Scientists from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (part of the US National Institutes of Health) have found that short-term abstinence from alcohol can cause disruption of the intestinal microflora in people who have previously abused alcohol. Research results published In the journal PLoS ONE.
Three groups of subjects were included in the study: people who abstained from alcohol for at least six weeks before the start of the study, alcohol addicts and healthy volunteers.
Scientists collected data on participants’ physical and mental health; They evaluated the degree of liver damage in the first group of subjects, obtained information about sleep quality and the presence of symptoms of anxiety and depression. Stool samples were then collected from all participants to assess the health of their gut microbiomes. The gut microbiome is the microorganisms that live in symbiosis with the host in the gastrointestinal tract. They play an important role in ensuring normal digestion and functioning of the immune system.
The results showed that the beneficial bacteria Akkermansia, Lachnospira, Roseburia, Fusicatenibacter and Lachnospiraceae decreased in the intestines of former alcohol abusers after a short period of abstinence. It was also determined that there was an increase in anxiety and depression symptoms in the participants in the first group due to the effects of abstinence from alcohol.
More research is needed to confirm whether long-term abstinence from alcoholic beverages will lead to a gradual reversal of these negative effects, the scientists said.
used to be a doctor saidHow drinking beer affects bone health.