YorkTest > Allergy or Intolerance? > Alcohol Intolerance

Do you seem to feel rough every time you drink alcohol? I'm not talking about feeling hungover; I'm talking about experiencing delayed food intolerance symptoms or odd gastrointestinal or physical symptoms after only one or two drinks. Reaction to the substance ethanol (alcohol) is extremely rare, although a few cases of skin rash reactions have been recorded. More often the alcohol molecule exacerbates underlying conditions such as asthma, urticaria and rhinitis because it opens up blood vessels. More commonly, symptoms are caused by intolerance to the food (or foods) on which the drink is based. Yeasts are a possible cause, and also the fruit (grapes, apples, berries, coconuts, and oranges), flavours (hops) or grain (barley) from which the drink is made. Alcohol also increases the permeability of the gut, which allows more food molecules into the body. This may explain the reactions of mildly food sensitive individuals who may not react to the food alone but only when it is combined with alcohol.

 

At present, testing for intolerances to the ingredients in alcoholic drinks, and eliminating those ingredients from your diet, is the best way of controlling symptoms. While some of these reactions may require you to abstain from alcohol entirely, some can be worked around, and even if you have to stop drinking your favourite tipple for a few months until your immune system has ‘reset’, there will be plenty of alternatives that you can tolerate!