does alcohol affect gut microbiome?
A recent study published in Nature looked at how alcohol consumption affects the gut microbiome. The study found that alcohol alters the composition of the gut microbiome, and that these changes can persist even after discontinuing alcohol use.
The gut microbiome is a complex community of microorganisms that live in the digestive tract. The gut microbiome plays a important role in health and disease, and has been linked to conditions such as obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.
The study found that alcohol consumption alters the composition of the gut microbiome in two ways: first, it decreases the abundance of beneficial bacteria, and second, it increases the abundance of harmful bacteria. These changes were seen in both mice and humans.
The study also found that these changes persisted even after discontinuing alcohol use. This suggests that chronic alcohol consumption may have long-term impacts on the gut microbiome.
So what does this mean for you? Well, it's still unclear whether or not altered gut microbiota contribute to diseases associated with chronic alcohol use. However, this study provides further evidence that alcohol consumption can have negative effects on health, including our gut health.