# Why Does Coffee Make You Poop? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 28, 2012, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-coffee-make-you-poop/629635 "2012-07-28T01:59:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2012, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-coffee-make-you-poop/629635/21 "2012-07-28T22:39:01Z")
It may also be because most people drink coffee at breakfast, and have last night’s dinner in their system. ---
**Author:** ![tadtooornamental](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@tadtooornamental](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tadtooornamental)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2012, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-coffee-make-you-poop/629635/22 "2012-07-29T03:09:33Z")
I don’t experience the poop effect from coffee (unless I’ve had more than a few cups), but it, or any hot beverage for that matter, will have me taking pee breaks every 15 minutes for at least the next hour and a half. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2012, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-coffee-make-you-poop/629635/23 "2012-07-29T03:32:59Z")
> [@etv78](#): > > It may also be because most people drink coffee at breakfast, and have last night’s dinner in their system. Yes. But there is also a definite psychological component involved as well because I often only need literally a sip or two of my first cup before I’m off to the shitter. There’s just no way anything is making it’s way through my digestive system that quickly. ---
**Author:** ![RearEchelon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b4bc9f/32.png) [@RearEchelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RearEchelon)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2012, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-coffee-make-you-poop/629635/24 "2012-07-29T05:40:46Z")
I don’t have what you’d call a regular bowel… sometimes I’ll shit 2-3 times a day, sometimes every other day. I drink at least 20oz of coffee every morning. So whatever its effect, I would say it doesn’t work on me. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2012, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-coffee-make-you-poop/629635/25 "2012-07-29T05:50:56Z")
And it’s likely the OP would stop being affected if he toughed it out and drank coffee every day. Whether he wants to bother getting to that point is another matter. Morning shits are common. But I agree, sounds like there is a psychological component. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2012, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-coffee-make-you-poop/629635/26 "2012-07-29T06:09:33Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > And it’s likely the OP would stop being affected if he toughed it out and drank coffee every day. Whether he wants to bother getting to that point is another matter. This is a honest-to-goodness, in-all-sincerity question meant with no snark or sarcasm: did you actually _read_ this OP of which you speak? 😕 Because I am a bit more than perplexed as to how you arrived at this response if so. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2012, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-coffee-make-you-poop/629635/27 "2012-07-29T06:50:42Z")
WTF? The OP contains no information relevant to that. If you are offended by the “tough it out” part I am sorry, but I wasn’t suggesting you were a wimp or anything like that. It means: continue drinking despite the problems. The response is completely to **RearEchelon**. S/he drinks a good amount of coffee. You were not a topic of the post except as an acknowledgment as the person who started the thread. If you only drink it a couple times per year when a free pot is out (you do not say how much you drink). It is very likely that anyone with poop-related problems will find that it lessens if they **keep drinking it despite the gastric issues** , and eventually their body will get used to it. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2012, 9:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-coffee-make-you-poop/629635/28 "2012-07-29T09:56:31Z")
Nicotine definitely stimulates peristalis. Some people who quit smoking have trouble moving their bowels because they’ve become dependent on nicotine for that stimulation. Fiber does not stimulate peristalis. Instead, it softens the stool and makes it flow through the system easier. ---
**Author:** ![lance\_strongarm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/87869e/32.png) [@lance\_strongarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lance_strongarm)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2012, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-coffee-make-you-poop/629635/29 "2012-07-29T15:00:29Z")
> [@voltaire](#): > > I’m pretty sure it’s due to the acids in coffee. Try the special low-acid coffees and/or cold-brewing (which minimizes acid content) and you should notice much less of that effect. I only drink cold-processed coffee and I can tell you it still works. ---
**Author:** ![lance\_strongarm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/87869e/32.png) [@lance\_strongarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lance_strongarm)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2012, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-coffee-make-you-poop/629635/30 "2012-07-29T15:01:32Z")
> [@RearEchelon](#): > > I don’t have what you’d call a regular bowel… sometimes I’ll shit 2-3 times a day, sometimes every other day. I drink at least 20oz of coffee every morning. So whatever its effect, I would say it doesn’t work on me. Do you drink more coffee during the day though? ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2012, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-coffee-make-you-poop/629635/31 "2012-07-29T19:18:31Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > WTF? The OP contains no information relevant to that. If you are offended by the “tough it out” part I am sorry, but I wasn’t suggesting you were a wimp or anything like that. It means: continue drinking despite the problems. > > The response is completely to **RearEchelon**. S/he drinks a good amount of coffee. You were not a topic of the post except as an acknowledgment as the person who started the thread. If you only drink it a couple times per year when a free pot is out (you do not say how much you drink). It is very likely that anyone with poop-related problems will find that it lessens if they **keep drinking it despite the gastric issues** , and eventually their body will get used to it. Oh, then don’t refer to **RearEchelon’s** post as the “OP” and you won’t get this sort of confusion in the future. By doing so, I thought you were referring to the _actual_ **OP**. ---
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2012, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-coffee-make-you-poop/629635/32 "2012-07-29T22:58:19Z")
Dracoi, I have a hard time believing there’s 1-2 g of fiber in a cup of coffee- regular filtered coffee anyway. I guess there could be some in French press or or other unfiltered types. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2012, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-coffee-make-you-poop/629635/33 "2012-07-29T23:24:49Z")
> [@california\_jobcase](#): > > Dracoi, I have a hard time believing there’s 1-2 g of fiber in a cup of coffee- regular filtered coffee anyway. That’s because there [isn’t nearly that much](http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=need-fiber-have-some-coff) in regular coffee. The actual amounts vary from 0.47 grams/0.75 grams per 100 milligrams of coffee (a cup). ---
**Author:** ![Southern\_Yankee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/southern_yankee/32/2800_2.png) [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2012, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-coffee-make-you-poop/629635/34 "2012-07-29T23:29:41Z")
I’m with the OP. I drink coffee daily. I _usually_ only drink it in the morning, before eating anything. I drink it strong (typical drink is 4 shots of espresso over ice.) Within 10 minutes of my first sip, the engine is churning. If I miss my morning coffee for some reason, all I need to do is have it at a later time to start the process. It’s quite useful, actually. ---
**Author:** ![RearEchelon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b4bc9f/32.png) [@RearEchelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RearEchelon)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2012, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-coffee-make-you-poop/629635/35 "2012-07-30T01:25:15Z")
> [@lance\_strongarm](#): > > Do you drink more coffee during the day though? No, just in the mornings. Mon-Fri I have a 20oz travel mug which I fill at home and take to work, and that’s all the coffee I’ll drink that day. The rest of the day I’ll drink water or gatorade or iced tea or water, and then maybe a beer or three when I get home. On weekends I’ll drink half a pot at least, but still, only in the mornings. ---
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2012, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-coffee-make-you-poop/629635/36 "2012-07-30T02:12:24Z")
Ambivalid, 100 mg of brewed coffee would be a few drops. Perhaps you meant milliliters? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2012, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-coffee-make-you-poop/629635/37 "2012-07-30T02:18:47Z")
Lance years ago I had irregularity, sometimes only one bowel movement in a week. I drank plenty of coffee. Dr. advised me to sit at table when I drink my coffee, good posture and relax, maybe read the paper but no TV, I did that and it worked the first time and every time since, takes me just about 1 full cup of coffee or a tad more when I refill but always works. ---
**Author:** ![benbo1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@benbo1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/benbo1)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2012, 9:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-coffee-make-you-poop/629635/38 "2012-07-31T09:37:28Z")
> [@River\_Hippie](#): > > Back when I used to smoke, a cigarette would often have the same effect on me. Obviously not every time. > Let’s say if I had a load staged and ready for a shipment, a cigarette would frequently expedite delivery. Cecil covered the nicotine effect here. Strange, we have cells in the stomach whose purpose is to respond only to nicotine: > **[Why does smoking make you want to go to the bathroom?](https://www.straightdope.com/21341738/why-does-smoking-make-you-want-to-go-to-the-bathroom)** For what it’s worth, I doubt caffeine is to blame - I drink decaf and it works. I also have a few squares of chocolate daily, which don’t make me have to go (chocolate has caffeine as well). Finally, spicy foods (especially with capsaicin, which I think is regarded as a stimulant) don’t automatically make me go either - so the caffeine being a stimulant probably ain’t a factor. Coffee has been proven to have some antioxidant compounds, so maybe 1 of these works on the sphincters - I read somewhere there are 3 involuntary & 1 voluntary. Possibly just the right substance making those sphincters vibrate does the trick. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2012, 10:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-coffee-make-you-poop/629635/39 "2012-07-31T10:01:23Z")
For heaven’s sake people… it’s the damned caffeine. [http://www.livestrong.com/article/414580-the-effects-of-caffeine-on-bowel-movements/](http://www.livestrong.com/article/414580-the-effects-of-caffeine-on-bowel-movements/) It’s no kind of logic to say soda doesn’t work or chocolate doesn’t work, because these things have tiny (\<30mg) amounts of caffeine. A cup of coffee has at least 200mg. And FWIW, caffeine works for me. Anything you drink, eat, or read first thing in the morning is likely to be followed by a bowel movement. See if you can spot the common factor in the previous sentence. ---
**Author:** ![benbo1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@benbo1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/benbo1)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2012, 10:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-coffee-make-you-poop/629635/40 "2012-07-31T10:57:13Z")
So people who don’t drink caffeinated coffee don’t poop? What happens, they hold it in til they explode? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-coffee-make-you-poop/629635.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-coffee-make-you-poop/629635.md?page=3)