Coffee May Reshape the Gut, but Scientists Stop Short of Calling It Healthy

Coffee May Reshape the Gut, but Scientists Stop Short of Calling It Healthy
A Danish study has linked regular coffee consumption with changes in the digestive system, including more frequent colon contractions and greater diversity among gut bacteria. The findings come from research at the University of Copenhagen published in Gut Microbiology.

The study involved 61 healthy adults in Denmark, divided according to how often they drank coffee. Participants swallowed a small electronic capsule that measured temperature, acidity, digestion time and intestinal contractions as it passed through the digestive tract.

Researchers found that people who regularly consumed one to five cups of coffee a day had a more diverse mix of gut microorganisms than those who drank coffee less often. They also recorded lower acidity in the small intestine and a connection between higher coffee consumption and more frequent contractions of the colon—muscular movements that help move digestive contents through the body.

Lead author Francesca Bucci said regular coffee consumption appeared to affect physiological processes in the gut. Henrik Munch Roager, an associate professor and head of the research group, said earlier studies had likewise pointed to coffee’s influence on several digestive processes.

The researchers stressed, however, that the results show an association rather than proof that coffee directly caused the changes. It also remains unclear whether reduced acidity in the small intestine is beneficial or harmful to health.

As a next step, the team plans a controlled study in which participants’ coffee intake will be assigned and measured more precisely. That research is intended to determine whether coffee itself is responsible for the observed changes in digestion and intestinal activity.