Coffee and cigarettes stimulate digestion. At least that’s what Grandma used to say. Is there something to it or is it just a myth?
1. Effect of coffee on digestion
Coffee contains about 80-100 mg of caffeine per cup. On the one hand, caffeine has a stimulating effect, but on the other hand it should also help to digest faster.
Definitely: Coffee increases the ability to contract in the small intestine, but regardless of its caffeine content. Ingredients that promote the effect include acids, tannins and bitter substances. In a study with mice, the researcher Xuan-Zheng P. Shi discovered that coffee stimulates digestion by feeding them coffee. After only three days, he was able to determine an increased contractility, i.e. a contraction of the muscles, in the small intestine of the four-legged friend. As a result, the food pulp was mixed faster and digested just as quickly.
So we can definitely speak of an effect on digestion with coffee – whether with or without caffeine. However, how strong the effect is in the end is individual. But what about cigarettes?
2. Effect of nicotine on digestion
Cigarettes are also said to boost digestion. However, they have less of a direct influence on our intestines and much more on our brain and the autonomic nervous system.
So this part of Grandma’s myth is also true. However, it should be borne in mind that other foods can also have a digestive effect without the body having to be supplied with toxic nicotine. The health aspect should not be disregarded – cigarettes can endanger your health and promote diseases.
3. Health aspects
In order to boost your digestion, it is not necessarily advisable to reach for a cigarette. The contained nicotine and other harmful substances can endanger your health and, for example, lung diseases
However, coffee has more benefits than just boosting digestion.
