Coffee appears to rewire the gut-brain connection

lloh about 5 hours ago 11 commentsRead Article on sciencedaily.com

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Discussion (11 Comments)Read Original on HackerNews

wojciii•about 1 hour ago

Sure. I have stopped drinking coffee because it increases stress and anxiety for me. This is the opposite of what the scientists have found according to the article.

I have a feeling that everything about food and how people digest it are dependent on the person and any generalized articles like this are completely useless.

gnabgib•about 4 hours ago

Seems similar to last year's Coffee drinking habits may greatly impact makeup of gut biome (48 points, 24 comments) https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42251379

Last year's wasn't funded by Scientific Information on Coffee

This paper (open): https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-71264-8

Paper from 2024 (open): https://www.nature.com/articles/s41564-024-01858-9

flowerthoughts•39 minutes ago

> Scientific Information on Coffee

That sounds hilarious. So I had to look. It's the ISIC: Institute for Scientific Information on Coffee, "compris[ing] five of the major European coffee companies: illycaffè, JDE Peet's, Lavazza, Paulig, and Tchibo."

https://www.coffeeandhealth.org/about-isic

But it's okay, because

> ISIC is dedicated to contributing and consolidating balanced scientific information on coffee consumption – providing a reference for professionals and authorities who address health and wellbeing. [---]

Though

> ISIC works with the European Coffee Federation as well as with national coffee associations in the following countries [---]

suggests they don't work with any tea or soda federations to compare the scentific effects of coffee to other beverages.

Main authors study neuroscience (Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland,) so I bet the results are real, but as you point out, they knew that before even starting.

cadamsdotcom•about 3 hours ago

> coffee was gradually reintroduced without participants knowing whether they were drinking caffeinated or decaffeinated coffee. Half received decaf, while the others consumed regular coffee. Both groups reported improvements in mood, including lower levels of stress, depression, and impulsivity. These results suggest that coffee can enhance mood even without caffeine.

Or it just suggests people are creatures of habit and comforts :)

ZYZ64738•about 1 hour ago

There are many ways to make coffee, with various options for additions like milk (including plant-based milk) and sugar, as well as flavorings... Don't these have any effect at all?

Tsarp•about 2 hours ago

I indulge in coffee quite a bit too.

But the funding chain here is -

Major coffee companies illy | JDE Peet's | Lavazza | Paulig | Tchibo

↓

Institute for Scientific Information on Coffee (ISIC)

↓

UCC/APC Microbiome Ireland study

↓

UCC press release → ScienceDaily article

bulbar•about 3 hours ago

Comes the newest research focus with a decline in caffeine consumption (in the younger generation)? Is this part of a strategic move to reframe coffee as a general 'feel good' product instead of the efficiency connotation it has today?

vivzkestrel•about 4 hours ago

so how come IBS-C has a problem with coffee then?

WorldMaker•about 3 hours ago

Because the IBS gut biome needs more than just mood enhancement/comfort/lessened stress and anxiety?

Also from what I can tell in my skimming the study mostly focused on small (decaf) amounts of caffeine in the gut biome. There are still more components of coffee such as bitter compounds that presumably have other effects.

ggm•about 3 hours ago

My assumption was the bitter compounds would be flavenoids but it seems this is not true. I'd say bitterness isn't of itself material to IBS its an effect higher in the gut tract. Gall for instance is very bitter and acrid, but necessary for digestion.

What is material is that coffee has a lot of interesting components beside caffeine.

However, I believe my rapid fight/flight gut emptying impulse after a cup probably is the caffeine.

(I have disregulated gut, my gut man (who said the disposable sigmoidoscope revolutionised his speciality) said I was just shy of IBS)

dartharva•about 3 hours ago

> ..The findings, published in Nature Communications and supported by the Institute for Scientific Information on Coffee (ISIC)..

Hmm