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What are the causes of diarrhea after consuming alcohol? Different types of alcohol ingestion People prone to alcohol induced diarrhea
Drinking alcohol is a common worldwide activity associated with side effects.
The effects of ingesting alcohol can range from impaired coordination to gastrointestinal discomfort.
Alcohol is easily absorbed into many tissues in the body, leading to its side effects.
Diarrhea can be an unpleasant result of ingesting alcohol and is associated with other side effects.
What are the causes of diarrhea after consuming alcohol?
If there is food in the stomach at the time of drinking alcohol, the absorption rate will slow down.
This is why people feel the effects of alcohol faster on an empty stomach.
Alcohol is absorbed by simple diffusion in the stomach and, to a lesser extent, in the small intestine.
Alcohol interferes with the large intestine’s ability to absorb water, which causes stool to become liquid
Ethanol, which is the common type of alcohol that people drink, can often irritate the gastrointestinal tract and produce inflammation of the tract.
This irritation and inflammation is caused by alcohol’s ability to produce more stomach acid.
Beer and wine often have this effect, which can lead to diarrhea.
Different types of alcohol ingestion
Alcohol-induced diarrhea can be of two types:
1. Acute ingestion of alcohol
Acute alcohol ingestion causes mucosal erosions and epithelial loss predominantly in the villi (intestinal mucosa and villi are responsible for absorption), so more diarrhea and malnutrition will occur.
2. Chronic ingestion of alcohol
The effects of chronic alcohol ingestion on the intestinal mucosa are not well understood, but may include the accumulation of fibrous tissue.
Chronic alcohol ingestion reduces nutrient absorption which, together with bacterial proliferation, increased intestinal permeability and impaired intestinal motility, contributes to malnutrition and diarrhea.
People who are prone to alcohol induced diarrhea
People with the following conditions are more at risk of diarrhea from alcohol use: Advertisements
Other gastrointestinal diseases
Habits such as chronic alcohol ingestion or binge drinking can increase the likelihood of suffering from diarrhea
Eating heavy foods while drinking can lead to diarrhea due to the body’s inability to properly digest and break down food
Alcohols that commonly cause diarrhea
The following alcohols are more likely to cause diarrhea than others:
Beer is high in carbohydrates, which is why it can be harder to digest than other lighter alcoholic beverages.
Your stomach may not be able to break down all the carbohydrates in beer.
These undigested carbohydrates will then pass into the large intestine, where colon bacteria will try to convert them into energy.
This bacterial breakdown of carbohydrates tends to trigger gas, bloating and diarrhea.
2. Sugary drinks like cocktails
Sugary drinks like cocktails are also high in carbohydrates, which can be taxing on the digestive system and can lead to diarrhea.
Wine often triggers diarrhea in people allergic to tannins, which are antioxidant compounds found in grape skin.
Treatment of alcohol-induced diarrhea
Here are some home therapies and lifestyle changes to manage alcohol-induced diarrhea: Advertisements
If you suffer from alcohol-induced diarrhea, it is best to eat easily digestible foods such as rice, bananas and toast.
It is necessary to replenish the lost liquids by drinking plenty of water, juices, broth and herbal teas to avoid dehydration.
Don’t consume anything that can make your symptoms worse, the usual culprits being dairy products, caffeine, or foods high in fiber, fat, or spices.
Prevent alcohol-related diarrhea
Here’s how you can avoid alcohol-triggered diarrhea:
The best way to prevent alcohol-associated diarrhea would be to completely abstain from drinking or moderate your alcohol intake.
If you can’t give up alcohol altogether, at least limit or avoid sugary or carbohydrate-rich beverages such as beer, cocktails, and wine that usually cause diarrhea.
Eat a balanced meal before drinking to slow the absorption of alcohol into the body.
Alternate between alcohol and water as you drink to maintain proper fluid balance within the body and reduce the risk of diarrhea afterward.
Complications associated with the ingestion of alcohol
People who experience prolonged or frequent diarrhea due to alcohol intake are at increased risk of developing the following complications:
Continuous diarrhea can lead to dehydration, which in turn can lead to multi-organ dysfunction throughout the body if severe enough.
Both acute and chronic alcohol consumption can cause malnutrition by decreasing dietary caloric intake, impairing nutrient digestion and absorption, decreasing protein synthesis and secretion, increasing intestinal protein breakdown, and increasing intestinal protein breakdown and excretion of nutrients.
The degree of malnutrition depends on the amount of alcohol consumed, the quality of food intake, genetics and the presence and severity of concomitant diseases such as diabetes.
The risk of developing micro- and macronutrient deficiencies increases significantly when alcohol makes up more than 30% of total caloric intake.
When diarrhea persists for 2 days or after all home therapies have been attempted, professional help and advice should be sought by visiting a physician.
Dark or bloody diarrhea
Diarrhea for more than 2 days with no improvement
If you suffer from diarrhea after drinking alcohol on a regular basis, then you may want to rethink your drinking habits and possibly cut out alcohol altogether, especially if you fall into the high-risk category for diarrhea after alcohol use.
In most cases of diarrhea caused by drinking, the symptoms go away once the person returns to a normal diet and stops drinking alcohol.
Estimation of how extra calories from alcohol consumption are likely an overlooked contributor to youth obesity.
Health promotion and chronic disease prevention in Canada: research, policy and practice.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5650014/.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5650014/.