Does Coffee Cause Leaky Gut Syndrome?

There have been many studies over the years that have investigated the link between Coffee and Gut Health.

One study found that coffee could increase intestinal permeability in otherwise healthy individuals, which is a hallmark of a leaky gut.

It sounded like there could be a connection there if you only read those few studies.

Many more recent, exhaustive studies have shown that polyphenols and other compounds in coffee and other vegetables actually help prevent Leaky Gut Syndrome and inflammation.

It seems to some people that once they are chronically inflamed and their gut is compromised, coffee can then become an issue for those people. It makes it worse instead of better after it is a problem.

After your gut is healed you can go back to drinking coffee again with no worries as long as you maintain good gut health through the tips I spell out below.

Want to Know the True Cause of Leaky Gut?

More research is needed to fully understand the relationship between Inflammation, Metabolic Disorder, and Leaky Gut. But it is quite clear what causes Leaky Gut to start and it is NOT COFFEE, it is inflammation from byproducts from bad bacteria that have overgrown due to eating too much junk food, sugar, and carbs.

Read on to find out what causes the inflammation that begins the process and what you can do to help heal your gut at home so you can enjoy coffee once again with no problems.

What is Gut Health?

Think of the gut wall like Hoover Damn. Everything that should be on one side of the wall stays where it belongs. When inflammation starts to occur, tiny, microscopic gaps in between the cells that line your intestines start to widen. The space between the cells can become huge gaping holes quite fast as more damage occurs.

Bits from inside your colon can start to escape into your bloodstream like water shooting out of a pinhole in the Damn wall, growing bigger as time goes by. This triggers your immune system to jump in to prevent further damage. Like a worker trying to patch the concrete wall while water is still shooting out of it, it is hard to stop once it has started if you don’t change your diet and stop the cause of the inflammation so it can heal.

When your gut wall is strong and healthy then your body is strong and healthy. Without this crucial barrier intact, you are susceptible to being chronically inflamed because your immune system is overwhelmed with leaks.

It’s important for us to be aware of the potential impact that daily habits can have on their health. Habits such as drinking coffee, our overall diet, exercise, and sleep can all play a role in maintaining a healthy gut. One recent study showed the negative impact of habits on health. We are more likely to continue to do something or not do something out of habit rather than because we actually need or want to do it or not.

How Can You Improve Your Gut Health?

Self Care of your Gut Health is when you try your best to make sure that everything you put into your mouth helps your gut to be as healthy as possible. Since food is the #1 cause of Inflammation we will concentrate on that today.

With enough bad food and lifestyle choices, inflammation and endotoxins (Bad Bacteria byproducts) cause the walls of your intestines to become inflamed. Once the so-called Tight Junctions are not so tight anymore, microscopic bits of proteins, t-cells, and toxins/bacteria from inside your intestines can get into your bloodstream which causes further inflammation and damage. 

What is Leaky Gut Syndrome? 

When the Tight Junctions between cells that make up the gut wall are not tight, Proteins, T Cells, and toxins then gain free access to your blood circulation. This is what happens when someone has a Leaky Gut. This is called a syndrome because in real life people have symptoms of a chronic disease that shows up when someone has this happen to their intestinal wall.

• The free access to the blood stimulates immune cells to respond which further increases inflammation. 
• Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is a byproduct produced by bad gut bacteria that directly leads to Leaky Gut, Depression, ALS, Alzheimer’s, and Autism. 

There’s been some talk lately about a potential link. But the question is does coffee cause Leaky Gut Syndrome?

Want to dive deeper into the topic and see what the latest research has to say.

I felt this is definitely something worth exploring because I’ve heard so many different things said about coffee and gut health.

Why are Tight Junctions important in your gut lining important?

There is evidence to suggest that Fermented Foods and Drinks help fight systemic inflammation.

This prevents those spaces between the cells that make up the lining of your intestinal wall from loosening up.

This makes Leaky Gut completely preventable and probably reversible just like Metabolic Syndrome and Insulin Resistance are preventable once the right foods are eaten and the bad foods are stopped.

Everything you put into your mouth either helps you or hurts you. When you hurt your gut you cause your immune system to attack because your gut wall is no longer intact and crap is leaking into your bloodstream.

Microscopic bits from your intestines get into your bloodstream. This causes your immune system to attack so you don’t die of a blood infection.

This causes even more Inflammation which can then lead to Autoimmune Diseases and Chronic Arterial Damage (Inflammation) which can go on to cause Heart Attacks, Stroke, Dementia, and Diabetes among many others if it continues for long enough without change.

10 Ways Eating Good Gut Bacteria Benefit Your Health

1. Billions of Good and Bad Gut Bacteria live and die every day inside your Intestines. These gut buddies are normally balanced by consuming a good mix of fermented foods and drinks that promote a healthy microbiome. Ever since electricity came along and messed up our normal diet we have been getting sicker and sicker. This is not a coincidence.
2. Good Gut Bacteria are produced during the fermentation of drinks like Kombucha and Kefir. The good gut bugs that we ingest combat the overgrowth of the bad bacteria that are always trying to take over when we eat a Standard American Diet (SAD) of high-sugar and processed foods.  
3. Eating high-sugar and processed foods feed the bad bacteria and starve the good bacteria, it is that simple.
4. When the bad bacteria take over our gut it leads to autoimmune and metabolic disorders due to the inflammation caused when our immune responds and attacks the highly reactive substances that are produced by the bad bacteria. 
5. This inflammation gets us closer to answering the question, does coffee cause Leaky Gut? Tiny pieces of bad stuff escape your bowels and enter your bloodstream causing an even more intense immune response which causes even more inflammation. The immune response saves us from a blood infection but it kills us slowly with inflammation. It is a vicious cycle that only stops when we stop eating crap that is not really food. This is the real cause of Leaky Gut.
6. Fermented foods such as Kombucha and Water Kefir both directly combat these bad bacteria by directly replacing our good bacteria every time you have a sip of the drinks. It also provides 20000% or RDA of B12.
7. We have lost our connection with creating and eating nonrefrigerated, fermented foods. These foods kept our bodies well fed with nutrients for many, many Millennia. This is a forgotten norm for our gut health and we must remember it.
8. Both are made from Symbiotic cultures of bacteria and yeast (SCOBY) that convert the natural sugars into a slightly sweet/sour carbonated beverage full of good gut bacteria that help you fight inflammation. The beneficial bacteria create organic acids and B vitamins, which directly improve our health and boost our immune system.
9. Reconnecting to our roots is what will reconnect us to our bodies and keep us healthier in the century to come. Otherwise, we have sicker days to look forward to in the future as a society.
10. Good Gut Bacteria that are in products like Kombucha contain insane amounts of available B12. The Good Bacteria also help you to process those vitamins and nutrients that were also made by the bacteria. You would otherwise not have been able to process certain nutrients without the correct bacteria being present in your intestines.

What Causes Gut Inflammation?

• Food that feeds Bad Organisms like Bacteria, Mold, and Yeast are;
• Sugars found in Fruit, High Fructose Corn Syrup are called Fructose and they are the worst at causing inflammation and Metabolic Disorders.
• Table sugar is about half fructose and it needs to be avoided as well.
• Yeast, found in Beer and Breads.
• Processed foods, processed meats that are packaged.
• Simple carbohydrates.
• Overgrowth of Bad Bacteria/yeast/mold and their byproducts are toxins.
• LPS Lipopolysaccharide, an endotoxin produced from a gut bacteria has been shown to be a leading cause of Leaky Gut, Depression, ALS, Alzheimers, and Autism.
• Drugs and other Toxins
• Smoking and Alcohol
• Elevated Insulin and Glucose from insulin resistance
• Not moving your body enough to cause activation of your muscles.

Bottom Line; Does Coffee Cause Leaky Gut Syndrome?

The symptoms of Leaky Gut Syndrome are not caused by coffee. While some studies have found a stretched link, most have not. Coffee can possibly make Leaky Gut worse after you have already developed the chronic illness.

Eating a poor diet that has very little nutrition is far more damaging to the walls of the gut than the gut could ever be alone.

Fiber-rich vegetables are needed to feed the good gut bacteria that are, hopefully, living in your intestines.

Those beneficial good bacteria are missing in 80% of the population that eats the Standard American Diet (SAD). Not having those are much more telling in the development of a Leaky Gut than whether you drink coffee or not. 

Coffee has been shown to decrease inflammation over time which also leads to a reduction in the all-cause death rate. 

I think that more likely is that eating a poor diet and drinking too much coffee goes together.

Should I Stop Drinking Coffee if I am Sick?

It really depends on you and your health issues. Studies have shown that Coffee is more helpful than harmful overall.

If you are experiencing symptoms of an inflamed gut and you suspect that coffee may be a contributing factor. Then I would recommend that you pay attention to whether your symptoms worsen when drinking coffee by trying an Elimination Diet.

Take a break from coffee by trying an Elimination Diet to see if it clears your symptoms. But for most people, moderate coffee consumption has proven to be much more beneficial for metabolic and gut health than it is harmful. But everyone is different and by trying this you can figure out on your own more about your own body.

Also, make sure that coffee is not interfering with getting restful sleep at night. Loss of sleep has been linked to inflammation and specifically Autoimmune diseases and Leaky Gut Syndrome.

Are there any Gut Health Benefits of Drinking Coffee?

Speaking of benefits, there have been numerous studies that have found coffee to contain polyphenols and other bioactive compounds that have antioxidant properties and reduce insulin resistance and inflammation that are unrelated to caffeine. S

tudies show that some people may have issues with coffee but overall the positives generally outweigh the negatives. But you are an individual so you need to do an Elimination Diet to see if you are one that it bothers or not.

The net positive effects on gut health and overall reductions of chronic inflammation are huge and they translate to the extension of life for coffee drinkers. 

For example, one study found that coffee drinkers can decrease early death by over 15% and increase the production of short-chain fatty acids, which are very beneficial for gut health. Another study found a 24% reduction in Gout which signals that coffee drinkers are able to keep insulin resistance at bay easier than nondrinkers. 

In 2017 a huge study of coffee drinkers reported decreased mortality due to digestive and circulatory diseases and reduced A1c levels. So, coffee can be both a friend and a foe when it comes to gut health. It’s all about balance.

So, yes, there are numerous health benefits of coffee.

Does Caffeine help or hurt your gut health?

What about caffeine specifically? Is it good or bad for gut health? Again, it’s a bit of a mixed bag. Caffeine can have a stimulating effect on the gut, which can be helpful for some people. But for others, it can cause discomfort or even diarrhea. Studies have shown that caffeine has had a positive benefit on the good vs bad gut bacteria ratio.

It’s important to pay attention to how your body reacts to caffeine and make adjustments as needed. It does not appear that caffeine is the source of the benefits of coffee consumption. You choose whether you want to drink caffeinated or decaffeinated.  

How to Heal Your Gut Naturally

If you are experiencing symptoms of a leaky gut, there are a few things that only you have control over that support your gut health while working with your doctor. 

Eating a diet rich in vegetables, bone broth, and fermented foods can help to quiet down the chronic inflammation that is usually the root cause of Leaky Gut. Adding certain supplements like probiotics and L-glutamine can also be beneficial while you are healing. 

It’s important to take care of your gut and in addition to dietary and supplement changes, lifestyle factors like stress management and exercise should play a role in supporting your gut health.

We should always be mindful of balancing the good and bad gut bacteria that live rent-free inside of every one of us. We want a good balance of good bacteria that helps us stay healthy and who process essential vitamins and nutrients for us. 

Without strong good bacteria, the bad ones try to take over. They overgrow and produce terrible by-products that are toxins. These toxins can trigger even more massive inflammation as our immune system sees them as foreign and attacks them. This is where we think some Autoimmune disorders originate. 

What food and drink heal a leaky gut?

• In addition to eating plenty of Cruciferous Vegetables and Green Leafy you can feed your good gut bacteria these foods;
  • Garlic
  • Red Onions
  • Bananas
  • Asparagus
  • Bone Broth
• Anti Inflammatory Foods
  • Turmeric and Black Pepper
  • Omega 3’s and Fatty Fish
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Avocado Oil
• Eat Plenty of Fermented Foods that have tons of live good probiotic bacteria. 
  • Regular Pickles 
  • Kombucha
  • Kimchi
  • Sauerkraut
  • Borst
  • Yogurt
  • Kefir
  • Apple Cider Vinegar

Does coffee destroy good gut bacteria?

It is important to note that the effects of coffee on gut bacteria may vary depending on the individual and their overall diet and lifestyle habits.

Additionally, other studies have suggested that moderate coffee consumption may have a prebiotic effect, promoting the growth of beneficial gut bacteria.

Can I Make Coffee More Gut-Friendly?

To make coffee more gut-friendly, consider the following tips:

• Choose high-quality, organic coffee beans to avoid exposure to pesticides and chemicals.
• The real culprit making coffee bad for us is the added sugar, dairy, and artificial sweeteners we add to our coffee, as these can disrupt the balance of gut bacteria which leads to inflammation. See how complicated this can be?
• Consider adding a source of healthy fats, such as MCT oil, coconut oil, or grass-fed butter, to your coffee. This can also help to promote the growth of beneficial gut bacteria.
• Try fermented coffee drinks such as kombucha coffee or cold brew coffee with kefir, which can provide probiotics to your gut.
• Avoid overconsumption of coffee as excessive amounts of coffee can cause various gut problems like acidity, stomach ulcers, and diarrhea.
• A healthy gut microbiome includes eating a prebiotic, Probiotic, and postbiotic diet, regular exercise, good sleep, and stress management.
• Use a coffee filter when brewing coffee as it traps cafestol and kahweol, which are compounds found in coffee oils that can raise LDL cholesterol and cause irritation if you are sensitive to them.
• Go for a lower acidity: Coffee beans that are grown at a high altitude tend to be lower in acidity, which can be easier on the stomach.
• Use a French press: A French press allows the coffee to brew for a longer period of time, which can help to reduce acidity levels.
• Add in a dash of cinnamon, turmeric, or ginger: These spices are known for their anti-inflammatory properties and can help to soothe the stomach.
• Use non-dairy milk: switching to non-dairy milk like almond milk, oat milk, or coconut milk that does not add sugar can be a more gut-friendly option.
• Avoid adding sugar completely if possible: Sugar is harmful to our gut health because it feeds bad bacteria and inflames the gut, so try to avoid adding it to your coffee. Instead, you could add in a natural sweetener like honey or maple syrup. 
• Use freshly brewed coffee beans: Not only will it taste better but also it will have fewer mold mycotoxins which can harm gut health.
• Brew it at a lower temperature: Brewing coffee at a lower temperature can reduce the amount of acidity in the coffee and make it more gut-friendly.

It’s worth noting that what works for one person may not work for another, so it’s important to pay attention to how your body reacts to coffee and make adjustments as needed to make it more gut-friendly for you.

Conclusion

So, to sum up, the link between coffee and leaky gut is a complex issue but a lot of it is under your control. While some studies have found a connection between coffee and a leaky gut, most have found strong indications that Coffee actually helps to keep your gut healthy.

For most people, moderate coffee consumption is fine and usually beneficial. However, if you already have developed Leaky Gut Syndrome, then you need to get it under control by making adjustments to your diet.

Steps to Get Leaky Gut Syndrome Under Control

• Eat Anti Inflammatory foods to repair your damaged gut.
• Stay clear of the causes of Leaky Gut.
• An elimination diet can be done at home to help you figure out if certain foods, like coffee, are actually the cause or just a coincidence.
• Systematically removing one food for a time, and then adding it back after a few days to a week allows you to see if it made a true difference or not.
• Usually, Leaky Gut is caused by inflammatory foods that you are eating, not coffee.
• However, once you have the symptoms of a Leaky Gut, coffee can make those symptoms worse.
• It’s important to pay attention to how your body reacts and make adjustments as needed. 
• Take notes in a food journal so you can look back to see what food is eliminated that caused the changes in how you felt over time.

TLDR:

I hope this article helps you better understand the connection between Coffee and Leaky Gut Syndrome. Coffee is not bad for you unless taken in extreme.

The tips I gave here to support your gut health are what I used to help fix myself.

No one forces us to eat bad foods that cause us to feel horrible. Just like no one can force us to make these changes.

Only you can stop the damage that is happening every time you eat something that is not good for your gut. 

You will feel so much better you will feel after you have succeeded in reversing your Leaky Gut Syndrome.