Are you someone who finds they always need to poop after drinking their morning cup of coffee? You are certainly not alone if this sounds familiar; this is a common occurrence and shouldn’t cause alarm; however, unless blood appears in your stool or you experience other gastrointestinal issues like constipation, diarrhea, or cramping this should likely not be cause for alarm. In most cases, experiencing bowel movement after drinking coffee should be normal and nothing to worry about.

Coffee Stimulates Bowel Movements

Your digestive system features an inbuilt “gastrocolic reflex,” which prompts your intestines to produce a bowel movement when food enters it. Your stomach expands during digestion and releases hormones like gastrin and cholecystokinin to stimulate peristalsis – both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee can prompt this reflex, with caffeine increasing peristaltic movement in both colon and rectorium, possibly explaining why people tend to experience bowel movements after meals or drinking large glasses of liquid; stomach needs time to stretch as it empties out as emptying process completes.

Coffee’s soluble fiber may help stimulate bowel movements, while its acidity may encourage your gut to move more quickly as well. Unfortunately, coffee should not be relied upon as an artificial laxative as this can lead to cramping, diarrhea or gas resulting from overuse of coffee as an expectorant laxative.

Ideally, if your daily coffee includes regular pooping episodes, consulting a gastroenterologist might be worth your while. At Virtua GI and Digestive Health we can help determine what’s normal and if there’s more going on than meets the eye with your digestive tract.

If your morning cup of coffee seems to upset your digestive system, take a closer look at what else may be accompanying it. Dairy products (milk or cream) may be lactose intolerant (65% of people are), while added sugars or “sugar-free” sweeteners may cause bloating, diarrhea or other forms of discomfort for some people. A high intake of dietary fiber or certain inflammatory diseases may also contribute to unsettling bowel movements – consulting with a gastroenterologist will ensure optimal balance among fiber, healthy fats and nutrients to ensure regular bowel movements remain uninterrupted.