How to Stop Coffee from Making you Poop?


Having a bit of java in the morning has its advantages, but you may want to prevent some of the effects of this beverage.

After exploring the causes of why coffee makes a person defecate in my last post, I decided to give solutions on how to stop coffee from making you poop.

During my research, I found that some individuals get the urge to visit the loo instantly after having an espresso shot or a mug of black drip.

There are coffee consumers who are fans of the laxative properties of their morning cup, but others want to neutralize these effects.

After all, our organisms and the way we process the bioactive compounds in coffee, such as caffeine, varies.

That’s why some coffee drinkers are actively looking for ways to get to stop their cappuccino or iced latte from making them rush to the bathroom.

If you’re one of them, here you will find ways to minimize or completely terminate the need to poop after having coffee.

So let’s dive in.

How to prevent coffee from making you poop?

Before we get into the details and explore the ways to reduce the laxative effects of your cup of Java, it’s good to mention that coffee poops aren’t actually a bad thing.

Furthermore, some sources suggest that coffee may be beneficial for your gut microbiome and help you maintain fecal regularity.

But if you’re too sensitive to some of the bioactive compounds of coffee, or suffer from a health condition, such as irritable bowel syndrom (IBS), the effects of your morning beverage on your gastrointestinal tract may not be favorable.

So here are the ways to stop coffee from making you poop:

1. Decrease your caffeine intake

There is evidence that caffeine may stimulate colon motor activity and decrease the time it takes for substances to move through the digestive tract. Therefore, the more caffeine you consume, the more likely you are to get the urge to poop. If you’re trying to stop coffee from making you defecate, you should monitor your caffeine intake and make sure that you aren’t drinking too many cups per day.

The amount of caffeine a serving contains depends on various factors – the type of coffee beans, the brewing method, and other coffee brewing variables, such as water temperature, grind size, pressure, and agitation.

For example, Robusta coffee beans contain twice the amount of caffeine compared to Arabica.

Furthermore, even though espresso has the highest caffeine concentration per fluid ounce, a standard cold brew serving contains a higher caffeine dose. You can check out my article on which coffee has the most caffeine for more insight.

It’s also worth noting that many coffee lovers unconsciously go overboard with their caffeine consumption.

Moreover, you may be ingesting caffeine through other foods and beverages, such as chocolate and energy drinks.

According to the FDA, a healthy individual shouldn’t consume more than 400 mg of caffeine per day.

In case drinking coffee throughout the day makes you rush into the bathroom, you should ask yourself whether you’ve been drinking a bit too much.

If that’s the case, try to decrease your caffeine consumption and you will likely prevent coffee from making you poop.

2. Make coffee with a dark roast

Apart from caffeine, there are other substances in coffee that influence our digestion and provoke the need to visit the bathroom.

There is evidence that coffee’s acids, such as chlorogenic acid, stimulate gastric acid secretion and the release of digestive hormones, such as cholecystokinin.

This explains why both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee influences our bowel movements.

There are ways to decrease the concentration of coffee acids in your cup which will consequently prevent it from driving your need to poop.

Coffee’s acidity varies depending on a few factors, one of which is the roast degree.

Dark-roasted coffee is generally less acidic. I also found a scientific report which suggests that dark roasted coffee may stimulate gastric acid secretion to a lesser degree compared to medium roasts.

Therefore, if you’re trying to stop coffee from making you poop, you can switch to using dark-roasted coffee.

This is so because it contains fewer of the substances that influence bowel movements.

3. Switch to paper-filtered coffee

Another way to lower acid concentration in your coffee and consequently decrease the laxative properties of your cup is by using a coffee paper filter.

During my research, I came across a scientific report which confirms that paper-filtered coffee has lower chlorogenic acid concentrations compared to non-filtered.

In other words, the paper traps some of the substances that affect your gastrointestinal tract. Therefore, if you’re trying to stop coffee from provoking your urge to poop, I recommend switching to paper-filtered coffee.

Furthermore, brewing your coffee in a pour-over brewing device with thick paper filters, such as Chemex, will further lower your coffee’s influence on bowel movements.

If you want to learn more about the Chemex filters and what makes them so special, you can check out this guide.

That aside, other pour-over devices that involve the use of paper filters are also an option. For example, you can use a Hario V60 dripper to prepare your coffee. Its filters are also capable of trapping the coffee substances that affect the digestive system.

4. Switch to cold brew coffee.

The concentration of coffee substances that affect colon motor activity and digestion also depends on the brew temperature.

The lower the brew temperature, the lower the amount of acidic compounds a cup of Joe contains. Therefore in order to stop coffee from making you poop, you should try switching to using cold brew coffee.

Furthermore, by combining this brewing method with using a dark roast blend, you will make sure that your beverage’s acidity is further reduced.

This way it will impact your gastrointestinal tract less.

Even if you’re not a fan of iced coffee, remember that cold brew can also be served hot.

Furthermore, the brewing method is easy, forgiving, and eco-friendly. You can check out my guide on how to make cold brew concentrate in a jar for more details.

With that being said, keep in mind that a cold brew serving is usually more caffeinated than a regular cup of, say, drip coffee or a shot of espresso.

As previously mentioned, caffeine also impacts your colon motor activity.

So keep your cold brew consumption in moderation to prevent coffee from driving your need to rush into the bathroom.

5. Avoid adding dairy products to your coffee

Many habitual consumers are fans of cappuccinos and lattes or prefer adding a dash of milk or creamer to their black coffee.

Nevertheless, the dairy in your cup may be affecting your gastrointestinal system, especially if you’re lactose intolerant.

Lactose intolerance is a digestive malfunction that often develops later in life.

That’s why many coffee drinkers would find it surprising that their beverage suddenly starts affecting their bowel movements in unusual ways and gives them the urge to rush into the bathroom after having a cup.

Therefore, to stop coffee drinks from upsetting your stomach or making you poop, you should avoid adding dairy condiments, such as creamer or milk.

Instead, you can switch to adding plant-based milk or other dairy-free products to your coffee.

6. Stay away from artificial sweeteners

Many sugar substitutes affect digestion and have laxative properties, especially if consumed in excess.

If you’re on a keto diet or you’re trying to cut back your calorie intake you may be using such sugar-free sweeteners.

For example, sucralose (marketed as Splenda) is used in many zero-calorie syrups that are often added to coffee drinks.

This artificial ingredient may cause indigestion symptoms such as bloating, gas, and diarrhea in some individuals.

Related Post: Can Coffee Cause Diarrhea and Why?

Others wouldn’t experience such harsh effects on their digestive system, but sucralose would still trigger their need to defecate. Other sweeteners, such as maltitol or saccharine, would have the same influence on people’s bowel movements.

So if you’re trying to stop coffee from making you poop, you should avoid using artificial sugar substitutes, or make sure you consume them in moderation.

Furthermore, even natural zero-calorie sweeteners such as stevia and erythritol may also affect bowel movements.

So you should consider staying away from adding them to your cup. Especially if you want to minimize the effects of coffee on your desire to poop.

Author’s Note: If you’re on a keto diet and drink bulletproof coffee, keep in mind that a common ingredient of this type of beverage – MCT oil, may also be making you rush into the bathroom.

Therefore, you may want to avoid using it if your keto beverage stimulates you to do the number two.

Final Words

I hope that you found this article helpful and that you’ve managed to successfully apply my tips on how to stop your coffee drink from making you poop.

It’s worth noting that the effects of the different substances in a coffee beverage vary from one individual to another.

To prevent the effects of coffee on your bowel movements you don’t need to apply all my recommendations at once.

In other words, you don’t need to exclusively drink black paper-filtered coffee made with darkly roasted Arabica beans.

It may be sufficient for you to switch to using plant-based milk or stay away from artificial sweeteners.

Anyway, if you have further questions, leave them in the comment section below.

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