How Caffeine Affects The Belly

Caffeine is a central nervous stimulant that is naturally found in many plants, such as coffee and cocoa beans. It's also used as a drug. Whether you are getting your caffeine from coffee or tea, in a chocolate bar or in pill form, it can affect your belly. Consult your doctor before adding caffeine to your diet or medicine cabinet.

Upset Stomach

Caffeine has the potential to upset your stomach. Sometimes ingesting it can lead to vomiting, notes the "The Essential Herb-Drug-Vitamin Interaction Guide," by George T. Grossberg and Barry Fox. Taking caffeine with certain drugs raises your risk for gastrointestinal irritation. These drugs include ibuprofen, naproxen, celecoxib, indomethacin, ketoprofen, piroxicam, ketorolac and rofecoxib. Nausea, in fact, is one of the most common side effects from caffeine, according to Drugs.com. Seek medical attention if using caffeine leads to vomiting.

Bowel Stimulation

Caffeine is a stimulant that can produce bowel movements and diarrhea. If you are having problems with diarrhea or have irritable bowel syndrome, it's best to avoid this substance because you do not need additional bowel stimulation, advises Dawn Burstall, lead author for "IBS Relief."

Urine Output

Caffeine can increase your urine output, notes Drugs.com. It also can increase your excretion of calcium and sodium, which are passed in your urine. Increased urine output also can lead to dehydration. Dehydration, in turn, can cause constipation, notes the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse.

Considerations

Using caffeine can worsen disorders that affect your belly, such as ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, gastroesophageal reflux disease and duodenal or gastric ulcers, note Grossberg and Fox. For example, caffeine appears to stimulate stomach acid secretion, which can aggravate ulcer pain.