Booze to banish the bloat
The after-effects of alcohol are far more than a hangover and while ill health from too much alcohol is usually associated with life altering conditions, symptoms like IBS continue to go ignored. But with little usage guidelines, other than the number of standard drinks you can consume when driving, it's no surprise people don't link their gut health to their aperitif.
New research from Sans Drinks reveals that three-quarters (77%) of Aussies enjoy drinking alcohol even though we are aware of the potential damages to our health. What's more, over half of Aussies (58%) admit that their drinking habits have changed this year due to COVID with one in five (19%) drinking more and one in ten (12%) turning to alcohol to de-stress.
The research reveals that alcohol is impacting the health and wellbeing of more than a third (37%) of Aussies. A major issue caused by excess alcohol is damage to the stomach lining and changes to your microbiome levels which can result in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) causing serious physical discomfort and bloating.
As alcohol is absorbed through the digestive tract, it's the first line of defence in our body, making it one of the first parts of the body to suffer and meaning that a cheeky bevy or two can actually result in significant health issues.
With a quarter (26%) of people worried they will drink too much over Christmas and feel pressured to drink in social situations, Sans Drinks is encouraging Australians to switch just a few of their weekly wines or cheeky cocktails to alcohol-free beers, wines or spirits and banish the bloat.