How Alcohol Impacts the Gut Microbiome

The next day after heavy drinking, your stomach feels bloated and crampy, and you keep running to the bathroom. Sound familiar? There’s a reason why. Drinking and your gut are not exactly friends. Quite the opposite. Alcohol can wreak havoc on the gut microbiome, causing unpleasant symptoms and increasing the risk of certain diseases. 

What Does the Gut Microbiome Do?

In recent years, scientists have only just begun discovering the surprising ways the gut microbiome is a powerhouse for health, immunity, and disease prevention. While it’s apparent that the gut microbiome influences digestion, its effects on the body and mind are far-reaching. 

The gut microbiome is a habitat where trillions of microorganisms (microbes) live in your intestines. Akin to its power is its size. The gut microbiome weighs almost five pounds, bigger than the human brain. 

Our relationship with the gut microbiome is symbiotic, meaning it’s mutually beneficial when we take care of it; it destroys harmful bacteria and helps our immunity. Up to 80% of the body’s immune cells live in the gut (1)! 

When it comes to digestion, the gut microbiome extracts nutrients from food and metabolizes them. It also helps digest fiber and complex carbohydrates and provides certain enzymes, like B12. A balanced gut microbiome is essential for digestion. 

The gut and mind are closely intertwined. The brain and the gut send signals to one another along what’s called the gut-brain axis. There’s even some evidence that imbalances in the gut can lead to mental health conditions like depression or anxiety (2). 

A healthy gut can influence emotion regulation. When it comes to alcohol and the gut, one study found that alcohol-dependent individuals with altered gut microbiota had increased alcohol cravings (3). 

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How Alcohol Can Impact the Gut Microbiome

It’s clear the gut microbiome is an industrious system. But what happens when you add alcohol to its habitat? The gastrointestinal tract is the first starting point for absorbing most things we ingest, like alcohol. After, it’s sent to the liver for metabolizing. 

Here’s what happens in the process. Alcohol in the gut microbiome promotes inflammation, increasing the risk of alcohol-induced organ damage. Because of inflammation, alcohol may also increase the risk of autoimmune disorders (4). 

But how long does it take for effects like inflammation to occur? One study found that a toxin causing inflammation can be found in as quickly as 30 minutes (5). 

Remember, our relationship with the gut microbiome is symbiotic. The gut microbiome has a balance of good and bad bacteria. Dysbiosis occurs when that balance is interrupted. Alcohol consumption causes intestinal bacteria to overgrow (4).

The increase of this bacteria causes permeability in the intestinal wall, causing bacteria to leak through. A leaky gut can cause bacteria to enter the liver. When this occurs, it causes diarrhea, gas, abdominal pain, constipation, food sensitivities, and weight loss. 

Alcohol is a carcinogen, which is a substance that can cause cancer. Alcohol can increase the risk of developing gastrointestinal cancers such as colon or stomach cancer due to gut inflammation.

Long-term Alcohol Abuse on the Gut Microbiome

Like the gut-brain axis, the gut-brain-liver axis is heavily influenced by drinking. It is a three-system network that, unsurprisingly, plays a crucial role in digestive and liver diseases. 

Disease development caused by alcohol abuse happens, in large part, due to the extent of use. 5.6% of cancer cases are due to alcohol use (6). Prolonged alcohol use can increase the transportation of toxins across the intestinal walls, heightening the potential for alcohol-related damage (7). 

Short-term Alcohol Abuse on the Gut Microbiome

Most research has focused on the effects of excessive and long-term alcohol use on the gut microbiome. However, any amount of alcohol, even a drink here or there, can disrupt its bacteria. This is why your digestion may feel off after drinking.

Short-term moderate alcohol use can cause increased acid in the stomach, which leads to uncomfortable symptoms such as bloating or diarrhea. It can also cause internal bleeding. One study looked at people without alcohol use disorder (AUD) and found that individuals who reported binge drinking at times had altered microbiomes (8). Moderate or short-term alcohol use can increase the risk of colon and esophageal cancer. 

How to Reverse the Effects of Alcohol on the Gut Microbiome

One study found that among adults in alcohol treatment who subsequently stopped drinking, changes to the gut microbiome were rapid and significant (9). This finding suggests the gut microbiome's resilience and underscores how powerful alcohol is on the gut microbiome. Simply put, there are actions you can take to influence your gut microbiome for the better!

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What Can Improve Your Gut Microbiome?

Though alcohol’s effects on the gut microbiome are extensive and can happen rapidly, plenty of lifestyle changes can help restore it. A first line of action to decrease the impact of alcohol on the gut microbiome is to reduce or eliminate your intake. Other actions that can help include:

• Eat fiber-rich foods
• Eat anti-inflammatory foods
• Incorporate prebiotics to your diet
• Consider probiotic-rich foods or supplements
• Avoid foods that inflame the gut microbiome
• Get enough rest
• Exercise

Gut microbiome research is a new and burgeoning field, and scientists are still discovering the effects of alcohol on the gut microbiome. Like the liver, the gut microbiome is a “hidden” vital organ. If you are having symptoms of an imbalanced gut microbiome, such as frequent digestive problems, and you struggle with alcohol use, help is available. 

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