Transcript
Have you ever wondered how coffee can send you running towards your porcelain thrown after just a few six? The most common laxatives work by physically absorbing water in your intestines, which increases the bulk and moisture content of your poop, which stimulates the bowels to contract and move it along, and makes it easier to pass out. But you have to have enough of it reach your intestines before it starts working. Whereas with coffee, sometimes it feels like just the smell of it can make you go double-check your toilet paper supply. So first, we know that it's not just the caffeine. That would still take time to be absorbed, and studies show that drinking decaf coffee still has more than half the laxative effect of drinking the real stuff. Instead, it's a neurochemical signaling effect. We're not sure which of the many phytochemicals in coffee actually produce it, but we know at least part of how it works. When coffee hits certain receptors in your stomach, it triggers the production of a hormone called gastrin. This speeds up digestion and food flow from the stomach, but also helps trigger something called the gastrocholic reflex, which is normally when your body senses the stomach stretching out, and so send signals to your bowels telling it to start clearing out room and make way for Caesar salad. Now let's do some science together. A study back in 1999 surveyed 99 people and found that only 29% of them reported feeling the need to poop after drinking coffee. But I bet the real number is high. So if you drink coffee, comment down below how much you usually drink and whether or not it makes you need to poop. And share this with coffee drinking friends. I'll tabulate the results and report back.
Additional notes
Replying to @WeiszOne If YOU drink coffee I want your help with some science! ❓Does coffee make you poop? Answer down below, covering: 1. How much you drink 2. If it makes you feel the urge Bonus questions: 1. Is there a difference if you drink it morning vs afternoon? 2. Light roast vs dark roast? 📚Key Studies: Effects of Coffee on the Gastro-Intestinal Tract: A Narrative Review and Literature Update PMID: 35057580 Effect of coffee on distal colon function. PMID: 2338272 #coffee #science #coffeelovers #edutok
References
- Original source notes.
- Effects of Coffee on the Gastro-Intestinal Tract: A Narrative Review and Literature Update. PMID: 35057580. DOI: 10.3390/nu14020399.
- Effect of coffee on distal colon function. PMID: 2338272.