Coffee's double edge: Why your morning brew sends you running
Coffee is a popular choice to start the day. However, doctors warn against excessive consumption, as it can result in frequent visits to the loo.
If you often find yourself rushing to the bathroom after drinking coffee, it's helpful to understand why this occurs and how to prevent it. Like tea, coffee contains caffeine, which has a diuretic effect and stimulates the digestive system. For some people, this can lead to unpleasant issues such as diarrhoea.
Why do you rush to the loo after coffee?
Dr Hussain Ahmad, a doctor from the UK, explained in an interview with LADbible that many people feel the need to visit the loo after drinking coffee. This also applies to decaffeinated coffee, which acts similarly to "regular" coffee.
He explains that drinking coffee can make you need to go to the bathroom more often because caffeine stimulates the colon, accelerating the movement of food through the body.
Dr Kenneth Brown from Texas confirmed these observations, adding that coffee can be both a blessing and a curse. Caffeine is an effective remedy for constipation, but for some people, it can cause diarrhoea. Moreover, it can increase the production of stomach acid, causing heartburn or acid reflux, which can be uncomfortable or even painful.
The reason for coffee's effect is chlorogenic acid and N-alkonoyl-5-hydroxytryptamides, which naturally occur in coffee and act as laxatives. These compounds increase water content in the colon and cause colon muscle contractions.
How to avoid problems after coffee?
Specialists suggest several ways to avoid too frequent visits to the loo after drinking coffee. Dr Ahmad recommends avoiding drinking coffee on an empty stomach and experimenting with different kinds of coffee.
Dr Brown proposes four other methods:
- drinking smaller amounts of coffee at a time to help reduce the intake of caffeine and other digestive-disrupting ingredients,
- drinking coffee at different times of the day, as it stimulates the gastrocolic reflex more in the morning,
- experimenting with brewing methods, such as cold brew or French press coffee, which may be gentler on the stomach,
- avoiding adding too much cream or sugar, as these can upset the stomach, especially for those with irritable bowel syndrome.
