Coffee is a daily pleasure for many of us, but does it help or hurt digestion? The good news for coffee drinkers is that yes, it has some fascinating and wide reaching positives for the health of the digestive tract1.
However, it doesn’t suit everyone and may depend on your microbiome, underlying health conditions and of course how much you drink.
The Good News
- Helps constipation: Coffee can kickstart your digestive system by increasing muscle contractions in the colon, keeping things moving. It also helps stimulate digestion from increasing salivary production, stomach secretions and more, right through the digestive process.
- Feeds Good Bacteria: Coffee contains fibre and polyphenols that help support the growth of beneficial bacteria. A recent 2024 study in Nature found the strongest correlation out of 150 food types between coffee consumption and the impact on the microbiome – so it packs a hefty punch2 . A healthy balance of bacteria is key for good digestion and for immune health.
- Protects Against Some Diseases: Coffee has antioxidants, which can protect the gut and reduce inflammation. Some studies even suggest that it might lower the risk of serious gut issues, like colorectal cancer. A large scale 2025 study in identified a strong correlation between coffee intake and reduced risk of all-cause mortality, or dying from any cause, especially those who indulge in the morning3.
The Not-So-Good News
- Heartburn and Acid Reflux: Even though large scale studies suggest that coffee doesn’t cause reflux disease, for some people it can make acid reflux worse. This may occur due to relaxing the muscle that keeps stomach acid where it belongs. If you are prone to heart burn you may benefit from reducing or even eliminating it completely.
- Can Speed Things Up (Too Much): Coffee can speed up digestion, but for some, that’s not a good thing. If you already have loose stools or diarrhoea, try cutting out cups, even for a few days and see if this helps.
- Coffee doesn’t replace a good diet: many of the health benefits likely arise from the impact of your own microbiome as it metabolises the healthy polyphenols. So replacing a healthy snack or lunch with cups of coffee isn’t going to benefit you – we need to keep the gut bugs happy with a diversity of fibres.
Moderate consumption of 1-3 cups a day can be helpful, helping with digestion and feeding good bacteria. But if you’re drinking a lot or have gut issues, it might cause more harm than good. If you are interested in finding out more about your own microbiome health, get in touch with us to discuss or find out more about microbiome testing
- Effects of Coffee on the Gastro-Intestinal Tract: A Narrative Review and Literature Update – PMC
- Coffee consumption is associated with intestinal Lawsonibacter asaccharolyticus abundance and prevalence across multiple cohorts | Nature Microbiology
- Coffee drinking timing and mortality in US adults | European Heart Journal | Oxford Academic
