What coffee can do about digestion, gallstones and your liver

If there’s one drink that far too often gets an undeserved bad rap when it comes to our health, it has to be coffee.

We blame our jitters and anxiety on it.

We lay issues with our heart at its feet.

We even believe drinking it can cause bowel problems and digestive issues.

But research is proving that the truth about coffee is very often far different than the perception.

In fact, while drinking coffee might truly make you a bit jittery if you go overboard, studies have shown it can also offer some serious brain protection.

Scientists have also now found that drinking a cup of joe is a heart-healthy option, as long as choose the right kind of coffee. It’s the same kind of coffee that’s been found to lower diabetes risk.

Research has even confirmed that three cups of coffee per day can dramatically reduce your chances of suffering a stroke.

And as for coffee’s reputation for causing digestive problems, well that’s being blown out of the water as well…

According to a review of 194 research publications that delved into coffee consumption, sipping on a cup of coffee is not just gut healthy, it could help fight a litany of digestive ailments that many of us suffer with.

How coffee helps your gut

So what did that extensive review find when it comes to coffee and your digestive tract?

Here are the highlights you won’t want to miss…

On its journey through the gastrointestinal tract, coffee has three main impacts:

• Coffee is associated with gastric, biliary and pancreatic secretions, all necessary for the digestion of the food you eat. Coffee was found to stimulate the production of the digestive hormone gastrin; and hydrochloric acid, present in gastric juice – both of which help break down food in your stomach. Coffee also stimulates the secretion of cholecystokinin (CCK), a hormone that increases the production of bile, which is also involved in digestion.
• Coffee appears to be associated with changes in the composition of gut microbiota. In the reviewed studies, coffee consumption was found to induce changes in the composition of the gut microbiota, resulting in substantial improvements in the level of a healthy gut bacteria known as Bifidobacteria.
• Coffee is associated with colon motility – the process by which food travels through your digestive tract. The data reviewed suggests that coffee may stimulate motility in the colon as much as cereals, 23 percent more than decaffeinated coffee and an incredible 60 percent more than a glass of water. It may also be linked to a reduced risk of chronic constipation.

And if all that weren’t enough, there’s more…

The research also demonstrated an association between coffee and a reduced risk of gallstones and pancreatitis. 

And it strongly supported the protective effect of coffee against liver diseases, including hepatocellular carcinoma.

Altogether, the researchers say that coffee helps to protect the organs associated with digestion while offering significant support for the first stages of digestion.

Sources:

New review suggests coffee consumption can stimulate digestion – EurekAlert!