Alcohol and your digestive system

Alcohol has direct effects on the lining of your digestive tract from your mouth to your lower bowel. Too much alcohol in a short period of time will make you vomit or give you diarrhoea. However, too much alcohol over a long period of time can lead to gastritis (inflammation of the stomach), an ulcer and liver disease.

If you have an ulcer, or inflammation of your gullet (oesophagitis), you should cut out all alcohol until your condition has healed. It is also a good idea to minimise alcohol if you suffer from reflux, regurgitation or heartburn. Not only will alcohol aggravate the lining of your digestive tract, it also interferes with the function of the muscles that control digestion.

A stomach full of drink is likely to lead to reflux and regurgitation, especially if you are overweight. If you need to lose weight, alcoholic drinks will spoil your efforts because they provide a lot of calories and very little nutrition.