Coffee as a Laxative
Coffee, the delicious hot beverage has numerous benefits to the health. Coffee is one of the diverse substances that have a lot of varied and versatile compounds benefitting as well as affecting the health. From offering rich anti-oxidants, lowering blood cholesterol levels to acting as stimulating agent, a lot of benefits can be derived from drinking coffee. Coffee, the caffeine drink is not just a stimulator, but also diuretic agent. The hot beverage coffee benefits the people as a laxative.
What is laxative?
Laxative refers to the group of foods, drugs, drinks and compounds that help improving the bowel movements. In simple terms, it treats constipation. The term laxative means loosen. People with power bowel movements or constipation are prescribed with laxative foods or drugs to improve the condition. However, too much consumption of laxative foods or drugs causes diarrhoea.
Coffee as a laxative:
Have you noticed many people find an improved bowel movement immediately after taking a cup of coffee? It is due to the laxative effect of coffee. The powerful stimulant in coffee is renowned for a condition called peristalsis, which means preventing constipation.
The drug caffeine is not responsible for fixing constipation. The stimulant and laxative effect is found in both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee. Lately, many physicians and practitioners of holistic medications and alternative medications recommend intake of coffee to improve the colon and bowel movement. Coffee enemas help cleansing the colon and the stimulant induces and improves the colon to release the stool.
Is drinking coffee has any adverse effects on bowel movements?
Since diuretic and laxative drugs can worsen the bowel movements and cause diarrhoea if consumed more, the same effect are found with drinking too much of coffee. Drinking more than 5 cups of coffee a day causes diarrhoea.
While the diuretic effects of coffee as peristalsis is said to improve the bowel movements, there is a different belief that coffee just act like any other drink, just like a water. Drinking two glasses of water in the empty stomach also improves the bowel movement and cleanses the colon. The same effect is experienced by the coffee drinkers.
However, consumption of coffee, limited with a cup of two or three a day cannot have any negative laxative effects.