Many individuals start their day with tea or coffee to stimulate bowel movements, but medical experts caution that this habit may harm digestive health over time. Dr Susheel Sharma, a gastroenterologist from Dehradun, warns that regular dependence on caffeine for morning bowel activity can disrupt the gut's natural rhythm. Both beverages contain caffeine, which triggers increased acid secretion, particularly on an empty stomach. This can irritate the stomach lining and raise the risk of acidity, bloating, and conditions like Irritable Bowel Syndrome. When the body becomes conditioned to caffeine stimulation, it may weaken the natural urge for bowel movement, leading to long-term digestive issues. Experts recommend starting the day with warm water or light food instead, which hydrates the body and supports digestion more naturally without creating dependency or disrupting gut health.
How Caffeine Dependence Disrupts Natural Digestion
Caffeine functions as a gut stimulant by triggering contractions in the colon, explains Dr Adithya V. Naragund, Senior Consultant in GI and HPB Surgery at Cytecare Hospitals, Bengaluru. While this may seem helpful for sluggish bowel movements initially, repeated reliance causes the gut to depend on external triggers rather than its own reflexes. Regular caffeine dependence can desensitise the bowel's natural motility and weaken the gastrocolic reflex, the body's built-in mechanism that signals the urge to pass stool after eating. Consuming coffee on an empty stomach increases gastric acid production and releases gastrin, a hormone that boosts acid secretion. This acid surge irritates the stomach lining, causing acidity, bloating, nausea, and abdominal discomfort, particularly in individuals with acid reflux, gastritis, or irregular eating patterns.
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