How good for you is your morning cup of coffee?
It’s no secret coffee helps kickstart the day, but do you find it kicks your digestive system too?
A review published in the journal Nutrients, sponsored by ISIC (The Institute for Scientific Information on Coffee), looked at evidence from 194 research publications on ways coffee may affect our health – including how it stimulates the digestive process and increases good gut bacteria.
Review author Astrid Nehlig Ph.D, Emeritus Research Director at the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM), told us more...
Coffee stimulates the digestive system
The review found drinking coffee is associated with colon motility – the process of food moving through the digestive tract.
“It has been demonstrated for a long time that people really look for their morning coffee to give them energy, to have the feeling they are finally awake, they can start their day,” says Dr Nehlig.
“For about 60% of the population, drinking coffee in the morning helps them to defecate – it stimulates the process.”
It’s a double boost that makes us “feel better”, Dr Nehlig says.
Coffee can boost good gut bacteria
The review found links with coffee consumption and changes in the billions of microbiota or bacteria that live in our guts.
A main finding was around levels of Bifidobacteria 4-8, a ‘good bacteria’ associated with a host of health benefits.
Dr Nehlig points out that studying gut bacteria and how it impacts our overall health is “complex” – because we’re talking about billions of bacteria and “the exact composition of the microbiome of each individual is different”.
However, in a general sense, there’s strong emerging evidence that it plays an important role in overall health and function, and there is a link between gut bacteria and the brain”.
Dr Nehlig adds: “If you compare individuals with and without coffee, you see that individuals who drink coffee have changes in their microbiota, and you find a tendency to increase what we consider ‘good bacteria’...
“We are still missing a lot of information, but globally, coffee changes the composition of certain bacteria in a good sense, in a more healthy direction.”
What if you put sugar in coffee?
“Eating too much sugar is not good.
“But specifically for the gut microbiota, having too much sugar in your coffee and what the consequences are, in this sense, is unknown,” says Dr Nehlig.
What if you drink too much coffee?
The effects aren’t universal, and even those of us who love our morning caffeine boosts are aware there’s a tipping point. Too much might leave us feeling jittery and anxious, for example, and can seriously hinder our sleep.
Is there evidence that too much coffee might undo any positive effects for our digestive systems?
It seems this link has not been studied: “There is a general conclusion that to benefit the most from the potential positive effects of coffee on health, people should be advised to drink three to five cups a day, not more,” Dr Nehlig adds.
“But there is no specific indication for the digestive system.”