It’s an old hiker’s tale that if the water you drink is reasonably clean, but not perfectly up to scratch, drinking a small shot of strong spirits in the morning and evening prevents stomach upset.
I’ve heard a lot of anecdotes in support comparing travelers/hikers who did this to those who didn’t, but it still sounds odd. To be clear, I’m not talking about preventing serious ilnesses, more like diarrhea and stomach ache to the point where it’s inconvenient, but not dangerous.
Is there something to it? Is there a reason for all those anecdotes beyond confirmation bias?
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Biologist here!
There is some science to it, since ethanol stimulates gastric acid secretion which promotes digestion (or gastric “emptying”). Overall though we know that excessive alcohol consumption is linked to digestive issues. Too much acid production in the stomach can lead to ulcers & proliferation of harmful stomach bacteria.
You’re better off eating some yogurt or taking a probiotic.
Giardia is the most common causes of such issues and it’s a pretty serious illness without treatment.
But sure, a shot of alcohol has a bit of antiseptic quality to it…
I’d never trust it, but in lieu of any other options, it’s better than nothing I suppose.
Like any anecdote, I doubt anyone has ever done a scientific experiment on it. However, I would think the plausible explanation is that alcohol is poisonous and kills things like bacteria. Food poisoning is caused by bacteria growth, and I would think if you drank enough alcohol it would have the effect of essentially disinfecting whatever bad food or water you ingested. This would not however prevent something like botulism since it is not caused by the bacteria itself, but the bacteria’s waste products.
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