Raise those who have never heard of the morning rite of coffee and cigarette. It is one of those truths that all smokers are taken for granted: first the coffee, then the cigarette, and the way to run to the bathroom. In this article we will see how much truth hides behind such a rooted belief, and we will do it through the words of nutritionist Angy Bro, who has decided to clarify one of the most popular myths among lovers of cup and tobacco.
The coffee does its part (but not how you think)
Let’s start with the undisputed protagonist of our mornings: coffee. For years we have blamed caffeine, thinking she was responsible for that sudden race towards the bathroom. But no, surprise! Recent studies have discovered that even decaffeinated produces the same identical effect.
How come? The real culprit is called chlorogenic acid, a component of the coffee bean that makes our intestine work in a particular way. This substance stimulates the production of two hormones with an impossible name to remember – gastrin and cholecistochinin – which are the true directors of our digestion. Four minutes are enough, just enough time to shake Instagram, and the effect makes itself felt.
The cigarette? Only smoke in the eye
And here comes the part that will turn up the nose to many: the cigarette has nothing to do with it. Or rather, nicotine has no direct effect on our intestine. Studies are clear: smoking after coffee is more a question of head than belly, a sort of placebo effect.
Not for everyone is like that
There is another interesting fact that Dr. Angy Bro reveals us: only three out of ten people really hear this stimulus after coffee. The other seven? They can drink their espresso in peace without worrying about looking for the nearest bathroom. This means that if you are part of that 30%, the coffee actually stimulates you the intestine. Remember that the cigarette remains a little more than decorative element in this digestive equation, the classic case in which two plus two does not make four: the coffee can make its contribution, the cigarette takes merits that does not have.
The truth about the most famous duo of the breaks
At the end of the accounts, the myth of the coffee-café is half and a half invented. Coffee can actually stimulate the intestine in some people thanks to chlorogenic acid, while the cigarette limits itself to keeping company. It’s a bit like finding that Santa Claus is parents: magic vanishes, but gifts come the same.
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