Does postprandial coffee intake enhance gastric emptying?: a crossover study using continuous real time 13C breath test (BreathID system)

Background/Aims: Coffee is one of the most popular beverages worldwide, however, few studies have examined the effects of coffee on the gastrointestinal system. The aim of this study was to determine whether there was a correlation between coffee intake and gastric emptying using a novel non-invasive technique for measuring gastric emptying with a continuous real time 13 C breath test (BreathID system: Oridion, Israel). Methodology: Six healthy male volunteers participated in this randomized, two-way crossover study. The subjects were randomly assigned to receive a test meal (200kcal per 200mL) plus postprandial 190mL black coffee or the test meal alone after fasting overnight. A 13 C-acetic acid breath test was continuously performed using the BreathID system, which monitors gastric emptying, for 4 hours after the administration of the test meal. Using Oridion Research Software (B version), the time for emptying of 50% of the labeled meals (T 1/2) and the analog to the scintigraphy lag time for 10% emptying of the labeled meal (T lag) were calculated. The parameters between two occasions were compared using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Results: After coffee intake the T 1/2 and T lag constant were significantly decreased. Conclusions: The decrease in the T 1/2 and T lag suggests the acceleration of gastric emptying. This study showed that postprandial coffee intake enhances gastric emptying, suggesting the potential use of coffee in clinical settings for patients with functional gastrointestinal disorders.