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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Lifestyle
Kate Lloyd

Is it true that … coffee aids digestion?

Illustration of coffee cup with a face lying down in a pool of coffee holding its stomach area

Is sipping a coffee after a heavy meal actually good for helping you digest it? “For some people, absolutely,” says Dr Emily Leeming, a dietitian at King’s College London. “But it’s not always a good idea.”

Caffeine stimulates the gut, increasing muscle contractions, she says, which for many people helps food move through the digestive system “at a nice pace” before being excreted.

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