Probiotics and Alcohol: What You Need to Know

You've likely noticed them everywhere: ads and commercials promoting probiotics as miracle supplements for digestion and overall health. Pharmacies, grocery stores, and wellness centers often have entire sections dedicated to these supplements.

But what exactly are probiotics? Is it safe to mix them with alcohol? Does alcohol kill probiotics? This article explores how alcohol affects gut health, whether combining probiotics and alcohol is wise, the best probiotic sources, tips for a healthy gut, and how the two interact.

The Benefits of Probiotics

Before examining whether it's okay to take probiotics with alcohol, let's define probiotics. Simply put, probiotics are beneficial living microorganisms—including bacteria and yeasts—that naturally live in your body. They help digest food, fight disease, and even produce vitamins. Trillions reside in your digestive tract, known as your microbiome.

While some probiotics come from food, supplements can help restore the delicate balance of gut bacteria needed for wellness. Research increasingly shows that probiotics are crucial for maintaining a healthy gut.

Here are six potential benefits of probiotics:

• Improved digestive health: Probiotics may reduce diarrhea from antibiotics, cancer therapy, or infections. Certain strains might also lower the risk of chronic digestive issues like celiac disease, Crohn's disease, and ulcerative colitis.
• Allergy prevention: Consuming probiotic-rich foods during pregnancy may reduce a child's risk of allergies, such as eczema, nasal congestion, or watery eyes.
• Improved mood: Gut health is linked to mood and mental health. Probiotic supplements have been shown to reduce stress levels.
• Improved weight loss: Probiotics can aid weight loss by preventing dietary fat absorption in the intestine.
• Reduced cancer risk: Animal studies suggest probiotics may lower cancer risk by decreasing enzyme activity that produces cancer cells, potentially reducing liver, colon, and bladder cancer.
• Healthier skin: Topical probiotics can help treat inflammatory skin conditions like acne, rosacea, and psoriasis.

Is It Okay to Drink Alcohol While Taking Probiotics?

Now that we understand probiotics and their importance, let's address the main question: is it okay to drink alcohol while taking them? In principle, yes—probiotics aren't medications, so there are no harmful interactions or side effects.

However, in practice, it's more complicated. Does alcohol kill gut bacteria and probiotics? Unfortunately, yes. Alcohol kills beneficial gut bacteria and can destroy probiotic bacteria in supplements. Combining them can be counterproductive.

Here are four ways alcohol affects your gut microbiome:

• Disrupts gut bacteria balance: Alcohol can upset the balance, reducing good bacteria and increasing harmful ones. This imbalance, called gut dysbiosis, can weaken your immune system, cause inflammation, and even impact mental health, linking to depression and anxiety.
• Damages gut lining: Alcohol harms the gut lining, leading to "leaky gut," where toxins enter the bloodstream. This can cause inflammation, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), celiac disease, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), mood disorders, acne, and arthritis.
• Prevents nutrient absorption: Alcohol interferes with absorbing key nutrients like vitamins and minerals. Heavy drinkers often have deficiencies in B vitamins, vitamin D, magnesium, and zinc, affecting overall health.
• Slows gut motility: Alcohol slows digestion, making it harder to remove waste and leading to digestive issues and bowel changes, especially with high-alcohol beverages.

The bottom line? Drinking alcohol while taking probiotics reduces their effectiveness.

How Much Alcohol Is Harmful?

Does any amount of alcohol kill good bacteria, or only excessive amounts? While an occasional drink might not hurt, repeated heavy drinking has profound effects on your gut microbiome and overall health.

One study found that excess alcohol reduced key bacterial strains like bifidobacteria, lactobacilli, and enterococci. Even one binge-drinking episode can disrupt your gut's delicate ecosystem.

Timing matters: if you drink, take probiotics at least several hours beforehand. This allows good bacteria to colonize and reproduce. Taking probiotics after alcohol might kill them before they reach your gut.

What Are the Best Probiotics for Alcohol Drinkers?

If you've had too much alcohol, can specific probiotics help? While not a cure-all, research suggests Bifidobacterium bifidum and lactobacillus strains can restore bowel flora and improve alcohol-related liver issues. They reduce harmful bacteria and balance gut flora, potentially improving liver enzymes.

But this isn't a free pass to drink! Alcohol can harm physical and mental health, even in small doses.

What Are the Best Sources of Probiotics?

While supplements help, natural food sources are best. Here are nine probiotic-rich foods:

• Yogurt: Made from milk fermented by probiotics like lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria. Choose varieties with active cultures and low added sugar.
• Kefir: A fermented milk drink that improves bone health, digestion, and infection protection. It's diverse in bacteria and yeast, and may suit those with lactose intolerance.
• Sauerkraut: Fermented cabbage rich in probiotics, fiber, vitamins C and K, iron, and potassium.
• Tempeh: A fermented soybean product high in protein, probiotics, and vitamin B12.
• Kimchi: A spicy fermented side dish, usually cabbage-based, with lactobacillus kimchi and other beneficial bacteria.
• Miso: A Japanese seasoning from fermented soybeans, rich in probiotics, protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
• Kombucha: A fermented tea drink full of probiotics from bacteria and yeast.
• Pickles: Fermented cucumbers using natural lactic acid bacteria, great for digestive health.
• Natto: Fermented soybeans with bacillus subtilis, high in protein and vitamin K2 for bone and heart health.

Tips for Maintaining a Healthy Gut

Beyond limiting alcohol and eating probiotic foods, here are three tips for a healthy gut:

• Stay hydrated: Water supports digestion, removes toxins, and reduces inflammation. Aim for at least six 8-ounce glasses daily, more if active.
• Manage stress: Stress disrupts gut balance by altering acidity and bacteria. Try meditation, deep breathing, mindfulness, or journaling.
• Get moving: Regular exercise stimulates gut motility, aiding digestion. Aim for 150 minutes of moderate activity weekly, in daily chunks.

The Bottom Line

Probiotics are beneficial bacteria and yeast that support gut and overall health. Drinking alcohol while taking them is counterproductive, as alcohol kills both existing gut bacteria and supplement probiotics. More frequent and heavier drinking disrupts your microbiome more. While supplements help, natural probiotic-rich foods may offer greater benefits.

If you want to cut back on alcohol and restore your gut, consider trying Quitemate. It's a neuroscience-backed app that has helped millions reduce alcohol consumption and improve their health and well-being.