Coffee Question
Question: Why does coffee make me poop?
Coffee!
We love coffee! It is often thought of as a guilty pleasure, or an every day addiction. You don’t need coffee to live, but coffee is a wonder drug. It can also cause adverse reactions in some people.
Scientists still argue about whether coffee is good or bad for us. There are check marks in both columns, but some of the old studies showing how awful caffeine and coffee are for people have been refuted in the last few years. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t have drawbacks. Coffee can raise your bad (LDL) cholesterol levels. It stimulates gastric acid production and can be hard on reflux, ulcers and other gastric issues.
Coffee stimulates peristalsis! That is why it makes you poop. In fact, some people rely on that effect and have to wean off coffee onto other methods to counteract constipation if they have depended on coffee to keep their bowels going. Coffee also has diuretic properties.
Do you have asthma? Caffeine is chemically related to theophylline, which is an asthma drug. People who drink caffeine have better lung function for up to four hours afterward. It is a weak bronchodilator and it reduces fatigue in the muscles you use to breathe (Caffeine For Asthma). This does not mean it can replace your medication, but it can help you on a rough day.
Caffeine may have beneficial effects on liver function. That one is still being studied. In the past, coffee enemas were used to treat liver problems. I’m not saying I recommend coffee enemas. I like to drink mine the old fashioned way. Along the same lines, coffee seems to decrease progression of disease if you have Hepatitis C (Drinking Coffee Daily Linked to Lower Risk for Progression of Chronic Hepatitis C).
Coffee intake of more than four cups daily may decrease your risk of gout (Drinking 4 or More Cups of Coffee a Day May Help Prevent Gout). Of course, more than four cups daily may give you other problems. Recent studies have indicated that coffee consumption helps protect you against stroke. Contrary to popular belief, recent studies also show caffeine does not seem to raise blood pressure or cause arrhythmias in otherwise healthy people.
A study done in Japan (Coffee Consumption and the Risk of Oral, Pharyngeal, and Esophageal Cancers in Japan: The Miyagi Cohort Study) showed coffee decreased risk of oral, pharyngeal and esophageal cancers independent of diet or other factors. This is interesting considering coffee has an adverse effect on reflux and long time reflux is associated with esophageal cancer.
Many people who drink a lot of coffee also smoke. Smoking with coffee drinking changes everything. Nicotine and caffeine are both stimulants and complicated chemical compounds, but they work differently, and the two of them together have more adverse effects on your body than either of them alone. You should not smoke, but that is a different post. Just know these coffee facts are about coffee and healthy people.
Coffee drinking may decrease risk for prostate cancer (Coffee May Cut Risk of Prostate Cancer) and protect against diabetes (High Coffee/Decaf/Tea Intake Linked to Lower Diabetes Risk) as well. It seems that decaf worked as well as regular coffee in some of these studies. Coffee has an effect on insulin, glucose and sex hormone levels, and it doesn’t seem to be just caffeine related to these effects. There are many chemical compounds in coffee and it is uncertain exactly which of these contributes to the study results.
If you take medications for cardiac problems or allergies, you may have interactions when you add caffeine. Always tell your health care provider everything you take whether it is medication, herbal remedies, over the counter drugs or have a high caffeine intake. But if you are healthy and there are no contraindications, I say enjoy your coffee!
Other resources used for this post:
Charles W. Fetrow, PharmD, Juan R. Avila, PharmD. Complementary & Alternative Medicines.
Karch, Amy M. 2008 Lippincott’s Nursing Drug Guide.
Mitchell, William A., Jr. Plant Medicine in Practice.
Studies can be found on Medscape.
