Dry January: 5 Benefits For Gut Health When You Stop Drinking Alcohol

As the new year begins, many are giving up their alcohol for the month, and taking part in Dry January. After all the parties, holiday meals and festive drinks, your gut may be needing a break. Here are some good reasons to put your beer, wine, and spirits aside, and improve your gut health.

Heal your microbiome

There are over 500 different species of bacteria in our intestines.  Some are good, and some can make us sick. When they’re in balance, they all work together and keep us healthy. However, alcohol can destroy gut bacteria, reducing the number, and variety of good bacteria, which make us more vulnerable to the gut microbes that can make us sick.

Improve leaky gut

Our gut lining is like a picket fence. It makes sure the nutrients we need are able to pass outside into the blood stream, while keeping material inside the intestines that can make us sick. Alcohol damages this fence, allowing some of the more dangerous substances through, which can lead to inflammation.

Reduce inflammation

Alcohol can increase inflammation in the gut. Since there’s a connection between gut health and overall health, this can lead to inflammation throughout the whole body. Increased inflammation can cause a variety of illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.

Help with anxiety and depression

Alcohol can affect your mood. Research shows that alcohol induced inflammation from leaky gut can affect the nervous system. This causes cells to produce messages that can cross into the brain, increasing depression and anxiety.

Improve digestion

If you struggle with abdominal pain, heartburn, bloating, or diarrhea, you may see improvement after you stop drinking. Alcohol is a gut irritant, and can cause gastritis, which is inflammation of the stomach lining. It can also relax the muscle that keeps stomach acid from coming back up into your esophagus, and lead to acid reflux

How do I restore good gut microbes and protect my gut?

Once you stop drinking, the best way to heal your gut is to eat more plant foods. Choose a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts/seeds, and pulses (beans, lentils, and dried peas). These foods provide fiber, and special plant nutrients that feed the good gut microbes. To get more probiotics, include fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, and miso. These diet changes can help mend your gut, and make you feel great. What better way to start the new year!