Quickly down a coffee and then sprint wide awake to the meeting, the train or the lecture – a common tactic. However, this short-term wake-up call can take its toll after just a few minutes.
Namely when things start to rumble in the digestive tract and going to the toilet, although highly inappropriate, can no longer be avoided.
But why does coffee actually make you have to go to the quiet place so much faster than usual?
Stimulated digestion: Caffeine alone is not the reason
Coffee actually has a laxative effect. However, research is divided as to exactly why this is. It is clear that the caffeine contained in coffee increases blood pressure and thus stimulates the metabolism.
An old study from 1998 underlines this. It turned out that caffeinated coffee had a 23 percent stronger stimulating effect in the colon than decaffeinated coffee.
In contrast, another study made it clear that it cannot be caffeine alone that triggers the immediate urge to have a bowel movement after a cup of coffee. In this study, the researchers gave their subjects either black, caffeinated coffee, decaffeinated coffee or hot water to drink.
It turned out that caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee had a similar stimulating effect, while pure hot water triggered significantly less of the urge to go to the toilet.
The hormone gastrin stimulates digestion
The body’s own hormone gastrin is thought to be another trigger for stimulated digestion.
This digestive hormone is produced in the body and released as soon as food enters the stomach to stimulate muscle contraction of the stomach wall. After consuming coffee, gastrin release is particularly high. This means that the food in the stomach is broken down more quickly and released into the intestines.
Can irritate the stomach: Be careful with milk and sweeteners
Pascale M. White, lecturer in gastroenterology at Mount Sinai Health System (New York) and director of the Department of Gastroenterology, also cites another aspect that can affect digestion: the addition of additives such as artificial sweeteners and milk to coffee , which can irritate the stomach.
Especially with regard to dairy products, the doctor warns that some people may have lactose intolerance, which affects the intestinal tract and can lead to both increased and loose stools.
Basically, after a coffee, a slightly increased urge to go to the toilet is completely normal and, apart from short-term bad timing, there are no known long-term negative consequences.