If you find yourself feeling bloated after a caffeinated drink, you might wonder whether the caffeine itself is to blame. There's no evidence to support the notion that caffeine causes bloating, but it can certainly upset your stomach. Further, some caffeinated beverages contain other ingredients that could lead to bloating.
Caffeine
Caffeinated beverages can help you to feel energized and alert because they stimulate the sympathetic nervous system, which is also called your "fight or flight" nervous system. When this system is stimulated, your heart rate and respiration rate increase. Additionally, your blood flow patterns change, and you become more aware of your surroundings. While you feel as though you have "energy," however, caffeine itself doesn't contain any calories, meaning it can't fuel your cells.
Gas And Bloating
If you're feeling gassy after a caffeinated beverage, it's not likely the caffeine itself that's causing increased formation of gastric or intestinal gas. For gas to form in your digestive tract, bacteria have to break down nutrient molecules. As they do this, they produce a mixture of gases as a byproduct, and these gases can build up in your gut and make you feel floated. However, there aren't bacteria that break down caffeine for energy.
Other Components of Beverages
If a caffeinated drink makes you feel gassy, one possibility is that the drink contains another ingredient that affects your gut. For instance, caffeinated sodas contain carbonation, or carbon dioxide bubbles. These bubbles build up in your digestive tract and make you feel bloated, and carbonated drinks are a common culprit if you're feeling gassy, explains MayoClinic.com. Try eliminating sodas and other carbonated beverages from your diet if you're struggling with gas.
Another Possibility
Caffeine stimulates the digestive tract, which is the reasons it can give you diarrhea or stomach upset, both of which are commonly associated with caffeine use. If you have intestinal gas from another gas-forming food -- common gassy foods include those with large quantities of fiber and certain sugar derivatives that you'll find in hard candy, notes the University of Maryland Medical Center -- caffeine could make you feel it more acutely by increasing intestinal contractions. If drinking caffeine makes you uncomfortable, you should talk to your doctor.
