The Best Time of Day to Drink Coffee to Help You Poop

If you’re like me, one of the simple joys of a new morning is sipping a hot mug of coffee. Millions of people around the globe reach for a cup for its rich aroma, taste or jolt of energy it provides. But there’s another benefit we don’t often talk about—its ability to help you poop. And there’s science to back this up. “The morning is indeed the optimal time to drink coffee to promote a bowel movement”, says gastroenterologist Dr. Rosario Ligresti.

Read on to learn more about the best time of day to drink coffee to poop and understand why coffee makes you go number two. Experts share their tips for building a healthy coffee habit, along with other strategies to help keep things moving.

What’s the Best Time and Why?

While there isn’t an exact time on the clock to drink coffee for a bathroom trip, research and experts agree that the morning hours are the ideal window. “This timing capitalizes on the body’s natural circadian rhythm, as the colon is most active and ready for evacuation in the first few hours after waking,” says Ligresti.

Your circadian rhythm is your body’s internal clock—it regulates your wake and sleep schedule, and your digestive tract. The colon’s contractions increase in the morning and slow at night, similar to how most of us feel alert during the day and sleepy in the evening. “Drinking coffee during this window acts as a powerful additional stimulant, working in synergy with your body’s natural processes,” adds Ligresti.

Coffee also triggers the gastrocolic reflex, a natural process where eating or drinking causes a wave of contractions to move stool towards the rectum, explains gastroenterologist Dr. Kiran Sachdev. Essentially, this reflex is your body’s internal voice telling you: “I have to poop!” This reflex is strongest in the morning. 

Pairing coffee with a morning meal can further help trigger the gastrocolic reflex. So if coffee alone isn’t doing the trick, try sipping it alongside breakfast. Dr. Sachdev also advises avoiding coffee on an empty stomach, as it can cause reflux, bloating or diarrhea for some people, making it best enjoyed with or right after a meal.

Finally, having coffee in the morning helps train your body to know what to expect. “Your gut responds best to routines so give yourself time in the morning with your coffee to have the biggest effect,” says Amanda Sauceda, M.S., RD, dietitian and specializing in gut health. Plus, drinking coffee early in the day won’t interfere with sleep, whereas having it late in the day can disrupt your circadian rhythm. 

Why Coffee Make You Go No. 2?

So what’s in that cup of coffee that makes you poop? It’s actually a combination of factors.

Caffeine is a stimulant that not only wakes up your central nervous system but also increases muscle contractions in the gut, helping things move along. It acts like a natural laxative, stimulating bowel movements. In fact, caffeinated coffee has an even greater effect – increasing colon stimulation by about 60% more than decaf coffee or water.

But it’s not just the caffeine. “Both caffeine-containing and decaffeinated coffee stimulate stomach acid production, which can also help release gastrointestinal hormones (such as gastrin, motilin, and CCK), which play a role in promoting motility and colonic activity,” says Yasi Ansari, M.S., RDN, CSSD. The rise in stomach acid helps push things through the digestive tract.,

Coffee also contains other compounds that get your bowel moving. “Coffee itself contains hundreds of compounds, including chlorogenic acids and melanoidins, that directly stimulate colonic motor activity,” explains Dr. Ligresti.

How to Build a Healthy Coffee Habit

When it comes to building a healthy coffee habit, there are a few things to consider before brewing up your next cup—how much you drink, what you put in it, and when you drink it. 

Most healthy adults should limit caffeine to no more than 400 mg of caffeine per day, which equals about four cups of coffee. If you notice jitteriness, anxiety or trouble sleeping, it may be a sign you’re sensitive to caffeine, drinking too much, or having it too close to bed time—so consider cutting back or switching to decaf., While caffeine is absorbed quickly and peaks in about 30 minutes, its half-life is 3 to 5 hours, meaning it stays in your system for hours after consumption – which can interfere with sleep, so be mindful when consuming your last cup of the day.

Mix-ins like sugar, creamers and syrups can quickly add calories, saturated fat and added sugar. “The American Heart Association recommends no more than 6 teaspoons of added sugar a day for women and no more than 9 teaspoons a day for men,” says Sacheda. Try limiting sweeteners, choosing sugar-free options like stevia if needed, and opting for plain, low-fat unsweetened milks instead of saturated-fat-heavy creamers.

Other Factors That Help You Poop

Beyond coffee, there are plenty of habits that can support regular bowel movements. Here are some expert-back tips to help you poop: 

• Eat More Fiber: Most Americans fall short on meeting fiber guidelines, yet fiber is necessary for bowel regularity. It adds bulk and softness to stool, making it easier to pass. Include high-fiber foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, lentils, nuts and seeds at each meal and snack times.
• Stay Hydrated: Rather than sipping coffee all day, make sure you’re drinking plenty of water too. Drinking enough water helps soften stool and facilitate smoother bowel movements, says Ansari.
• Move Your Body: Walking can aid in digestion and get blood flowing, both of which may help trigger a bowel movement. “Think of movement like a workout for your gut because it can encourage you to poop and is good for digestion”, says Sauceda. Experts recommend 150 minutes of exercise per week.
• Set Wake and Meal Times: “Establishing a consistent daily routine for meals and waking helps regulate your body’s internal clock, leading to more predictable bowel habits”, says Dr. Ligresti. So get yourself on a schedule for better bowel habits.
• Eat Probiotic-Rich Foods: To support a healthy gut, you have to feed it gut-friendly foods like probiotics. “Many yogurts contain live and active cultures that can support digestion”, says Ansari. Other options include kefir, kombucha and fermented foods like sauerkraut and kimchi. 

Our Expert Take

The best time of day to drink coffee to poop is in the morning. Your digestive tract is most active at this time. Combining coffee with a meal like breakfast can trigger the  gastrocolic reflex, which promotes a bowel movement. The caffeine and other compounds in coffee also work to get things moving.

To build a healthy coffee habit, limit your coffee to early in the day to avoid interfering with sleep, watch added creamers and sugars, and stay under 400 mg of caffeine per day. Other strategies to support regular bowel movements include eating a high fiber diet, staying hydrated, moving your body, establishing set meal and wake times and including probiotic-rich foods in your diet.