Components of beer and its effect on the gastrointestinal tract
Beer is considered a low-alcohol drink, but it is carbonated, which means it contains ethyl alcohol. Some types contain up to 12–14% alcohol; 1 bottle of foamy drink is equal to 80–100 g of vodka. Constant filling of the stomach with this liquid leads to fermentation, which negatively affects the state of well-being: it excites the mucous membrane and poisons it.
Effect of the product on organs:
- the glands on the lining of the stomach atrophy;
- food is not fully digested and enters the intestines in this state;
- problems with stool, the occurrence of gastritis;
- causes impotence, decreased performance, bad mood;
- bitterness appears in the mouth, a metallic taste;
- heaviness in the pit of the stomach, pain.
Beer for gastritis with high acidity
Increased acidity during gastritis is when the mucous membrane becomes inflamed, and the gastric juice contains a large amount of hydrochloric acid, due to which the lining of the stomach suffers. At this stage, the person does not notice any noticeable violations. Therefore, he believes that he can drink everything. However, this does not apply to alcohol for gastritis.
If you drink a glass of beer, it will cause the least pain in the stomach, as it is instantly relieved by the anesthetic effect of alcohol. But doctors warn that at this moment irreversible processes in the body begin.
A patient with gastritis with high acidity should not take fatty foods, smoked foods, pickles, or carbonated water. What then can we say about a drink that has hops?
Interesting to know! Beer is the third most popular drink in the world, second only to water and tea.
And among alcoholic drinks it ranks first.
The effect of alcohol on the stomach
With gastritis and peptic ulcers, the walls of our stomach suffer. In the acute stages, the patient feels severe heartburn, nausea, intestinal upset and severe pain in the stomach and right hypochondrium. With chronic gastritis, the symptoms become barely noticeable. And in the stages of remission you can completely forget about the disease. The absorption of alcohol and its concentration in the blood of each person occurs at its own pace. For some, one glass of beer is enough, while others remain sober even after a bottle of wine.
The process of removing ethanol from the body takes several days for everyone. At the same time, no more than 20% of alcohol is excreted through the sweat glands, secretion. And the rest affects the body, especially the stomach. The mucous membrane succumbs to irritating factors, and inflammation intensifies. Nutrients, minerals and vitamins begin to be poorly absorbed, and acidity production is disrupted.
Exacerbation stage
The patient is bothered by frequent vomiting, stool disturbances and severe pain. For such symptoms, treatment is mainly carried out in the hospital. In addition to a healthy lifestyle, it is recommended to follow a very strict diet. Although the patient himself at that time will not want anything heavy, spicy, salty, etc. Is beer allowed in such a situation? Definitely not.
Even if there is no alcohol in beer (non-alcoholic), it is still prepared by fermentation. And when it enters the stomach, the product continues the fermentation process. It begins to irritate the mucous membrane and walls of the gastrointestinal tract. In addition, non-alcoholic beer often contains preservatives, which are extremely harmful to patients with gastritis or ulcers.
Instead of beer for gastritis, it is recommended to drink kefir and consume dairy products. They help coat the walls of the stomach and relieve inflammation. Fish oil has a similar effect. For gastritis with high acidity, these products are useful. They will restore metabolic processes and remove irritation.
Remission of the disease
If you approach treatment correctly and follow all the doctors’ instructions, then gastritis goes into a resting stage. Pain decreases, nausea and heartburn stop, stool improves. But this does not mean that the patient is healthy. The body just begins to recover.
People often confuse this period with complete recovery, stop treatment, lighten their diet and allow themselves a lot of unnecessary things, including drinking alcohol. Believing that beer contains a small percentage of alcohol and can be safely consumed, some patients happily begin to do so. And in vain. This is quite enough to exacerbate gastritis or ulcers.
When alcohol enters the stomach, the production of gastric juice is stimulated, the acidity level increases, and the walls of the gastrointestinal tract begin to be irritated. This process is aggravated by the consumption of harmful beer snacks (salted nuts, chips, crackers). All this is strictly prohibited for chronic gastritis and peptic ulcers.
In acute form of the disease
Acute gastritis manifests itself in the body's reaction to irritating factors. It develops when eating spicy food, drinking a large amount of medications against the background of an already developed acquired disease.
In addition to taking medications, you need to stick to a strict diet. Not only a certain number of foods are excluded, but also carbonated drinks that have an irritating effect on the walls of the stomach.
Beer containing degrees of alcohol can provoke a large secretion of gastric juice, causing putrefactive processes. All this corrodes the mucous membrane of the digestive organ, which becomes inflamed, affecting the walls of the stomach. After which gastritis or an ulcer develops. Beer initiates belching, increases the formation of gases, disrupts the digestive process, which leads to constipation. Often, people who drink the drink increase their appetite, leading to obesity.
Beer at the chronic stage of gastritis
The chronic stage of gastritis is an inflammation of the mucous membrane caused by a number of negative factors. Leads to thinning of the walls and atrophy. The disease is provoked by high acidity, taking medications, and poor nutrition.
Doctors advise stopping drinking beer in the chronic stage. Once in the stomach, it provokes the development of erosion, and then deformation of the stomach lining occurs. At first, a person does not experience the adverse effects of a foamy drink, but then pain, discomfort, and heaviness appear. The initial stage of gastritis with constant consumption of beer turns into an acute form and ulcer.
The benefits of beer over other types of alcohol for gastritis
Unfiltered beer, especially dark varieties, is extremely beneficial for humans in moderation. Beer contains a large amount of vitamins and microelements. Among them are vitamins B1, B2, B6, H, PP. All these vitamins are required for the normal functioning of the central nervous system, in particular for the synthesis of neurotransmitters and the conduction of nerve impulses.
Beer, due to its low alcohol content, has a stimulating effect on gastric secretion, which can have a positive effect on digestion in gastritis with reduced acid-forming ability.
What is important, because chronic gastritis often has a nervous origin or is accompanied by conduction disturbances due to poor absorption of vitamins and microelements. Elements such as magnesium, potassium and calcium are necessary for the heart and circulatory system, which also nourishes all organs and systems and has a positive effect on the general condition of the body.
Drinking beer in the acute phase of chronic gastritis, regardless of the amount, does much more harm than good
But it is worth remembering that all these positive effects are possible only when drinking beer in small portions (within 200 ml per day) and irregularly. If you drink 2 liters of beer in one sitting, while eating salted fish, this may end up in the nearest intensive care unit for you and your gastritis.
Drinking beer in the acute phase of chronic gastritis, regardless of the amount, does much more harm than good, so you should refrain from drinking alcohol until your condition improves.
To summarize, we can say that, if possible, you should stop drinking alcohol if you have gastritis. If this option is not possible, you should remember that you need to drink alcohol in small quantities, eat well, and, most importantly, do not skimp on the quality of alcohol. After all, by saving on a bottle of beer, you can then spend much more on treatment and experience many unpleasant moments, repenting of your stupid act.
Sources:
https://gastritinform.ru/spirtok.ru/alkogol-pri-gastrite/ https://gastrox.ru/diet/pivo-pri-gastrite.html https://gastrit.guru/pitanie/alkogol-pri-gastrite .html https://dispanseri.ru/alkogol-i-bolezni/prichiny-zapreta-piva-pri-gastrite.html https://gastritinform.ru/chtomozhno.ru/pitanie-pri-gastrite/mozhno-li-bezalkogolnoe -pivo-pri-gastrite.html https://www.blogoduma.ru/pivo-pri-gastrite https://zhkt.guru/gastrit/pitanie-1/produkty-1/alkogol-4/pivo-1
Compatibility with atrophic gastritis
The atrophic stage goes through a long stage, and is considered a consequence of complications of acquired chronic gastritis. Not enough gastric juice is produced, acidity decreases, which interferes with the disinfection of food that is not processed properly. Important cells that produce digestive enzymes die.
Drinking beer during atrophic gastritis initiates the fermentation process, irritating the mucous membrane. The bitterness contained in the drink from hops activates the work of all gastric cells. The degree of acidity increases, peristalsis is disrupted. There is discomfort, pain, heartburn, which is not easy to get rid of, vomiting and nausea.
Is it possible with an erosive form?
Erosive gastritis is a form characterized by pain, the formation of erosions, and disruption of the gastrointestinal tract. Blood appears in the stomach, vomiting with coffee-colored residues is noted.
Under the influence of alcohol, even in the smallest quantities, inflammatory processes appear. Constant drinking of beer leads to the appearance of ulcers. Due to a lack of gastromucoprotein, there is an overload of the glands that secrete gastric juice. Internal bleeding may also occur, which is very dangerous for humans.
Important! Frequent consumption of beer for erosive gastritis makes the disease chronic.
How to protect yourself
The most important thing with gastritis is to adhere to the established nutritional system, especially during exacerbation or chronic form. The exception is when the disease has calmed down and entered the stage of remission.
To make drinking beer safe, it is recommended to take note of several rules:
- Choose unfiltered varieties from a quality supplier whose production is not in doubt.
- You don’t need to drink it often; the optimal dosage is a glass per month or less.
- You cannot combine it with taking medications or a course of treatment.
- You should not drink when you are hungry, but under no circumstances should you take chips, crackers, salted fish or other snacks as a snack.
If discomfort begins to occur after drinking a beer drink, you should consult a doctor as soon as possible.
You should not abuse alcohol in any situation; it can provoke complications and cause dangerous consequences, such as rupture of the mucous membrane or the formation of cancer cells. At a minimum, excessive consumption of these drinks causes addiction that is difficult to break.
Types of beer and gastritis
It is impossible to count the number of types of beer. It differs in the degree of filtration that the drink goes through during the manufacturing process: unfiltered and filtered. All brands stand out for their taste properties and workmanship, allowing you to look at the product differently. With such diversity, is it possible or not to drink alcohol for gastritis?
Unfiltered
The opinions of medical professionals about the use of such beer for gastritis differ. Some doctors say that it is useful, while others, on the contrary, do not recommend using even the smallest doses. The percentage of alcohol contained in beer brings an imperceptible positive effect, but does not cancel the destructive effect.
The hops contained in the drink do not adversely affect the stomach. Malt and yeast are not pasteurized, as a result they retain their beneficial substances. This beer is stored for no more than 7 days, which indicates its naturalness. Acts on the stomach as a calming agent, removes harmful microorganisms and salts. But, these actions do not allow us to consider unfiltered beer for gastritis as a recommendation for consumption.
Filtered
Drinking such beer leads to an increase in acidity, disruption of intestinal motility, and irritation of the abdominal cavity. Beers with additives that provide a fruity taste contain impurities and preservatives that are harmful to the stomach.
Filtration goes through several stages to eliminate microbes, but during storage they provoke pathogenic flora. Once in the stomach, they negatively affect the beneficial properties of the product itself. Pasteurization turns the drink into alcohol without taste. It initiates belching, a feeling of heaviness, and the formation of gases. Eating food together with beer leads to constant constipation.
Non-alcoholic
The absence of alcohol does not interfere with the fermentation process. The product is processed and diluted with various chemicals that cause negative effects on the body. Putrefactive processes occur in the stomach, corroding the mucous membrane. Non-alcoholic beer is also prohibited for gastritis. This drink is comparable to soda, the use of which is also not recommended. The components of the non-alcoholic product are removed over several days. All this time, the pancreas is irritated, which leads to a worsening of the disease.
Composition and beneficial properties
The main component is water. No matter how surprising it may be, the quality of beer depends on the quality of water. Water can be hard or soft. Water hardness is determined by magnesium and calcium ions. The more there are, the higher the rigidity, and vice versa. Water for beer should be soft, because beer from such water ferments very well.
But, some manufacturers do not use soft water. For example, English beer is prepared with hard water.
The next component is hops . This plant has a bactericidal effect and at the same time is a preservative .
Yeast that is added to the drink is classified into wild, top-fermenting or bottom-fermenting yeast. The type of beer will depend on the category of yeast used. Fermentation requires malt, which goes through several stages of processing. The color of the beer also depends on the malt: dark, light, white.
The beer contains:
- Sodium and potassium ions (K>Na). These two main cations are involved in the regulation of water-salt metabolism. Since potassium predominates, beer can be consumed by people with hypertension.
- Magnesium, phosphorus, copper, zinc, iron.
- A lot of B vitamins (especially a lot of thiamine and riboflavin). According to some systematic reviews, it is said that the consumption of B vitamins prevents carcinogenesis.
- The vitamin C content satisfies more than half the daily dose. Ascorbic acid is added to the drink to inhibit redox reactions.
- Phenol compounds prevent the development of heart attacks and strokes, as they prevent the formation of blood clots and support lipid metabolism.
- Lemon acid.
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Harm
The first negative effect of beer is inhibition of testosterone production and activation of estrogen production .
Also, hops have a chemical substance that is similar in structure to the female hormone and is called phytoestrogen. When men abuse beer, they develop a “beer belly” and their figure takes on the shape of a woman .
Women, in turn, put themselves at risk of developing breast cancer . Beer drinkers are often overweight. This is due to the fact that beer stimulates the production of gastric juice, which means an increase in appetite.
Expert opinion
Irina Vasilievna
Practicing gastroenterologist
From a physiological point of view, the drink loads the venous system , and then the main muscle pump - the heart. The heart hypertrophies and beer heart syndrome develops. All problems come from the heart, that is, as a result, all systems of the body suffer.
One of the most dangerous negative effects is sedation. The person becomes addicted and eventually cannot relax without a bottle of beer.
