If you’re struggling to poo regularly, a good cup of coffee may be the solution

Coffee is loaded with tons of great nutrients that leave you feeling energised and alert.

But a study has found that coffee also contains various chemicals including caffeine that get your bowels moving.

The research revealed that 29 per cent of people needed to use the bathroom within 20 minutes of drinking a cup of coffee.

Adding milk or cream also increases the effect of coffee, especially if you're lactose intolerant.

So if you're struggling to go to the bathroom regularly, a good cup of coffee may be the solution.

If you've ever wondered why that's the case, then here's your answer…

Why does coffee make you poo?

There are several reasons behind why the caffeine-fuelled drink gives you the urge to poo.

Caffeine activates your colon

Caffeine is a natural stimulant that helps you stay alert and coffee is undoubtedly one of the best sources of caffeine, with one single cup containing as much as 95 mg of caffeine.

Besides being a great energy booster, several studies have shown that caffeine causes your colon and intestinal muscles to contract giving you the urge to poo.

While caffeine makes your colon 60 per cent more active, decaf coffee is actually just as effective in getting your bowels moving.

Coffee stimulates hormones

Coffee has been shown to raise levels of gastrin and cholecystokinin, two hormones which have been shown to push food through the gut.

Gastrin, like caffeine makes your colon more active while digestive hormone cholecystokinin increases the movement of food through the colon.

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Milk and cream may help bowel movements

Coffee on its own can make you poo, but adding milk or cream to it will promote even more bowel movements.

This is more common in those with lactose intolerance who experience symptoms such as bloating, stomach cramps or diarrhoea soon after consuming dairy.

Chemicals found in coffee

Two compounds called chlorogenic acids and N-alkanoyl-5-hydroxytryptamides are known to stimulate the production of stomach acid.

This churns the food in our stomachs and quickly pushes it through the gut.

Your natural body clock

While coffee can induce bowel movements, sometimes having the urge to poo right after drinking coffee is a coincidence.

Your body's internal clock, known as the circadian rhythm, helps regulate many processes, including bowel movements.

According to your body clock, your bowels are twice as active when you first wake up, compared to while you’re asleep, which might be why you feel the urge to poo in the morning.

The act of drinking itself makes the colon more active and triggers the gastrocolic reflex, which is the same reflex that activates the colon after you eat a meal.

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Does coffee make everybody poo?

The post-coffee urge to poo is common, but doesn’t affect everyone. People with digestive issues like IBS or those who are older are more prone to this urge because their bowels are more sensitive to the effects of coffee.

Similarly, those with lactose intolerance may be affected if they add any dairy products to their coffee. It’s also unclear if the urge to poo after coffee fades away in regular drinkers of the beverage.

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