Why Does Coffee Cause Bowel Movements?
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Stimulant
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We all know that coffee contains a certain amount of caffeine. Some products obviously contain a little more than others; it depends on the brand and the method of processing the beans. But no matter what kind of coffee (even decaf) you brew, caffeine is going to make up some part of your cup. This well-known stimulant can prompt the contraction of the muscles in your digestive tract, including the colon and even the sphincter. When the contractions are invigorated, so to speak, your body, or at least your digestive system, will move the waste until it is expelled, producing a bowel movement.
Diuretic
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While coffee can help to stimulate a bowel movement, it isn't necessarily a treatment for constipation. Since coffee also works as a diuretic, which essentially means that it can remove some liquid from the body, it can leach liquid from a stool and further dry out it out, making it even more difficult to pass. So if you are constipated, drinking coffee could ultimately worsen the condition. However, the diuretic nature of coffee isn't enough to cause constipation. It can still prompt a bowel movement in someone who is "regular."
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Other Benefits
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Besides keeping you awake (and possibly prompting a bowel movement), coffee consumption actually has other health benefits to the average daily drinker. Coffee does contain some antioxidant properties, produced through the roasting process of the beans. It may also help reduce the risk of both Alzheimer's and Type 2 diabetes. There is some evidence, according to the Harvard Medical School, that coffee even has some anti-cancer properties.
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Comments
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or just take a glass of prune juice.
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Sino General
Dec 17, 2010
I dont think any of this would be very healthy, i mean roasting anything kills anything good that may have been able to create antioxidant properties. Once you cooked,bake,boil the heat kills it. So really that would be invalid. As well how could caffine or anything in coffee be anti-cancer ? When your body see this as a toxin ? Coffee actually stops the process of toxin elmination by stopping your gall bladder from working/elimination or secreting bile,which cleans out your body of toxins. -
bugmenomore
Oct 06, 2010
John, Your tip is a good temporary solution, but if you have chronic bowel problems you will want to investigate a more permanent solution. Try making small changes to your diet. Constipation and bowel problems are most commonly caused by inability to digest certain foods. You likely have an undiagnosed food allergy. Wheat and dairy are the most commonly undiagnosed allergies.
