There’s a common and icky consequence to many surgeries—constipation.

Sometimes it happens because certain surgeries are performed on the abdomen (such as appendectomies, gastric-bypass surgeries, hysterectomies, bariatric surgeries and bowel surgeries) and may disrupt bowel function. Other times, it can happen due to a sudden and drastic pre-op dietary change (such as eating a lot less food and/or drinking a lot less water)…a side effect of pain medication that’s given post-op…or getting anesthesia, which temporarily paralyzes muscles (including the muscles that push food through the intestines).

Constipation, of course, is not only very painful—it’s dangerous. It can lead to cramps, swelling, nausea, vomiting, infection and even death if your bowel bursts.

So German scientists wanted to see whether drinking a common beverage that’s known for its natural laxative effect might help certain patients get their bowel function back to normal more quickly after surgery. And what they found was quite promising…

A SIMPLE STIMULANT

Researchers recruited people for the study who were undergoing bowel surgery, specifically—to treat colon cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, diverticular disease or another intestinal disorder. Beginning on the morning after his or her procedure, each patient drank about a half-cup of either warm coffee or warm water three times a day along with meals. No additives (such as milk or sweetener) were permitted, nor was any additional coffee or caffeine, because researchers wanted to analyze whether this particular amount of coffee (and caffeine) made a difference.

The major finding: Patients who drank coffee experienced their first bowel movements about 60 hours after surgery, on average, compared with 74 hours after surgery for water drinkers—that’s a 14-hour (more than half a day’s) difference, which the researchers found to be very encouraging.

As a bonus, those who drank coffee also were able to pass gas five hours sooner than the water drinkers (and gas that is unable to be released can cause cramps)…they were able to start eating solid food again seven hours sooner…and they were able to leave the hospital half a day sooner. That’s all good!

Most participants were regular coffee drinkers before the study began. I wondered whether those who didn’t normally drink coffee experienced a greater effect than those who did, because you probably know from experience, when you go without coffee for a while and then have some, you tend to feel more of a kick! But, interestingly, there was no significant difference, in terms of the results above, between people who regularly drank coffee and those who didn’t.

HOW DOES COFFEE WORK ITS MAGIC?

“We don’t know yet exactly how coffee stimulates the intestine,” said study author Sascha A. Müller, MD, when we talked. “Many people assume that it’s due to the caffeine, but that’s not necessarily so.” In fact, he and his colleagues had found in a previous study that decaffeinated coffee also stimulates the bowel. There are many other components in coffee, Dr. Müller noted, so further investigation is needed to find out exactly which ones are important to bowel stimulation.

SAFE, EASY & CHEAP

Coffee is safe for most people (no one in this trial experienced any coffee-related health complications). Only people who are especially sensitive to caffeine, those who are pregnant and/or those who have certain health conditions (such as high blood pressure or diabetes) should check with a doctor before consuming coffee (or any beverage with caffeine).

The study found that drinking just a half-cup with each meal helped, and that sure isn’t hard to accomplish—that’s a very reasonable amount. But it’s possible that future studies on this topic will provide more information on the optimal amount of coffee—for instance, it’s possible that consuming more coffee might stimulate the bowel even faster, said Dr. Müller.

Can you stop drinking coffee once your bowel starts working again? Yes, said Dr. Müller. “At that point, no further treatment is necessary.” But if you like coffee and it’s safe for you to drink it, there’s no harm in continuing to drink it (in moderation, of course), he added.