Caffeine isn’t the only thing in coffee that makes your morning “routine” regular. In fact, caffeine has to work in conjunction with some other natural acids to bring about its poop-stimulating effect. Have you ever wondered why other caffeinated beverages like sodas and energy drinks don’t send you running to the bathroom? Well, now you know.
As explained by Dr. Kenneth Brown, a board-certified gastroenterologist and GI doctor in Plano, Texas, coffee contains other acids and chemicals that also have an effect on how soon you poop, namely chlorogenic acid and N-alkanoyl-5-hydroxytryptamine (via Well+Good). While the antioxidant chlorogenic acid causes an increase in stomach acids which leads to a boost in contractions (gastrocolic reflex), “N-alkanoyl-5-hydroxytryptamine — a chemical closely related to the neurotransmitter serotonin — are naturally occurring compounds that act as laxatives. These compounds increase the water content in the colon and the contractions of the colonic muscles,” explained the physician.
In regular coffee, you’re getting the best of all three worlds: caffeine, chlorogenic acid, and N-alkanoyl-5-hydroxytryptamine. With decaf, you’re getting trace elements of caffeine and all of the chlorogenic acid and N-alkanoyl-5-hydroxytryptamine. Yes, decaf does not mean no caffeine whatsoever. While the decaffeination process removes about 97% of the caffeine in coffee beans, there’s still a little left. Perhaps this could change what you think about decaf coffee.