How to avoid coffee's unwanted bathroom effects
1:09 PM EDT, September 6, 2024
Coffee is a popular morning beverage. While many can't imagine life without it, doctors warn against excessive consumption. Why? It often prompts a visit to the bathroom, which may not be pleasant for everyone.
Do you often need to go to the bathroom after drinking coffee? If so, you should understand why this happens and how to avoid it. Coffee (and tea containing caffeine) is a diuretic that generally stimulates the digestive system. However, in some people, it may cause discomfort, including diarrhea.
Why do we want to go to the bathroom after coffee?
Dr. Hussain Ahmad, a doctor in the United Kingdom, explained in an interview with LADbible why so many people need to visit the bathroom after drinking coffee. His statement also applies to decaffeinated coffee, which acts similarly to regular coffee.
- Drinking coffee can make you need to go to the bathroom more often because the caffeine gets your colon moving, which speeds up how quickly waste moves through your system - he said.
Dr. Kenneth Brown from Texas confirmed Dr. Ahmad's words and noted in the same interview that coffee can be both a blessing and a curse. Caffeine is an excellent way to relieve constipation for some people.
- However, it can also cause diarrhea in some people - said Dr. Brown.
- Additionally, caffeine can increase the production of stomach acid, resulting in heartburn or acid reflux, which can be uncomfortable and even painful - he emphasized.
The causes of these effects are chlorogenic acid and chemicals called N-alkanoyl-5-hydroxytryptamides.
- Furthermore, [these] are naturally occurring compounds that act as laxatives. These compounds increase the water content in the colon and the contractions of the colonic muscles. - he explained.
How to prevent bathroom visits?
According to both specialists, there are several ways to avoid frequent bathroom visits after drinking coffee.
- Avoid having it on an empty stomach, or experiment with different kinds of coffee - suggested Dr. Ahmad.
Dr. Brown presented four other solutions to help combat this problem:
- Try drinking smaller amounts of coffee at a time. This can help to reduce the amount of caffeine and other components in the coffee that may be causing digestive upset.
- Try drinking coffee at various times of day. In the morning, coffee will stimulate the gastro-colic reflex, where the hormones from the stomach tell the rectum to contract.
- Experiment with different brewing methods. Some people find that cold brew or French press coffee causes less stomach discomfort than regular drip coffee.
- Avoid adding too much cream or sugar to your coffee. These can be triggers for some people and contribute to stomach upset, especially if you have issues like IBS (irritable bowel syndrome).
