeaway
Caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee stimulates bowel movement for some people, but there is no definite reason why it is. The general digestive effects of coffee, milk and the time you drink it can all contribute to the laxative.
It may be healthy to drink coffee as a laxative if it works for you, but a sustained consumption of more than 400 milligrams of caffeine per day (which is about cups of coffee) can lead to caffeine dependence. Keep in mind that caffeine is not only found in coffee but also in tea, soft drinks and energy drinks, although it has not been proven to stimulate bowel movement.
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