Does drinking alcohol really prevent stomach issues from bad food/water?

106 views

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?

In: 0

3 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

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.

You are viewing 1 out of 3 answers, click here to view all answers.