Crohn’s disease causes inflammation and damage to your gastrointestinal (GI) tract, and drinking alcohol can magnify these effects.
Alcohol can damage the lining of your intestines, which makes it easier for harmful substances to leak through to the rest of your body.
“Even in healthy people, alcohol can irritate the gut lining and disrupt the balance of bacteria known as the microbiome. For someone with Crohn’s, this can cause worsening inflammation and trigger symptoms like diarrhea, abdominal pain, and bloating,” says Kaytee Hadley, RDN, a registered dietitian-nutritionist based in Richmond, Virginia.
“About half of patients with Crohn’s disease report alcohol worsens their symptoms,” says David Gardinier, RD, a registered dietitian with the Cleveland Clinic Center for Human Nutrition in Ohio and a member of the National Scientific Advisory Committee (NSAC) of the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation.
Alcohol may contribute to flares by potentially disrupting your gut’s immune protection, blocking nutrient absorption, and worsening inflammation.
Drinking alcohol with Crohn’s has also been tied to more intestinal infections, antibiotic use, and an increased need for imaging and biopsies.
The alcohol in drinks often isn’t the only issue. Added ingredients, like sulfate and sugar, can also irritate the lining of your intestines and worsen abdominal pain.