Coffee has a host of health benefits such as antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties. Drinking coffee has even been suggested to prevent the progression of colon cancer. Yet coffee has an adverse effect on the gut and intestines. It increases stomach acid, damages the lining of the intestines, causes abdominal pain, ulcers, and can even lead to bleeding in the colon.
The following will delve into how coffee affects gut health and the ways that coffee is bad for your intestines and colon.
How Does Coffee Harm Intestines?
Coffee can harm the lining of the intestines. This is because coffee increases stomach acid, and this excess acid is passed through to the intestines. Acid in the intestines causes them to become irritated and inflamed, damaging the lining.
Is Coffee Bad for Your Colon?
Coffee can harm the lining of the colon. The colon can become irritated, inflamed, and this can lead to serious conditions such as abdominal pain, ulcers in the colon, and even bleeding in the colon. As coffee causes food to be passed into the colon more quickly, food can still be undigested when entering the colon, causing blockages and pain.
Can You Drink Coffee If You Have Colon Cancer?
You can drink coffee if you have colon cancer. In fact, WebMD reported a study that showed that drinking coffee can slow the progression of colon cancer. 1,200 patients drank 4 cups of coffee a day and had a 36% higher survival rate over 13 years. Those who drank 4 cups a day had a survival rate of 39 months.
How Does Coffee Help Cancer?
This is because coffee is rich in antioxidants which have anti-inflammatory effects. Many chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and liver disease are linked to inflammation and reducing this can prevent or aid with these illnesses.
Is Coffee Bad for Your Gut?
Coffee can have adverse effects on the gut as it increases the level of stomach acid, irritating the lining of the stomach. Also, as coffee can cause undigested food to be released into the intestine, it can lead to undigested food sitting in the gut. This undigested food can rot or lead to bacteria spreading in the gut and intestines.
Can Coffee Help with Digestion?
Coffee aids with digestion in many ways:
- Coffee causes the colon to contract, pushing food through the digestive system more quickly.
- Coffee also causes the amount of acid in the stomach to increase, which digests food more quickly.
Is Coffee Bad for Digestion?
Yet coffee can also have adverse effects on digestion:
- As food is pushed through the digestive system more quickly, it does not have time to fully digest. This means that undigested food enters the colon, causing abdominal pain.
- The increase in stomach acid when drinking coffee can mean that less stomach acid is available to digest food.
- Acidity in the stomach causes indigestion and acid reflux, gas, and bloating.
Can People with IBS Drink Coffee?
People with gastrointestinal conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn’s disease, gastritis, and colitis, are advised against drinking coffee. This is because it worsens the symptoms of these conditions. Coffee causes irritation and inflammation, leading to gas, bloating, cramps, loose stools and diarrhoea.
Is Coffee A Laxative?
Coffee has laxative effects on the colon. Coffee causes the colon to contract, pushing food through the digestive system faster. This can happen straight after drinking a cup of coffee and is why people start their day with coffee, drink it to aid with bowel movements, or to help with constipation. Yet this can lead to diarrhoea or loose stools.
How Does Coffee Help You Go to the Bathroom?
Drinking coffee can cause cramping and urges that make you need to go to the bathroom. This is because the caffeine in coffee causes your colon and intestinal muscles to contract. Coffee also increases stomach acid and causes food to move through the digestive tract quicker, pushing food through the gut.
Does Coffee Increase Stomach Acid?
Drinking coffee increases the amount of acid in the stomach. One of the reasons is that caffeine is acidic and so adds to the amount of gastric acid.
Is Stomach Acid Bad for Intestines?
More acid in the stomach leads to more acid passing to the colon. This can irritate the lining of the intestines, leading to an upset stomach, gastritis, and even ulcers. As coffee causes food to move through the gut faster, this can lead to food which is not properly digested entering the colon, causing abdominal pain.
Does Coffee Cause Acid Reflux?
Coffee does not just cause stomach acidity; it can also cause acid reflux and heartburn. The oesophageal sphincter is the muscle which allows food into the stomach. This sphincter relaxes when drinking coffee, allowing stomach acid to escape up and irritate the oesophagus. This causes acid reflux and can also have serious complications such as ulcers and sores.
How is Coffee Bad for Health?
Coffee can cause a variety of health issues, which include, according to Manhattan Gastroenterology:
- Acid reflux and heartburn, due to the high acidity content.
- Loose bowel movements due to the contraction of the colon.
- Acid can negatively affect the lining of the intestines and stomach.
- Worsen health conditions such as IBS, gastritis, Crohn’s, and colitis.
- Abdominal pain, gas, bloating, and cramps.
- The caffeine can cause anxiety and insomnia, which can lead to gut issues.
Can Coffee Benefit Health?
According to Digestive Center, coffee contains beneficial substances such as carbohydrates, fiber, minerals, and antioxidants. One of the compounds in coffee, chlorogenic acid, contains antioxidants and has anti-inflammatory effects. It has been suggested to help prevent diseases such as diabetes, cancer, and liver disease.
Should I Stop Drinking Coffee?
If you have any gastrointestinal issues such as irritable bowel syndrome or Crohn’s, you should stop drinking coffee as it can worsen symptoms. If you notice symptoms when you drink coffee such as stomach pain or diarrhoea you should stop drinking coffee to resolve these symptoms.
Hi, I’m Jen Williams, chief editor and writer for ThirstPerk.com.
I’ve been drinking coffee and tea for most of my life, but it wasn’t until I started working at Thirstperk.com that I became an expert on the subject. I’m a total caffeine addict who has spent hours upon hours reading about and experimenting with the different types of coffees out there in my search to find the perfect cup of joe.
I’ve been a tea lover for as long as I can remember as well. I grew up in a house with a mom who loved to drink herbal tea, and I think that’s where my love for tea first began. These days, I’m always on the lookout for new and interesting teas to try, and I love experimenting with different brewing methods and flavoring combinations.