Is alcohol harming your stomach?

Drinking alcohol has a range of effects on our stomach and whole digestive system. In really simple terms, alcohol irritates your gut – including your stomach.

You can protect your gut and keep the health risks from alcohol low by sticking to the UK Chief Medical Officers’ low risk drinking guidelines of no more than 14 units a week, spread across the week, with several drink-free days and no bingeing.¹

Alcohol and the stomach

Your stomach is one part of the gastrointestinal tract system that digests food, taking the nutrition your body needs and getting rid of the waste. By adding acid and enzymes to food and drink you consume, your stomach breaks them down before they carry on their journey through your gut.²

Drinking alcohol is associated with acid rising up from your stomach into your throat (known as acid reflux), or causing heartburn.³ Some evidence suggests alcoholic drinks can make your stomach produce more acid than usual, which can gradually wear away your stomach lining and make it inflamed and painful (gastritis).⁴ Over weeks or months, this could mean you develop painful ulcers in your stomach lining.

Different types of stomach problems

Alcohol and gastritis

Gastritis is the medical name for inflammation of the stomach lining. It can be caused by drinking alcohol – whether acutely by just one session of heavy drinking, or chronically, over a longer period.^5,6

If you have gastritis, you could:⁷

• Feel uncomfortably full after eating
• Have indigestion or a gnawing or burning stomach pain
• Feel sick or throw up

The symptoms of gastritis can come on suddenly and severely (acute gastritis) or last a long time (chronic gastritis). Gastritis that lasts for a long time can increase your risk of developing a stomach ulcer,⁸ polyps (small growths) in your stomach, or tumours in your stomach.⁹

If your symptoms aren’t severe, you can try treating it yourself with antacids from a pharmacy, and by making changes to your diet and lifestyle – like drinking less alcohol.¹⁰ But if you have indigestion that lasts a week or longer, or you’re vomiting blood or have blood in your poo, you should make an appointment with your GP surgery.

Being sick 

Drinking too much can cause nausea and vomiting. Vomiting can be dangerous if someone is very drunk and not in control. Drinking large quantities of alcohol very quickly can lead to alcohol poisoning, which can be extremely dangerous.¹¹

If someone is unconscious and they’re sick, they may not cough and so could breathe vomit into their lungs which can be fatal.¹²

Alcohol poisoning can be fatal. If you suspect someone has alcohol poisoning you should dial 999 immediately and request an ambulance, while first placing the person on their side so they are less likely to choke on their vomit.

Long-term effects of alcohol on the digestive system 

Heavy regular drinking makes it more difficult for the body to digest food and absorb vital nutrients, particularly proteins, vitamins, and minerals.^13,14 This means someone who is a regular heavy drinker is likely to become deficient in several nutrients.

And drinking alcohol increases the risk of a number of cancers associated with the digestive system: mouth cancer, pharyngeal (upper throat) cancer, oesophageal (food pipe) cancer, bowel cancer and liver cancer.¹⁵ Alcohol increases the risk of breast cancer and voice box cancer too.¹⁶

How to protect your stomach

The best way to protect your stomach and keep the health risks from alcohol low is to stick to the UK Chief Medical Officers’ low risk drinking guidelines:

• Don’t regularly drink more than 14 units of alcohol per week
• Never binge drink (more than six units in a single session for women, or eight for men)^17,18
• Have several drink-free days each week

If you think you have gastritis, these tips can also help:¹⁹

• Avoid eating three to four hours before going to bed
• Avoid food and drink that can irritate the stomach, such as fizzy drinks, spicy, acidic or fatty foods
• Avoid or cut down on alcohol to below the UK low risk drinking guidelines
• Quit smoking if you smoke

Food and water

Having a meal or snack before you drink may help slow the rate your body absorbs the alcohol, so if you do choose to drink it’s a good idea to eat beforehand.^20,21

Drinking water (or soft drinks) can also help, as long as it means you drink less alcohol. If you’re going to have more than one alcoholic drink, why not alternate with water or a soft drink? Drinking less alcohol overall will reduce the risk of negative effects for your stomach. 

Painkillers

Some painkillers, such as ibuprofen (and the whole family of drugs known as Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs, or NSAIDs) and aspirin, cause irritation and may damage the lining of the stomach.²²

You should always read the leaflet for any medication you are taking (and consult your doctor or pharmacist if you need to) about whether it is safe to drink alcohol if you’re on medication.   

For example, if you are taking any prescription-only painkillers, you’re advised not to drink any alcohol while you’re taking them. 

Is your drinking harming your health? Take our Drinking Check to find out