The claim needs context. Coffee can stimulate movement in the colon in some people, but describing this as better digestion confuses a specific bowel response with a broader benefit.
A study measuring colon activity in 14 volunteers found that regular and decaffeinated coffee stimulated contractions in eight participants who reported a bowel response to coffee, but not in six others. A separate randomized crossover study in 12 healthy volunteers found no significant effect on the emptying of a liquid meal from the stomach or transit through the small intestine.
These small studies measured particular aspects of gut movement, not an overall improvement in food breakdown or nutrient absorption. They support a limited, variable effect on bowel activity rather than a general digestive benefit.
Stimulating bowel activity is not the same as proving that coffee improves digestion overall.
S. R. Brown, P. A. Cann and N. W. Read
Measurements in 14 volunteers found increased distal colon activity after regular and decaffeinated coffee in eight responders, but not six nonresponders. This supports a limited bowel-stimulating effect, not a comprehensive digestive benefit.
Based on: Gut / BMJ Publishing Group, archived in PubMed Central
P. J. Boekema and colleagues
An independent randomized crossover study in 12 healthy volunteers found no significant difference between coffee and water in gastric emptying of a liquid meal or oro-caecal transit. Its small sample and specific measurements limit broader conclusions.
Based on: Amsterdam UMC
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