If you are someone who cannot “go” without your morning coffee, you might be interested to learn that you are not alone. Along with antioxidants and a morning pick-me-up, coffee also helps with bowel movements for a subset of the population. When you do not have the time to brew a fresh pot, instant coffee can provide these same benefits for your digestive system.
Regular or Decaf
In 1990, the gastrointestinal department at Royal Hallamshire Hospital conducted the "Effect of Coffee on Distal Colon Function." This two-part study began with a survey of 99 young, healthy men and women, asking if drinking coffee made them more likely to have a bowel movement. Twenty-nine percent, mostly women, answered yes.
Researchers then used "multiport manometry" to observe the motor response of the colon on fourteen participants. Subjects were given black, unsweetened coffee to drink. Actual motor activity increased in those who had responded "yes" to the survey, suggesting that the greater urge to defecate was an actual physical response, not just a psychological one. Regular and decaf coffee produced the same effect, but had no effect on those who had said "no" to the original survey question. Instant coffee generally has less caffeine, but this study suggests that a subset of the population is more likely to feel effects on bowel habits than others, regardless of caffeine.
Coffee vs. Hot Water
The Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology published a 2005 study where sixteen subjects were given either 280 ml of hot coffee or 2 mg of sublingual nicotine and then observed for physical changes in rectal tone. Nicotine had little effect on tone of rectal muscles, but coffee increased tone by 45%. Interestingly, hot water also increased tone by about 30%.
This contraction of bowel muscles is likely responsible for the subsequent effects on defecation. If you are someone who experiences negative side-effects from caffeine, you may stand to gain similar digestive benefits by drinking hot water or herbal teas. Nonetheless, coffee will probably produce the greatest response. By choosing instant coffee you can have more control over the strength of your drink, depending how much coffee you decide to mix in.
Composition of Instant Coffee vs. Brewed
According to the International Coffee Organization, the average caffeine content in 5 oz of instant coffee is 65 mg. Percolated coffee contains about 80 mg, and drip coffee contains about 115 mg. Despite a slightly lower caffeine content, instant coffee is chemically similar to brewed coffee. If you feel the urge to have a bowel movement after drinking regular drip coffee, you likely will experience the same effect after drinking instant or decaffeinated coffee.
Conclusions
Ultimately, it seems that an increased urge to defecate after coffee is a very individual matter. The general guide for healthy individuals is having bowel movements between three times a day to once every three days. Talk to your doctor if your bowel habits change unexpectedly, as this may be a sign of a more serious condition. No matter what type of coffee you choose to drink, having a healthy diet, adequate in fiber and fluids, is the key to maintaining digestive health.
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