Why Does Coffee Make You Poop? Plus Strategies to Stop It

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Examining the science behind coffee and the reason why caffeine sends you racing to the bathroom

Co-authored by Jason Piken and Hannah Madden

Last Updated: February 28, 2023 References

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• How to Not Poop after Coffee
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• Why does coffee make you poop?
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• Is it bad to rely on coffee for bowel movements?
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• Expert Interview
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• Tips

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There’s nothing that wakes you up quite like a morning cup of coffee. But if your cup of joe tends to wake up more than just your mind, you’re not alone—tons of coffee drinkers find that their morning brew sends them to the bathroom right away. While this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, there may come a time when you don’t want your morning routine to end on the porcelain throne. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of ways you can stop coffee from making you poop, as well as an explanation as to why your favorite beverage acts as a laxative. To answer all of your questions and give you some tried and true no-poo coffee techniques, keep reading.

Things You Should Know

• To avoid pooping after your morning cup of joe, try drinking fewer cups of coffee or switching to a low-acid brew (like French roast or dark roast).
• Or, go for decaf or half-caff to cut down on caffeine (which may stimulate your bowels).
• If you have trouble with dairy, try switching to a lactose-free creamer or milk to see if it solves your bathroom problems.

Steps

Section 1 of 3:

How to Not Poop after Coffee

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1. 1
   Drink fewer cups of coffee. Yes, it’s true: the more coffee you drink, the more likely it is to send you to the porcelain throne. While it is safe for most people to have up to 5 mugs of coffee per day, the more you drink, the more likely you are to stimulate your bowels.
2. 2
   Switch to a low-acid brew. The acidity in coffee may be one of the components that causes you to go to the bathroom. By using a low-acid roast, like a French roast, dark roast, or a mushroom blend, you can neutralize some of that acid and save your stomach in the mornings.

   • Making cold brew is another great way to neutralize that acid while still enjoying a delicious cup of joe.
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3. 3
   Drink coffee after breakfast. Drinking coffee on an empty stomach isn’t bad for you, but it can increase coffee’s effects (and that includes giving you the urge to go). If you tend to drink coffee first thing in the morning, try saving your first cup until you’ve had something to eat.

   • Researchers aren’t 100% sure about the validity of this method, but it’s worth a try.
4. 4
   Start drinking decaf or half-caff. If you’re a daily coffee drinker, you probably don’t want to hear that switching to decaffeinated coffee can solve your pooping problems. However, since caffeine is a big reason why coffee stimulates our bowels, moving to a half-caff or even decaf brew can save you a lot of time in the bathroom.

   • If you can’t give up your full-caff coffee just yet (which is totally understandable), try drinking 1 cup of regular coffee and then switching to decaf for the rest of the day.
5. 5
   Stop adding milk or creamer to your coffee. Do you have trouble drinking dairy? A large percentage of the adult population has a tough time digesting lactose, the ingredient in milk and dairy creamers. If you tend to add anything extra to your coffee, try switching to a lactose-free version to see if it helps.

   • Rest assured that you don’t have to give up your creamy coffee in the mornings. Most grocery stores sell lactose-free versions of coffee creamer, and you can also switch to a different kind of milk, like coconut milk, soy milk, or oat milk (none of which contain lactose).
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Section 2 of 3:

Why does coffee make you poop?

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1. 1
   Caffeine content Caffeine stimulates your colon, which sends your body into “I have to go to the bathroom” mode. And since a cup of coffee has about 95 milligrams of caffeine on average, it’s no wonder that a cup of strong coffee will send you jogging (if not sprinting) to the toilet.

   • For reference, a caffeinated soda has about 35 milligrams of caffeine in it.
2. 2
   Acidity You often hear coffee connoisseurs talk about the “acid notes” in coffee. While it’s one of the things that makes coffee taste great, those acids also stimulate the muscles in your intestines, causing your stomach to create more gastric acid (which helps break down proteins). The more acidity in coffee you drink, the more gastric acid your stomach creates, which causes you to break down proteins more quickly… leading to a trip to the toilet.
3. 3
   Gut contractions In some people, coffee stimulates “peristalsis,” or the muscle contraction in the gut. This contraction helps move food along in the intestines, which can lead to a bowel movement.
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   Dairy and sugar It’s not just coffee to blame for your bathroom activities. Any extras that you put into your coffee, like milk, creamer, and sugar, can help stimulate your bowels (especially if you’re lactose intolerant).
5. 5
   Timing Do you usually feel like you have to go to the bathroom first thing in the morning? Your colon is more active right after you wake up, which could mean that your coffee + poop timing is just a coincidence.
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Section 3 of 3:

Is it bad to rely on coffee for bowel movements?

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1. No, it actually may be healthy to drink coffee as a laxative. If you struggle with constipation and find that a cup of coffee helps get things moving, there’s no harm in using it as a bowel movement aid. If you are chronically constipated, though, it’s worth checking in with your doctor to see if there are any underlying issues causing your poop problems.

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Tips

• The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends drinking no more than 400 milligrams of caffeine per day (about 4 or 5 cups of coffee).
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