Coffee is one of the most popular beverages. Being one of the most controversial drinks doesn't cause fans to turn away from it. Despite the fact that there have been many pros and cons regarding the side effects of this bitter drink, but in fact coffee has a myriad of health benefits.

Coffee is known for its ability to improve the performance of the digestive system. Some people who have a low tolerance level for caffeine will usually feel 'heartburn' after consuming coffee. Unlike those who have high tolerance, this effect will be felt in a longer period of time. This happens because coffee can make the intestinal muscles contract properly, so that the remaining food in the intestine will drop smoothly.

According to research presented at the 2019 Digestive Disease Week, not only coffee that contains caffeine, non-caffeine (decaf) coffee also has the same benefits in increasing muscle motility in the intestine. Not only that, coffee is also found to be able to reduce the amount of bacteria present in feces. However, further research is needed to find out whether these changes support the existence of 'good' or 'bad' bacteria.

In their research, the researchers analysed rats that had coffee given to them for 3 days. They found an increase in intestinal muscle contractions in both the small intestine and the large intestine. In addition, the researchers also tested the stool from the mice to find out the number of bacteria in the intestine. The researchers explained that further studies were needed to find out whether coffee could be used to treat postoperative constipation or ileus, when the intestine was known to stop working.

Text by Anggie Triana
Stock photos from Pixabay

Source(s):

• Science Daily - Researchers document impact of coffee on bowels (2019). https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/05/190519123556.htm, 27 May 2019.