Does Coffee Make You Bloated? Here's Why & What To Do About It

Many of us depend on a hot cup of coffee to kick-start our day. Not only does coffee provide a natural energy boost, but it also delivers some major benefits to your body, from liver health to cognitive function. Though there are so many things to love about coffee, it can cause unpleasant side effects in some people, like bloating. 

Coffee contains a variety of compounds1 that impact your gut, including caffeine and polyphenols—but it shouldn't cause bloating in most people.

In fact, studies show that coffee is one of the most commonly reported dietary triggers2 for IBS symptoms like bloating, pain, and diarrhea. A 2021 study published in Frontiers in Nutrition found a significant relationship between caffeine intake and the severity of IBS symptoms2 among overweight and obese participants, meaning caffeinated coffee may worsen or increase the frequency of IBS symptoms.

People with IBD are also more likely to report coffee and caffeine as symptom triggers. Coffee is frequently associated with triggering and worsening IBD symptoms3, like pain and bloating, and also seems to increase the risk of IBD relapse. 

That said, research findings suggest that most healthy people don’t experience GI symptoms after drinking coffee. A study that included 40 healthy adults found that drinking a ~6-oz cup of coffee, including hot and cold instant coffee, cold espresso, and hot filtered coffee, had no effect on self-reported GI symptoms4, such as abdominal discomfort, bloating, dyspepsia, and heartburn. 

However, ingredients commonly found in coffee, like dairy-based creamers and certain sweeteners, could trigger bloating in people who don't have IBS or IBD.

For example, over half of the world’s population lacks the ability to properly digest lactose, a sugar found in milk. People who are intolerant to lactose experience symptoms like diarrhea and bloating after consuming lactose-containing products, including milk-based coffee drinks like lattes and cappuccinos. 

In addition to coffee’s impact on the GI system, there may be other explanations for why your cup of joe is leading to bloat.

If you’re intolerant to lactose, you’re likely to experience uncomfortable digestive symptoms like gas and bloating after drinking lactose-containing coffee beverages. Dairy products, like cream and milk, are amongst the most common ingredients in lattes, cappuccinos, and other specialty drinks. Butter coffee and coconut oil coffee are also rising trends that could upset the tummy.

If you’re feeling bloated after drinking a flavored or sweetened coffee drink, you might be reacting to a sweetener or sugar alternative.

For example, sugar alcohols, like maltitol and sorbitol, are broken down by bacteria in your large intestine, which releases gas. So if you consume large amounts of them in a short period of time, you may experience GI symptoms.

If you’re consuming a large amount of coffee, it could also cause you to feel bloated.

Drinking large amounts of any beverage, including plain water, can make you feel overly full and uncomfortable due to the stretching of your stomach to accommodate the large volume of fluid. Drinking too much fluid too quickly can also make you feel nauseated and uncomfortable.

“If you’re chugging more than you’re sipping your coffee, that may also be a reason why you feel bloated. You could be taking in a lot of air as you drink your coffee, making you feel a bit bloated,” explains Sauceda.

If you’re experiencing bloating after finishing a meal or snack paired with coffee, it may not be the coffee that’s triggering your bloat. There are a number of foods and ingredients known to promote bloating9, such as brassica vegetables (broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower), beans, and dairy products.

If you’re feeling bloated after eating, it’s important to narrow down which food(s) may be contributing to your GI symptoms by trying an elimination diet, taking gut-healthy supplements like probiotics, or working with a healthcare provider to identify dietary triggers. 

In addition to the potential triggers listed above, there are other, more serious reasons why you may be bloated. If you’re experiencing significant, consistent bloating that is painful or doesn’t go away, or if you can’t figure out the cause of your bloating, it’s important to get it checked out.

As mentioned above, frequent bloating isn’t something you should ignore, and it’s important to work with a trusted healthcare provider to get to the bottom of what’s causing it. 

That said, if your bloating is caused by certain foods and drinks, like coffee, there are a few effective ways to debloat fast.

Okay, so being physically active might be the last thing on your mind when you’re feeling bloated. But getting moving can definitely help. “Gentle movement can be helpful when you’re feeling bloated and gassy,” says Sauceda.

Giving yourself a gentle stomach massage may help ease bloating and help you pass gas. Bowel health experts like gastroenterologists recommend massaging your stomach to help relieve symptoms of tightness, pressure, cramping, and bloating.

In addition to the tips above, it’s important to give your body some time if you’re feeling bloated. In most cases, bloating related to a food or drink, like coffee, will resolve on its own. 

Though drinking coffee does impact the gastrointestinal tract (hence why some people sip it to help get things moving), it shouldn't cause uncomfortable side effects like bloating.

If you are a healthy person with no underlying GI issues who feels bloated after drinking coffee, it could be because of what's in it. Common additives like sugar, milk, and cream, and more functional adds like, butter and coconut oil, may cause bloat. Try sipping your coffee black or flavoring it with ingredients like cinnamon or cacao powder and see if that helps. Drinking your coffee more slowly and drinking fewer cups a day could also pay off for your gut health (and anxiety levels).

Coffee (particularly organically grown coffee) is packed with phytochemicals that can improve cardiometabolic health11, reduce inflammation12, and even reduce your risk of Type 2 diabetes13, obesity14, and all-cause mortality15. We'd consider it a longevity-boosting bev for most people—though of course, those who are sensitive to caffeine may want to switch to decaf. So, at the end of the day, it's a healthy daily sip if you can stomach it.