While a morning coffee can help you feel more energised, it can also make you want to use the restroom immediately! Coffee can make you feel out of control if it has an overly laxative effect and makes you run to the restroom. Every time you drink hot coffee after that, you might become anxious.
In this manual, we’ll explain why this occurs, how to maintain control, and how to maintain a healthy digestive system.
Why Does Coffee Cause Diarrhea?
According to Insider, doctors are not entirely sure why coffee can stimulate our bowel movements.
Caffeine is one of the factors that contribute to coffee’s poop-inducing effects. Caffeine is a kind of stimulant found in coffee. It initiates a lot of things to happen inside our bodies. Additionally to boosting energy, it might cause intestinal and colon muscle contractions. This can make bowel movements easier.
So how can coffee give you diarrhea?
Gastrin is released by your stomach as a result of coffee. Peristalsis, a wave of intestinal contractions, results from this. Among peptide hormones, gastrin belongs. It is primarily responsible for promoting gastric mucosal growth and gastric motility. It also triggers the stomach to secrete hydrochloric acid (HCl). The G cells of the gastric antrum and duodenum contain the protein glutathione.
A study’s subjects claimed that drinking coffee made them want to urinate. A test involving coffee and its effects was conducted on these participants. Four minutes after consuming unsweetened black coffee, their colon activity increased; the effect persisted for at least 30 minutes.
Coffee contains several compounds that may cause diarrhea after coffee drinking. Here are some of them:
- Caffeine
- chlorogenic acids
- N-alkanoyl-5-hydroxytryptamine
Additionally, if you are lactose intolerant, adding milk or cream can actually make things much worse.
How to Prevent Diarrhea from Coffee?
cup of coffee can make you poop easily. However, if you don’t enjoy the free trips to the bathroom, you can try these fixes:
Drink Less Coffee
Obviously, cutting back on your coffee consumption is the best solution. After all, drinking coffee makes you want to use the restroom more frequently.
You will experience fewer laxative effects if you limit your caffeine intake. Due to its lower caffeine content, tea is a better option for morning consumption. You can try the following remedies if you are unable to give up coffee.
Go for Low Acid Coffee
As mentioned, the acids found in coffee makes you want to poop. Changing the type of coffee you drink is one way to prevent this beverage from making you poop.
If you have been consuming highly acidic coffees, you should start switching to a low acid variety. For instance, low-altitude coffees from Mexico and Brazil are less acidic than those from Indonesia because they are produced in these nations.
Although they might taste different from acidic ones, they should make you less likely to visit the bathroom frequently.
Stop Using Milk Or Creamer
Do you know that 75% of the world’s population is lactose intolerant? Consuming dairy products causes digestive issues, such as diarrhea, in people with this type of disorder.
However, many people are not aware that they have it because of the minimal symptom. If you fall into this category, it might be the cause of your post-coffee constipation. See if your digestive system is affected by eliminating milk or creamer for a week.
You should try to stop adding them to your coffee if it reduces your urge to use the restroom frequently. If not, there are other foxes you can try.
Drink Coffee After Your Regular Bathroom Time
People frequently use the restroom in the morning, which is a known fact. If your morning routine involves using the restroom, you might simply be following your body clock and coffee isn’t to blame.
If you still feel like coffee makes you poop, try skipping it in the morning. If so, coffee has no bearing on how frequently you urinate.
Avoid Drinking Coffee on An Empty Stomach
Coffee and an empty stomach don’t mix well. Coffee causes a strong gastrocolic reflex when consumed without any food.
You feel compelled to use the restroom immediately as a result of how this affects your stomach acid and forces bowel movements.
Consider drinking coffee after consuming something moderately substantial and stable, like bread, fruits, water, or another food., you will less likely experience the laxative effect.
Switch to Decaf
One of the causes of the urge to urinate right after drinking coffee is caffeine, which also has a laxative effect in some energy drinks. Decaf coffee allows you to enjoy a morning cup of coffee while consuming less caffeine.
Decaffeinated coffee still contains some caffeine, but it doesn’t have the same laxative effects as regular coffee.
Control Your Muscle
You have to get up, walk a few steps, and clench your butt cheeks if all else fails and there is no toilet in sight. (Yes, I’m serious.)
When the previous suggestions didn’t work, this final tip is more of a way for you to hold your poop. You may be required to attend a crucial meeting or review session before finals.
This is a good way to avoid having to poop after coffee, or at least to delay it until you are ready to relax on your throne. As you can see, there are many factors, from the compounds in the coffee to the milk and sweetener you add to it, that contribute to the need to use the restroom after drinking coffee.
Summary
As a gastrointestinal stimulant, caffeine quickens peristalsis, the muscle contractions that let food pass through the digestive tract. This quickens the transmission of food through the intestines, resulting in symptoms like diarrhea and stomach cramps. Simply cut back on your coffee intake or stop drinking it on an empty stomach altogether.
FAQs
Should I Stop Drinking Coffee If It Gives Me Diarrhea?
Not quite, because other things, like the dairy you put in your drink, can also cause diarrhea drinking coffee.
Is There Some Medicine to Stop Coffee from Making You Poop?
You can, however, take medications for diarrhea, such as loperamide and bismuth subsalicylate, if you must. These medications include Imodium and Pepto Bismol.
