3 Ways Drinking Alcohol Can Affect Your Bowel —and What to Do About It

Consuming alcohol is a common practice worldwide, yet it’s crucial to maintain a balanced approach. When consumed moderately, alcohol can potentially offer certain health advantages, such as reducing stress, enhancing mental well-being, and even improving heart health. However, excessive indulgence can result in unpleasant outcomes like dehydration, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, and a general sense of being unwell. Moreover, beyond the torment of hangovers, excessive alcohol consumption can also disrupt your regular bathroom habits.

In this article, we will explore three ways that excessive alcohol consumption can impact your digestive system, specifically your bowel movements. Additionally, we will offer helpful tips to alleviate any discomfort you may experience.

1. Potential Diarrhea Risk

When we consume alcohol, it gets absorbed directly into our bloodstream through the stomach and small intestine. As alcohol is considered a toxin, our body aims to eliminate it swiftly. While having food in our stomach can slow down the digestion process, alcohol is processed rapidly, especially when consumed on an empty stomach. Consequently, as alcohol gets absorbed, our body expels water and essential nutrients via the digestive tract, resulting in dehydration and the potential onset of alcohol-induced diarrhea.

Potential Stomach Emptying Delay

Once we consume food, it travels down the esophagus and enters the stomach. To facilitate its transition from the stomach to the intestines, a process known as gastric emptying occurs. This process involves rhythmic contractions of the smooth muscles in the stomach, which prompt the release of the pyloric sphincter located at the bottom of the stomach. Normally, liquids pass through more swiftly compared to solids, and a typical meal takes approximately 1½ to 2 hours to empty from the stomach.

However, a study published in the Journal of Investigative Medicine in 2020 revealed that chronic excessive alcohol consumption can lead to a delay in gastric emptying.

Over a prolonged period, this can hinder the normal functioning of your gastrointestinal tract and potentially result in hazardous obstructions or blockage.

3. Potential Gut Inflammation

Consuming alcohol in excessive amounts can result in the formation of metabolites during its digestion process. These metabolites, which are the byproducts of alcohol breakdown in our bodies, have the potential to trigger inflammation in the intestines. A study published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences in 2021 revealed that chronic alcohol consumption can harm the gut mucosa, leading to inflammatory damage in other organs such as the liver and brain.

In the long term, this can adversely affect your digestive tract by causing changes in the composition of the microbiome, increased permeability of the intestines, and damage to the immune system.

In essence, these effects can compromise your gut health and weaken your immune system, making it challenging to maintain overall well-being and proper digestion of food.

What Can Be Done

While these outcomes may not be the glamorous aspects we associate with socializing over drinks, the truth is that excessive alcohol consumption can significantly disrupt the digestive system. Those who have personally encountered the consequences of excessive drinking understand the discomfort it can bring. To mitigate and recover from alcohol-induced alterations in bowel movements, here are some helpful tips to consider.

Consume Alcohol Moderately

To prevent digestive discomfort and the dreaded hangover, it is crucial to drink alcohol in moderation. Binge drinking is defined as consuming more than four drinks for women and five drinks for men on a single occasion. It is important to stay below these limits to support a healthier alcohol metabolism in your body. Furthermore, it is recommended that adults limit their alcohol intake to one to two drinks per day in total. Take your time to savor your drinks, sip slowly, and alternate with water to maintain control and prevent excessive consumption.

Incorporate BRAT-Diet Foods

When you’re facing digestive distress or dealing with diarrhea, it’s understandable that your appetite may be diminished. However, there are specific foods that could potentially provide relief if you’re open to trying them. The BRAT diet, consisting of bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast (hence the acronym BRAT), is often recommended by experts for managing diarrhea. These foods are gentle on the stomach and have a bland nature, which can help soothe your digestive system. It’s important to note that if the BRAT diet doesn’t alleviate your symptoms, there’s no obligation to strictly adhere to it.

Explore Over-the-Counter Solutions

In case other approaches fall short, you have the option of considering over-the-counter remedies to assist with symptom relief. Medications such as Imodium or Pepto-Bismol can be found at your nearby pharmacy or grocery store and can be beneficial in managing diarrhea. Additionally, incorporating probiotics into your routine may help restore the balance of beneficial bacteria in your gut, promoting faster recovery. While probiotic supplements are available, opting for food sources rich in probiotics, such as kimchi, yogurt, miso, and sauerkraut, can also be a favorable choice.