Does the coffee-cigarette mix make you suddenly want to run to the bathroom? Here are some scientific explanations to answer this mystery.
The “3 C” rule (coffee-cigarette-poo) is well known among smokers. The time of day when this combination is almost inevitable is of course in the morning. After breakfast or during the coffee break, sometimes an inconvenience can be felt. According to one study carried out on 99 people, coffee alone caused an irrepressible urge to defect in 29% of cases and 63% of them were women. They would be twice as affected by the phenomenon. But is the pattern the same when tobacco is invited during relaxation? Here are the answers according to science.
Caffeine, for once innocent
If caffeine is prevalent in people’s minds for its laxative effects, it may ultimately play no role. Indeed, a american study, conducted by the University of Texas and presented in 2019 during the Digestive Disease Week, explains through its results that this diuretic would have no connection with the sudden urges to poop. By dividing rats into 3 groups, the researchers administered a solution based on caffeine and intestinal bacteria to the first group and another based on decaffeinated to the second. The last group of rats received no solution.
For each group that consumed coffee (caffeinated and decaffeinated), the muscles of the rats’ small intestine and colon contracted. Caffeine is therefore excluded from the “3 C” rule. However, it is other elements contained in the drink that would play a role in the process, such as gastrin, a hormone produced in the stomach to help digestion, and cholecystokinin. They would be at the origin of the phenomenon of rapid assimilation of food according to the book Coffee and health by Gérard Debry.
Cigarettes and their share of nuisances
If coffee is one of the authors who confirm the “3 C” rule, the same is true for cigarettes. Nicotine plays a role in the urge to have a bowel movement and further causes a phenomenon called peristalsis. That is, the fact that muscle tissue transports food and processes it. In other words, toasting a dry stimulates the contraction of the esophagus, stomach and intestine. So if you have eaten before your coffee, it will be a priority in the digestion process and this is what will give you a strong urge to defecate.
And if you want to quit smoking, you may have to deal with constipation. But this should in no way impact your desire to quit. Good news, however, you can always continue your breaks accompanied by a good coffee. Unlike tobacco, the drink is renowned for its many virtues, although caffeine, on the other hand, tends to rush you to take a pee.