Can people with IBS drink coffee?

Can people with IBS or Irritable Bowel Syndrome drink coffee and, if you are on the FODMAP diet, are you able to drink coffee?

In recent years, many people have started talking about the FODMAP diet and how it can improve and alleviate the symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome or IBS, such as bloating and abdominal pain.

What is the FODMAP diet?

The FODMAP diet was created in Australia and is increasingly well known across the world as an effective diet for managing IBS symptoms and is reportedly around 70% effective because the FODMAP diet improves gut symptoms.

The FODMAP diet is a complex diet plan, so it’s important that you receive good quality advice about how to do the FODMAP diet properly – preferably from a registered dietician.

For example, high FODMAP ingredients are often hidden in packaged foods, so you will need to learn about how to read food ingredients and learn to make sensible decisions when eating out in restaurants.

Can people with IBS or Irritable Bowel Syndrome drink coffee?

Well, the bad news is that regular coffee with caffeine is not good for Irritable Bowel Syndrome and is it not generally recommended. Caffeine is known to affect the bowel for most people, but the effect tends to be worse for those who have IBS, so it’s a good idea to eliminate the caffeine you drink in coffee, tea and other drinks.

Is regular caffeinated coffee on the FODMAP diet?

Unsurprisingly, regular caffeinated coffee is not on the FODMAP diet.

Coffee is technically a seed and is not recommended for the elimination phase of the autoimmune protocol that is part of the FODMAP diet.

So, if you are on the FODMAP diet and you are doing a strict autoimmune protocol, it would be wise to give up regular caffeinated coffee for the duration of the elimination.

Indeed, if you have celiac disease or gluten intolerance, you should explore the possibility that coffee is one of the most common cross-reactive foods to gluten.

The connection between caffeine and the adrenal glands is that it often over-stimulates them, which leads to further fatigue.

So, it is easy to get into the habit of continually using caffeine to keep energy levels high, which may work temporarily, but can lead to adrenal symptoms such as fatigue and difficulty waking up in the morning.

Is decaffeinated coffee suitable on the FODMAP diet?

Decaffeinated coffee is suitable for most people who suffer from Irritable Bowel Syndrome because it contains almost no caffeine.

Here at DecadentDecaf.com, we recommend the Swiss Water Process of decaffeination, which uses water (no chemicals) to decaffeinate the coffee beans and is 99.9% caffeine free.

To find out more, please visit decadentdecaf or check out our youtube channel for more videos on decaf, caffeine and coffee topics.

IMPORTANT: This information is intended to support, not replace, discussion with your doctor or healthcare professionals. Nothing in the content or products should be considered, or used as a substitute for, medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. You should always talk to your health care provider for diagnosis and treatment, including your specific medical needs.