Noisy Guts

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Coffee and gut health

Today is National Espresso Day. I for one will be celebrating. I love coffee and can’t start work without it. Josephine on the other hand finds that coffee is not her friend. Why the mixed views – well coffee is a complex bean.

Coffee contains caffeine (of course), but also a whole host of other plant chemicals including antioxidants, fibre and oils. These vary with the bean type and how they are processed, roasted and stored.

But is coffee good for gut health? The answer is, it depends. The caffeine in coffee can exacerbate some conditions and improve others. And other components of coffee can be beneficial. Moderating your intake or tweaking your coffee choice can make a difference.

If you have been diagnosed with bile acid malabsorption you may wish to skip coffee completely. Both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee stimulate bile acid secretion.

Two recent studies found NO evidence that coffee consumption increases the risk of developing inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Indeed, coffee is tolerated by most people with IBD. A recent study surveying 442 Crohn’s and colitis patients found that 73% consumed it regularly. However, 38% thought it made their symptoms worse (more of those with Crohn’s disease than those with ulcerative colitis) although not all affected avoided it.

Moderate coffee intake may influence the composition of the gut microbiome, increasing the numbers of good bacteria. For example, a Swiss study in which a small number of volunteers consumed 3 cups of instant coffee (made from extracts of green and roasted beans) a day for 3 weeks found that the abundance and activity of Bifidobacterium spp. increased.

Similarly, laboratory studies have shown that the prebiotic fibre in coffee is rapidly metabolized into beneficial short-chain fatty acids by good bacteria.

Gallbladder stone disease is a common disease affecting 10-15% of the population. There is good evidence that coffee consumption reduces gallstone formation

Similarly, coffee appears to be good for heart health. A large biobank study in the UK found that consumption of decaffeinated, ground, and instant coffee (particularly at 2–3 cups per day), were associated with significant reductions in cardio vascular disease and mortality.

Key takeaway:

There appears to be multiple health benefits associated with coffee consumption, but everyone is different, so it is essential to monitor your intake of coffee and symptoms to determine what is best for you. It may be that like Josephine, you and your tummy are happier with a nice cup of tea!

Written by: Dr Mary Webberley, Chief Scientific Officer at Noisy Guts. Mary has a background in biology, with two degrees from the University of Cambridge and post-doctoral research experience. She spent several years undertaking research into the diagnosis of IBS and IBD. She was the winner of the 2018 CSIRO Breakout Female Scientist Award.

Reference

Want to know more about coffee and gut health, check out this review:

Nehlig, A. Effects of Coffee on the Gastro-Intestinal Tract: A Narrative Review and Literature Update. Nutrients 202214, 399.

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