I’ve never been an avid consumer of coffee, until I met Mike. It’s not that I disliked coffee or anything, but simply because I couldn’t make my own. Anyways, one of the effects I first noticed when I drank coffee was the urge to poop first thing in the morning or soon thereafter. I thought that was just a coincidence. Apparently, scientists have known that for decades, and have some theories on why that is (though there’s no clear cut explanation as to why, yet). Even decaffeinated coffee has that effect, which for the most part, rules out caffeine as the sole aggressor.
All that is known is that coffee stimulates and increases gastrin levels, which in turn stimulates and speeds up peristalsis (the wavelike contractions of the GI tract, usually referred to as gastric motility), as well as increase gastrin levels, hormones that further stimulate the colon. Of course, everyone is different, and many probably don’t experience this; nor are there any extensive studies on just how much people are affected other than a small 1990’s study. Does coffee have this effect on you? Good luck on trying to have this topic as casual conversation to your coffee pals, lol.
Sources: Insider, Health.com, NIH.gov
