Coffee is the favorite morning beverage of millions, but it can lead to complications in some people such as diarrhea. Does coffee give you diarrhea? Ingredients in coffee, most notably caffeine, have been associated with numerous ailments over the years. It’s not clear if it is the caffeine that causes the runs for coffee drinkers, but there does appear to be some kind of identifiable link between coffee and diarrhea in some.
We’ve taken a close look at what conventional wisdom has to say on the subject and what other potential issues may give you diarrhea after drinking coffee. Those findings are outlined in detail below. Some of the conclusions may surprise you.
Does Coffee Give You Diarrhea?
There is evidence that caffeine-containing drinks such as coffee can act as a laxative. Problems usually start when we drink more than 3 cups a day, so if you normally have 1 cup of coffee in the morning to start your day you probably have nothing to worry about.
The caffeine in coffee does seem to stimulate the digestive system. It acts as a pro-motility agent, which means that it can cause the muscles in your stomach to contract and push food and liquids through your digestive system more rapidly. Your stomach can’t process the coffee quickly enough and that leads to diarrhea for anyone with existing sensitivities.
It Might Be Lactose Intolerance
If you get diarrhea after drinking coffee every time you sip on your favorite cup of java there may be something else going on. In the US alone, there are almost 50 million people that can be classified as lactose intolerant and 65 percent of the global population has some level of trouble digesting anything containing lactose.
It may not be the coffee or the caffeine that’s causing your diarrhea. The problem may actually be the cream or milk you’re using in your coffee. Switching to black coffee or at least reducing the amount of cream you use may solve your diarrhea.
Coffee and the Digestive Process
As we’ve mentioned, coffee has been identified as a pro-motility agent that can speed up the digestive system. This isn’t a bad thing for most coffee drinkers as it just makes them more regular. As the coffee enters your digestive system it causes the number of contractions in your intestine to speed up. There’s general agreement that there’s something in coffee causing it to act as a pro-motility agent, but there isn’t agreement on whether that something is caffeine. Some scientists believe it could be something else in the coffee that causes the reaction. Changing to a decaffeinated brand of coffee may help, but when you do that you also lose the stimulating effect of the coffee.
Acidity in Coffee Can Lead to Diarrhea
Another potential cause of diarrhea for coffee drinkers is the acidity of the beverage. That acidity can speed up the production of bile causing it to build up in the stomach. All of that extra bile can upset your stomach and it can cause diarrhea as your system becomes unsettled.
How to Drink Coffee and Avoid Diarrhea
So what can we do to avoid the onset of diarrhea after drinking coffee? We’ve already suggested switching to a decaffeinated brew as a potential solution, but that’s not ideal for most coffee drinkers who enjoy the stimulating qualities of their brew in the morning. A better solution may be to switch to a richer coffee with less acidity such as espresso.
You may also want to cut back on the sugar or sweeteners as these can irritate the stomach. Also, remember to have something to eat with your coffee. This will help to settle your stomach and dilute the acidity of the coffee.