Recently, I came across some interesting information about gut bacteria and alcohol. I was very intrigued when I learned that yet another result of heavy alcohol consumption is damage to our microbiome. The microbiome is the population of beneficial bacteria (microbiota) in our gut, and it responds to multiple lifestyle habits, from sleep to diet to stress. And now we can add alcohol to that list.

There was a study from 2009 that shows the microbiome of alcoholics contained lower amounts of beneficial bacteria compared to healthier subjects. The study then separated the alcoholics into three groups and gave each one a particular treatment. Group A was told to abstain from alcohol, while Group B was given a multivitamin, and Group C was told to take a multivitamin and a probiotic supplement for 5 days.
Here’s what came as a result:

The probiotic group had significantly higher amounts of good bacteria compared to the multivitamin group, as well as lower amounts of liver inflammation! [1]
So how does this translate to people like you and me? Simple! Take care of your gut. A strong, resilient gut is more capable of bouncing back after a hit of alcohol, so keeping it in good shape is definitely a good step in the right direction. Gut health ultimately boils down to lifestyle. Getting adequate sleep, managing stress, exercise, and consuming the right diet according to your bio-individuality is key. For a look into a key factor towards a healthy gut, check out my post here, which goes into the profile of a healthy gut and a certain ‘f-word’ that keeps its critters (and you) happy!

Now, there’s still more that can be done to protect your gut. And it requires a bit of planning ahead on your part.

As a way to prevent some of the damage, consider supplementing with a probiotic. Take one capsule in the morning, and another at night, along with plenty of water the day of and after drinking. Even increasing foods with a high water and mineral content would help, like cucumbers, melons, berries, and bone broth and coconut water.
When choosing a probiotic supplement, look to see if it contains at least two of the following strains of bacteria, which were the ones used in the alcohol study:
Lactobacillus Plantarum
Bifidobacterium Bifidum

For more tips on choosing the right kind of probiotic, check out this post here. Some of the over-the-counter brands I recommend in there include 1MD, Renew Life, Garden of Life’s Dr. Formulated, and Udo’s Probiotics.

Sources:
[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19038698