A new study found that drinking coffee may help prevent irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or relieve its symptoms, for some people. The meta-analysis included data from 432,022 participants across eight studies, according to Medical News Today.

In five of these studies, coffee was protective against the condition, however, three suggested the opposite. Researchers found that regular coffee drinkers were 16% less likely to develop IBS than those who abstain. The contradictory results among the eight studies could be due to the fact that coffee contains hundreds of compounds that can vary considerably on their source, how they were roasted, types of grounds, and the method of preparation. The researchers noted that these details were not always included in the studies.

The study authors also pointed out that many of the analyses relied on self-reporting questionnaires regarding both coffee consumption and IBS and that could also confuse the issues and results. The meta-analysis appears in the journal Nutrients.

Dr. Babak Firoozi, a California-based gastroenterologist, said that the compounds in coffee “have antioxidant, anti-fibrotic, and anti-inflammatory properties, as well as an influence on gut microbiota, bile acids, motility of the intestines, and intestinal permeability.”

“These properties can potentially have a beneficial impact on IBS,” he said. However, he added that drinking coffee can sometime upset digestion.

“Coffee can also be a potent cathartic through many of these bioactive compounds. Not only can caffeine in coffee stimulate motility, but other molecules in coffee promote bowel movements though increased intestinal transit,” he told Medical News Today.

“Therefore, coffee in some with diarrhea predominant IBS may not be of benefit and could actually make symptoms worse,” said Firoozi. “I don’t recommend regular coffee intake solely for IBS.” However, he added that for patients with fatty liver disease, a cup of coffee daily may reduce fibrosis in the liver and help prevent gallstones.

Firoozi praised the latest meta-analysis, cautioning that results are incomplete and difficult to interpret with confidence.

“I hope that this study will lead to a more robust, long-term longitudinal study that looks at the effects of coffee consumption not only on preventing IBS, but also as an intervention to help those people with the symptoms of IBS,” he said.