Altered gut bacteria raise the risk of alcohol addiction by changing emotions and impulse control. At the FENS Forum 2022, brain doctors tied binge drinking, stress and the hunger hormone ghrelin to gut changes. Mice given gut bacteria from people with alcohol use disorder had changed emotional responses.
Summary: Many people drink, but only a few become addicted to alcohol. Doctors call this alcohol use disorder (AUD). These people often have trouble handling emotions and trouble controlling how much they drink. Changed gut bacteria also appear to change emotional responses. That may raise the risk of AUD. Many things can cause these changes. New studies confirm that gut bacteria are different in people with AUD. So fixing gut bacteria, along with telehealth treatment, can be one way to treat alcohol addiction.
In the last few decades, researchers have looked hard at the billions of bacteria and fungi that live in the body. Most of them live in the gut. These helpful gut microbes are called microbiota. There are more of these tiny living things in your body than there are body cells. Billions of microbes do not sit there for nothing. They must play a key role in health.
Science has only scratched the surface of what microbiota do. But one thing is clear. Humans cannot live a healthy life when this microbe population is thrown off. Microbiota make nutrients, vitamins, hormones and other active compounds.
The gut also plays a key role in brain health. And microbiota play a key role in gut health. For example, the gut makes 90% of serotonin. Serotonin is a brain chemical that shapes how the brain works and how you feel. The gut makes other brain-signaling chemicals too. So researchers call this gut and brain link “the gut-brain axis.” Microbiota have a big effect on this link. So researchers made up a new term, “microbiota-gut-brain axis.”
Microbiota seem to help make many active compounds that change how the brain works. So changes in microbiota may raise the risk of mood problems and other mental health issues. They may even play a role in alcohol addiction.
At a recent event, the FENS Forum 2022, top brain doctors shared what they found about gut bacteria and alcohol addiction. They spoke on a panel called – “Unravelling the role of the gut microbiome in addiction.”
Does binge drinking change your gut bacteria?
The studies show that gut bacteria change more often in people who binge drink. Changed gut bacteria seem to affect emotions and make people act on impulse.
Can stress change your gut bacteria and lead to alcohol dependence?
Dr. Benjamin Boutrel added another point. In some people, stress changes the gut bacteria. Animal tests suggest these people often end up with severe alcohol dependence.
How does the hunger hormone ghrelin affect alcohol dependence?
Dr. Lorenzo Leggio showed the role of the “hunger hormone,” ghrelin, in alcohol dependence. When its levels change, the risk goes up. Changes in gut bacteria may also change ghrelin levels in the body.
Transplanting gut bacteria to explore their role in alcohol use disorder (AUD)
Prof. Nathalie Delzenne shared work done by her team at UCLouvain. Science knows that people with alcohol use disorders (AUD) often have emotional problems. Her team moved bacteria from people with AUD into lab mice. The mice showed changed emotional responses. This showed the role of altered gut bacteria in emotions and AUD.
These are exciting times. Researchers are exploring a whole new way to treat alcohol use disorder (AUD): bring the gut bacteria back to normal. This also shows how much diet matters in AUD, especially dietary fiber.
Frequently asked questions
What is gut microbiota?
Gut microbiota are the billions of bacteria and fungi that live in your gut. There are more of them than there are cells in your body. They make nutrients, vitamins, hormones and other active compounds. People cannot stay healthy when this microbe population is thrown off.
What is the gut-brain axis?
The gut-brain axis is the link between the gut and the brain. The gut makes about 90% of the body’s serotonin, along with other brain-signaling chemicals. Gut bacteria shape this link. So researchers now call it the microbiota-gut-brain axis.
Can gut bacteria make you more likely to become addicted to alcohol?
Yes. Changed gut bacteria can change emotions and make people act on impulse. That raises the risk of alcohol use disorder. At UCLouvain, researchers moved gut bacteria from people with alcohol use disorder into lab mice. The mice then had changed emotional responses. Gut bacteria are clearly different in people with alcohol use disorder.
Can diet help treat alcohol addiction?
Diet matters. Researchers are exploring a new way to treat alcohol use disorder: bring the gut bacteria back to normal. Dietary fiber plays a central part in that. This works alongside medical care, such as telehealth addiction care. It does not replace it.
Related reading
Gut Microbiota and Mental Health · Gene Editing for Binge Drinking · Alcohol Addiction Treatment in St. Louis