Alcohol and inflammatory bowel disease: a glass is okay. The effect of alcohol on the intestines Protection of the small intestine from alcohol treatment

The value of alcohol as a substance that promotes the digestion of food has been known for a long time. A traditional glass of sherry before meals increases appetite, stimulates the gastric mucosa well and pleasantly relaxes, allowing a person to get optimal pleasure from eating. The ancient Romans drank wine to stimulate their appetite, and the tradition of drinking before meals was firmly established in England by the seventeenth century. Without abuse, a glass of sherry or champagne improves appetite, but, according to research results, alcoholics invariably have a poor appetite, and peculiar eating habits develop due to excessive drinking of alcoholic beverages. Therefore, it is important to know the effect of alcohol on the gastrointestinal tract.

Effects of alcohol on digestion

What changes alcohol causes when affecting digestion is a serious question. Alcohol greatly affects the processes occurring in the gastrointestinal tract. This happens for many reasons and has its consequences, the main ones of which are worth considering.

Enlarged salivary glands

Although alcohol acts as an appetite stimulant, it does not in any way increase salivation. When drinking alcohol, the parotid and other salivary glands produce less saliva, which makes food seem dry, which often causes difficulty swallowing. Alcoholics develop sialadinosis, an increase in the size of the salivary glands, which is most noticeable when the parotid glands are affected.

Important! Even people who don’t drink much should pay attention to such an increase in glands, because this may be evidence of characteristic liver damage.

Diseases of the esophagus

The esophagus is also affected by the negative effects of excessive alcohol consumption, which manifests itself in the development of chronic inflammation. It is known as esophagitis and affects the lower esophagus, which is located behind the breastbone. It is characterized by a burning pain, more familiar as heartburn. This disease usually worsens early in the morning.

Stomach diseases

Heartburn and chest pain are caused by impaired contractions of the esophagus in the same way as by burning of its mucous membrane. The effect of alcohol on esophageal peristalsis can cause problems with swallowing, in other words, dysphagia. It can be the result of chronic scars in the esophagus or, less commonly, the appearance of malignant tumors. Any difficulty swallowing should be checked immediately. The gastric mucosa can adapt to a wide variety of stimuli.

The absorption of alcohol in the stomach is determined by many factors, including the concentration and nature of the drink, its use before or after a meal, and the individual characteristics of the drinker are also taken into account. One reason it takes longer for alcohol to break down on an empty stomach is that fasting lowers the level of alcohol dehydrogenase, a natural enzyme that can break down alcohol. In women, this enzyme works more efficiently with age; in men, the opposite happens.

Bowel disease

The gut and alcohol have a special connection. Alcohol affects the functioning of the small intestine, affecting both its blood supply and its peristalsis. Scientists have proven that in older people, alcohol can destroy the microorganism that causes ulcers. But this only applies to people over 65 years of age.

The effects of alcohol on the intestines are worsened if you have certain medical conditions. With the development of chronic pancreatitis, the patient tends to worsen his condition. Chronic pancreatitis is often the result of alcoholism. Significant alcohol consumption is associated not only with pancreatic diseases, but also with an increase in the amount of triglycerides in the blood, which is one of the blood lipids, which increases the risk of developing diseases of the cardiovascular system.

Important! Recent research suggests that changes in triglyceride levels may be one of the reasons why the protective effect of alcohol that is present with moderate drinking may be lost once the drinker begins to abuse alcohol.

Gallbladder diseases

The gallbladder is a kind of reservoir for bile, which makes it a very important part of the digestion process. According to many doctors, its function is improved by alcohol - a dose of alcohol helps to speed up the emptying of the gallbladder after eating. Alcohol also speeds up the filling of the bladder, and this increased bile production is believed to prevent the formation of stones. In this case, wine will be a better option than beer or strong alcohol.

The effect of alcohol on the colon

Alcoholic drinks act as a stimulus for gastrointestinal reflux, which has an immediate effect on the colon. Because of this reflex, peristalsis of the colon is caused while food is in the stomach. This problem of an overly sensitive gut often affects people with irritable bowel syndrome when drinking alcohol. This is especially true in the presence of stress. Most people with this syndrome note that the effect of alcohol on the intestines is greater, the darker the drink consumed. Therefore, if you have intestinal diseases, you need to drink alcohol wisely.

Aperitifs and digestifs

When compiling the menu for any holiday table where alcohol will be present, special attention should be paid to the correct serving of alcoholic beverages - they should go well with the food and complement its taste. Here it is worth considering such concepts as aperitif and digestif.

Aperitifs (from the Latin aperīre - “to open”) are a group of alcoholic drinks that are served before meals. They are designed to stimulate appetite and promote digestion. Non-alcoholic drinks can also serve as aperitifs - plain water, soda, mineral water or sour juices (lemon, orange, tomato, birch). Alcoholic drinks include aperitifs:

• Absinthe;
• Champagne;
• Vodka;
• Beer;
• Vermouth;
• Sherry;
• Port wine;
• Cognac (Armagnac);
• Whiskey;
• Gin;
• Strong alcoholic cocktails.

Aperitifs are divided into three groups:

• Single - contain one drink;
• Combined – several drinks served at the same time;
• Mixed – specially prepared mixtures (cocktails).

When choosing aperitifs, it is worth remembering several important rules. Firstly, warm, hot or sweet drinks are not served on the table. Secondly, the volume of drinks should be moderate so as not to make people very intoxicated. And finally, you need to choose the right snack.

Digestifs (from the Latin digestivus - promoting digestion) are alcoholic drinks that promote the digestion of food. They are served at the end of the meal. They should be stronger than the aperitifs served, because after a heavy meal the taste of light drinks is difficult to perceive normally. Non-alcoholic digestifs include tea and coffee, but many experts usually classify them into a special group. Alcoholic digestifs can be:

• Fortified and dessert wines;
• Liqueurs and balms;
• Grappa;
• Calvados;
• Whiskey;
• Brandy;
• Cognac.

From the above list it is clear that the same alcohol is suitable for consumption both before and after eating, but it cannot be duplicated during one feast. Therefore, when choosing aperitifs and digestifs, you should be guided by a couple of simple rules:

• Light drinks are served as aperitifs, dark drinks as digestifs;
• Digestifs should always be stronger than aperitifs.

By following these simple rules, you can easily choose the optimal alcohol for any feast. There is no single standard here; when choosing, you need to take into account only the tastes and preferences of those who are going to drink these drinks.

Negative changes that are caused by alcohol in the digestive system begin in the human oral cavity. Its effect there is expressed in increased viscosity of salivation. Due to the fact that the effect of alcohol on the digestive system increases with each dose of alcohol, the body’s defense mechanisms are significantly reduced. Ethanol directly begins to affect the esophagus.
A person who suffers from alcoholism may develop disturbances and difficulty swallowing. Once food reaches the stomach, it can go back into the esophagus. Also, it negatively affects esophageal peristalsis. This is expressed in a decrease in both the frequency and amplitude of peristaltic waves.

If there is already a dependence, then gastritis may develop, and secretory function decreases. Alcohol deals a big blow to the pancreas. Then, the likelihood of cell atrophy, damage to the ducts, and the development of pancreatitis increases. It can manifest itself in an acute form of the disease or a chronic one.

In addition to widespread cirrhosis, alcohol causes serious liver diseases such as hepatomegaly and hepatitis. It is worth noting that structural abnormalities in the liver in cirrhosis are so pronounced that they cause (fibrosis, destruction of parenchyma and nodular regeneration, the occurrence of vascular anastomoses). The disease is one of those that cannot be cured. Its final stage is the development of liver cancer. This stage of the disease is very rare due to the fact that patients rarely survive to it. Vomiting, which is caused by muscle spasm in the esophagus and varicose veins, can also lead to fatal consequences. It was also revealed that women are more likely to suffer from liver cirrhosis than men. When hepatitis or hepatomegaly is not advanced, they can still be successfully treated.

The effect of alcohol on the intestines

Alcohol damages the digestive system even in the smallest dose, damaging the cytosol, as well as the membranes of intestinal epithelial cells. When alcohol affects the intestines, capillaries become clogged, and the absorption of B vitamins and folic acid suddenly decreases. The patient has an attack of diarrhea.

Of course, you don’t become an alcoholic overnight. However, addiction to alcoholic beverages occurs very unnoticed. A person can deny the disease for a long time and console himself with hopes that he can stop drinking at any moment. This is what he tells everyone around him. Meanwhile, alcohol slowly but surely begins to destroy the human body.

Unfortunately, today, in parallel with anti-advertising of alcohol, there are still many myths. For example, the myth is that it helps relieve stress, relax, and in moderation is even good for your health. Remember, these are all false and dangerous misconceptions. There are many other effective ways to relieve stress. And an alcoholic drink only kills your health, even if consumed in small doses.

Under what conditions does alcohol have a positive effect on health? Scientists have been able to derive standards that must be adhered to, and there will be no harm to you (on the contrary, only health benefits). For a man - 20 grams of alcohol, and for a woman - half as much.

Everyone needs to know what effect smoking and alcohol have on the intestines. If a person abuses alcohol and cigarettes, sooner or later this will affect his health and well-being, since harmful toxins and toxic substances accumulate in the body, which negatively affects the functioning of internal organs and systems. What do bad habits lead to, how do they affect the intestines and the entire body, together and separately?

Alcohol for the gut

If a person drinks alcoholic beverages whose strength exceeds 40%, he damages the mucous membrane of the esophagus and stomach. Regular consumption of alcohol causes constant irritation of the mucous walls of the digestive organs, which causes the development of gastritis, gastric and duodenal ulcers, reflux esophagitis, gastroduodenitis, which occur in a chronic form, constantly having a negative effect on organ tissue, causing pain and discomfort. These factors lead to a person's predisposition to cancer.

Influence

When a person takes alcohol, it quickly enters the stomach and the process of absorption begins. Alcohol is carried by the blood throughout the body along with toxins and poisons, having a negative effect on healthy cells and organ tissues. If alcoholic drinks are consumed regularly, they destroy specific cells that are involved in blood supply and secretion production in the stomach and intestines. In place of specific cells, ordinary connective tissue is formed, as a result of which the organ cannot fully perform its functions.

What does it lead to?

• the mucous tissues of the alcoholic’s organ are deformed;
• the walls of the stomach and intestines become thinner, which leads to poor digestion;
• hydrochloric acid begins to irritate thinned areas, pain and discomfort appear;
• Chronic gastritis first forms and, if left untreated, a peptic ulcer of the stomach or duodenum develops.

With pathological changes in the mucous membranes of the digestive organs, the production of gastric secretions worsens. This leads to an enlargement of the salivary glands, saliva is released in large quantities in order to somehow compensate for the lack of secretion. Chronic alcoholics develop “hamster cheek” syndrome, which indicates problems in the digestive system.

If a person often drinks alcoholic beverages, the mucous membrane of the digestive organs becomes irritated. In addition to alcohol, the mucous membrane is additionally irritated by stomach acid, which is released in large quantities. This provokes the development of gastric and duodenal ulcers, gastritis, and reflux esophagitis. A person experiences chest pain due to the release of acid and stomach contents into the esophagus. Regular consumption of alcohol does not allow the mucous membrane to heal, as a result of which, if a person does not stop drinking, the disease worsens, and the development of an oncological tumor is possible. Alcohol damages the pancreas and gallbladder.

Feast and bowel preparation

A day before the expected feast, you need to give up fatty, spicy and

heavy food. You need to exclude meat products, eggs, mushrooms, hot and fatty seasonings, and mayonnaise from the menu. But if you cannot adhere to dietary restrictions, then 12 hours before the feast you can do a cleansing enema or drink a laxative. Pre-administered activated carbon or any other sorbent will help eliminate hangover symptoms. In this case, toxins will be more actively absorbed and eliminated naturally, causing less harm to the body.

Colon cleansing and hangover

Intestinal cleansing procedures using an enema will help eliminate the symptoms of a hangover and relieve a person from many manifestations of discomfort. An enema helps even when a person has severe intoxication of the body. With the help of an enema, the toxins and poisons accumulated over the evening are completely eliminated from the intestines. In order to get rid of the symptoms of a hangover, do the enema in 5-8 approaches until the liquid coming out of the intestines acquires a transparent color. But not everyone will agree to cleansing procedures using an enema, since the sensations are unpleasant.

Alcoholic drinks and dysbiosis

Frequent consumption of alcohol and beer negatively affects the state of the intestinal microflora. During a hangover, a person eats little, but as soon as the discomfort passes and the appetite awakens, food is absorbed indiscriminately, which puts a lot of strain on the stomach and intestines, and this provokes the development of symptoms of dysbiosis. After drinking, light chicken broth, yogurt, and fermented baked milk are best; they are rich in beneficial bacteria that will help restore the balance of beneficial microorganisms in the intestines.

Nicotine and the gut

The negative effect of nicotine begins in the oral cavity, when tobacco smoke with harmful impurities enters the oral mucosa, irritating and disrupting the functioning of the salivary glands, destroying tooth enamel and the protective layer of the oral epithelium. Harmful nicotine from tobacco smoke enters the esophagus and stomach, irritating their walls, which leads to dysfunction of these organs. As a result of smoking cigarettes, peptic ulcers of the stomach and intestines, gastritis, and reflux develop. A person begins to suffer from heartburn, abdominal pain, and frequent bouts of hiccups.

How does it affect?

10 minutes after starting to smoke a cigarette, gastric motility slows down, which provokes stagnation in the stomach. Food is not fully digested, rots and disrupts the beneficial intestinal microflora. When nicotine enters the stomach, hydrochloric acid begins to be more actively produced, which has a negative effect on the mucous membrane of the digestive organs. Smoking cigarettes provokes the development of stomach ulcers and gastritis, and the formation of a cancerous tumor on the organs of the gastrointestinal tract is possible.

In my sincere conviction, every medical advice from the category “You are strictly forbidden...” should be backed by unambiguous scientific data. A Russian patient with ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease will hear more than once that he “needs to stay on a strict diet” (no need), “you can’t have children” (you can), “you can’t get vaccinated” (you should!) and “you should avoid psycho-emotional stress” (I wish I knew how exactly). How can you not drink here? But alcohol also turns out to be “strictly contraindicated.” Let's figure it out.

(Ready to take my word for it - scroll to the last paragraph)

A glass is okay. Three is too much

Does drinking alcohol cause IBD?

In July 2017, the results of a truly epic prospective study became available: it’s called EPIC (European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition). In 1993, a staggering 262,451 participants began filling out questionnaires about what they ate and drank. Since then, they have been monitored: ulcerative colitis developed in 198 people during this time, and Crohn's disease in 84 (note that these are cases of the first-onset disease). These “unlucky” participants were matched with “pairs” - participants without IBD, but the same age and with other identical characteristics (for example, smokers were compared with smokers). This kind of research, which compares people with the disease with very similar people without the disease (“case-match”), allows us to reliably assess whether alcohol (and not other factors) affects the likelihood of developing IBD. As it turned out, does not affect. Neither the fact of drinking alcohol, nor the regularity of its use, nor the amount of drinking increased (but did not reduce) the likelihood of developing Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Of course, similar studies have been conducted before, but EPIC is the first and so far the only prospective study.

Collapse

How does alcohol affect the digestive system? Ethanol is a powerful toxin for the body; with systematic drunkenness, it not only accumulates, but also causes serious disruptions in the functioning of all organs. But the gastrointestinal tract organs, including the stomach, intestines, and kidneys, are most affected. An increase in the concentration of ethanol begins to act destructively; if you do not stop drinking and do not start timely treatment, the violations will become critical and can lead to death.

Effect of alcohol on the digestive system in moderate (minimal) quantities

The effect of alcohol on the gastrointestinal tract is manifested as follows:

1. Alcoholic drinks cause blockage of small vessels, the absorption of B vitamins and folic acid decreases. There is a violation of the general microflora, diarrhea appears.
2. With further abuse of alcoholic beverages, the permeability of the intestinal walls is disrupted, undigested protein particles and toxins begin to enter the blood, and allergic reactions appear. It is for this reason that chronic drinkers usually develop reactions such as hives that are unexplained by external factors.

The effect of alcohol on the digestive system with frequent and long-term use

Alcohol has a negative effect on all organs, but is especially hard on the gastrointestinal tract, which is responsible for the breakdown and removal of ethanol from the body.

Esophagus

Alcohol causes inflammation of the esophagus, which disrupts the swallowing process, that is, food from the stomach is thrown into the esophagus. Symptoms such as heartburn and pain appear not only when swallowing, but also at other times. With regular drinking, frequent vomiting occurs, which may be accompanied by bloody discharge.

This happens due to excessive stress; the walls of the esophagus cannot withstand it and begin to crack. If the bleeding is very severe, you must consult a doctor; in particularly difficult cases, surgical intervention is indicated.

Stomach

With regular consumption of alcohol, not only the esophagus, but also the stomach begins to suffer. Ethanol negatively affects the mucous membrane, causing the following picture:

• digestion is disrupted;
• trophism of the mucous membrane is disrupted, indigestion appears;
• degradation of all processes is observed due to a decrease in the thickness of the mucosa;
• gastric juice begins to negatively affect areas where the thickness of the mucous membrane is minimal, this causes the appearance of the first ulcers;
• A drunkard develops severe pain in the stomach, which subsides if he drinks a glass of vodka.

Pancreas

Alcohol is extremely dangerous for all organs, the gastrointestinal tract and pancreas suffer greatly, not only does functionality become impaired, but also tissue gradually becomes necrosis. Among the symptoms, the following should be noted:

• disturbances in insulin production;
• development of diabetes;
• severe, sharp pain;
• the development of necrosis, which manifests itself in the failure of the pancreas.

Intestine and duodenum

The effect of alcohol on the intestines is one of the most powerful. In the early stages, defecation disorders, constipation or loose stools are observed. If you do not stop drinking alcohol, then all metabolic processes gradually stop, fecal stones form in the intestinal cavity, and fluid is reuptaken. The general condition gradually becomes worse, the following symptoms are observed:

• digestive disorders;
• loose, frequent stools;
• constipation with the formation of fecal stones;
• pain and signs of general intoxication appear due to the entry of undigested protein particles and toxins into the blood.

In particularly difficult cases, urgent surgical intervention is required, especially if there is bleeding or a complete inability to go to the toilet. The intestines can be quite severely affected; if treatment is not started, ulcerations are diagnosed, which can gradually develop into cancer.

Liver

The liver and alcohol are completely incompatible; even a small amount of low-alcohol drinks causes serious disruption of the organ and tissue degeneration. With regular consumption of alcohol, normal liver cells are gradually replaced by scar tissue, the organ itself begins to increase in size, and disruption of its functioning is observed. Metabolic reactions gradually slow down, the liver can no longer cope with its main function - the breakdown and removal of toxins, which gradually begin to penetrate into other organs.

After the tissue enlarges, a stage is observed during which the pathology takes over the entire liver, it gradually begins to shrink, shrink, completely ceasing to perform its functions. A drunkard develops alcoholic hepatitis, which quickly leads to death if treatment is not started and alcohol is not given up.

The following symptoms should be noted:

• the drunkard begins to “knock out” after a small dose;
• the frequency of drinking increases, as the alcoholic develops a need to constantly maintain a certain amount of ethanol in the body;
• the condition of the mucous membranes worsens, dehydration is observed;
• the size of the liver increases, which can be clearly felt during the examination;
• yellowing of the whites of the eyes and skin is observed.

With regular drinking, normal liver cells are gradually replaced by scar tissue

Kidneys

How does alcohol affect the kidneys? Regular drinking leads to very dangerous dysfunction - suppression of kidney function. There are disturbances in filtration and excretory functions, the load on the organ increases, which leads to dehydration of the body, since most of the resources are spent on fighting toxins. Such stagnation causes blood to thicken, as a result of which the load increases even more, and the kidneys begin to wear out quickly.

In the absence of treatment and increased consumption of alcohol, inflammatory processes begin in the tissues of the organ, mineral metabolism is disrupted, and urolithiasis or urolithiasis appears.

During diagnosis of alcoholic damage to the renal tissue, all patients experience turbidity in the urine and the presence of a protein sediment. This indicates disturbances in the functioning of the organ and the development of dangerous dysfunction.

Common diseases that occur with frequent alcohol consumption

The effect of alcoholic beverages on the gastrointestinal tract is very harmful; regular drinking leads to problems with bowel movements, loose stools, intestinal dysbiosis, and acid-base imbalance. Among the most dangerous consequences is peptic ulcer disease, which if left untreated can lead to severe bleeding and even death.

The development of ulcers with systematic consumption of strong drinks occurs as follows:

• gastritis develops first, reducing the secretory function of the stomach, disrupting general digestive processes, this causes discomfort and pain, especially when taking certain foods;
• if timely treatment is not started, the development of ulcerative dyspepsia, pain, digestive difficulties is observed, and the general activity of the gastrointestinal tract is disrupted;
• then ethanol begins to actively penetrate the intestinal walls, affecting the mucous membrane, causing severe spasms and the appearance of the first ulcerations;
• if treatment is not started at this stage, but in most cases the disease develops into cancer;
• in addition to damage to the mucous membrane, duodenal ulcer is observed with a very severe course;
• simultaneously with these symptoms, pathology of pancreatic tissue develops, which gradually reduces the level of enzyme production, eventually stopping it completely.

Along with peptic ulcer, there are lesions of the gallbladder with stagnation of bile, lesions of the liver tissue, the development of pancreatitis and pancreatic necrosis, that is, tissue death.

Is it possible to drink if you have diseases of the digestive system?

Is it possible to drink alcohol if you have gastrointestinal diseases? Alcohol will be harmful even with a slight disorder, so you should not use it if you have existing diseases of the stomach, liver, or other organs of the gastrointestinal tract. Alcohol is especially dangerous if there are existing inflammatory processes, bleeding, or peptic ulcers.

How alcohol affects the gastrointestinal tract and what the consequences of its use will be can be seen here