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- Even a little bit of alcohol can upset your stomach if you have a sensitive gut.
- To minimize digestive discomfort, avoid drinks with a lot of sugar, bubbles, or yeast.
- Drinking certain distilled liquors on the rocks is your best bet.
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Americans are getting ready for a booze-fueled hot vax summer. But for some, drinking alcohol is a surefire way to feel anything but hot.
Drinking too much can leave anyone with a nasty hangover and an upset stomach. Consuming alcohol causes your stomach to produce more acid than usual, which can lead to reflux symptoms, vomiting, or diarrhea.
For people with digestive disorders, such as irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn's disease, or ulcerative colitis, even a little bit of excess acid is enough to inflame the gut and set off unpleasant symptoms.
Limiting the amount of alcohol you drink can help. If you know you have a sensitive gut, it may also be wise to consider what you're mixing your booze with – be it bubbles, gluten, or sugary juice – and whether that might upset your stomach.
Here are some drinks to avoid if you typically have a sensitive stomach, as well as a few liquors that might go down easy.
Steer clear of sugary cocktails and sweet wines
While sweet drinks might taste good, they're more likely to upset your stomach if you have a history of digestive problems.
Your fruity rum cocktail, dessert wine, and hard cider all contain sugars that can upset the digestive system, according to registered dietitian Stephanie Clairmont.
All of those drinks contain FODMAPS, or fermentable sugars, which are not easily digested by folks with IBS, Crohn's, and colitis. You might experience bloating, stomach pain, constipation, or diarrhea if you're sensitive to FODMAPS.
To avoid digestive discomfort, hold the mixer next time you drink. If you're a wine lover, try a red or a dry white - red wine has less sugar than most white varieties, although some people can't tolerate reds either.
Beware of beers and seltzers if you're prone to bloating and gas
Beer, seltzers, and sparkling wine might go down easy for some, but for others, they're powder kegs of burps waiting to happen.
The carbonation in bubbly drinks can lead to bloating or gas, especially if your beverage also contains other irritants like FODMAPS or yeast.
It's also important to know your triggers for stomach aches and other digestive issues If you're gluten sensitive or intolerant, beer is not your friend. Similarly, if you can hardly tolerate soda, it wouldn't make sense to grab a spiked seltzer at your next kickback.
Distilled liquors on the rocks are best
With sugary and bubbly drinks off the table, you're left with the hard stuff: distilled liquors such as gin, vodka, tequila, or whiskey.
If you don't mind the taste of liquor, try your favorite spirit on the rocks. You're likely to sip your drink slower that way, which can help keep your total alcohol consumption down.
You can also choose a low-FODMAP mixer such as tomato juice or unsweetened cranberry juice if sugar tends to set off your symptoms. Or, if you can handle carbonation, seltzer and club soda are low in sugar as well.
Most importantly, make sure you're practicing good drinking habits - like lining your stomach before you imbibe and alternating alcoholic drinks with water - so you're not hit with a hangover the next day.