New evidence
Coffee after C-section cut time to first gas by 2.75 hours in a meta-analysis — but the evidence rests on a small set of low-quality trials.
This is the first pooled analysis on coffee and post-surgical flatulence, and while the reduction is real in these studies, the underlying trials were small and unblinded, so the effect may shrink — or vanish — once better research comes in.
A meta-analysis of 555 women who had a cesarean section found that drinking 100 ml of coffee three times daily, starting two hours after surgery, shortened the time to pass gas by nearly three hours compared to not drinking coffee. The same review also found faster bowel movements and return of bowel sounds, suggesting coffee helped jump-start the gut — but because the studies were low quality and unblinded, the results should be treated as preliminary.
Where this fits in the evidence
This is among the first studies we've indexed on Coffee for Reduced Flatulence — treat it as an early signal until more research accumulates.
The study
- Meta-Analysis
- n = 555
- 2026-02-04
- BMC public health
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