Is drinking alcohol a natural remedy for food poisoning?

A viral Tiktok video showcases a woman chugging a shot and stating – ‘it’s medicinal’ post having a meal that she feared might cause her food poisoning. It turned out she believed drinking alcohol could keep stomach bugs at bay. As bizarre as the claim may sound, it does have just a tiny bit of truth, but not enough to support its consumption for preventing food poisoning.

What the research says
There have been a few studies and research indicating that alcohol might alleviate or fight off the risk of food poisoning, whereas, the evidence stays limited.A significant study from 2022 published in Epidemiology Journal inspected a salmonella spread at a gathering in Spain. Analysts discovered that guests who consumed three or more drinks were almost 46% less likely to become sick as compared to the individuals who didn’t drink. A comparable study from 1992 associated with hepatitis A from raw oysters indicated that those who consumed wine or whiskey had notably a 90% lower risk of falling ill.
Although these discoveries might show potential, they don’t necessarily emphasize the connection.
Limitations of existing studies

Among all the studies and research available, none of them is extensive and undertaken as required to prove if the claims are truly appropriate or not. Most of the research conducted is small, with less number of individuals involved while also being carried out in a significantly controlled environment. Let’s take the example of the case involving 33 individuals affected by hepatitis E while being on a cruise uncovered that only the ones who drank fell sick, while the ones who did not drink stayed healthy and unaffected. This emphasizes the complexity of the association between alcohol consumption and food safety.
Furthermore, there are no comprehensive experimental trials that have been conducted to test directly if and how drinking impacts the risk of food poisoning, leaving significant gaps in understanding.
The downside of alcohol consumption

Although alcohol might provide some incredible benefits and defensive impacts, it can also severely affect your immune system, severely damage liver function, cause weight gain, increase heart issues, and even manifest notable mental health problems. Research hints that indulging in frequent and heavy drinking can lead to immense inflammation and the destruction of gut health, also referred to as the “leaky gut”, facilitating the harmful bacteria to access the blood network.
Dr. Gyongyi Szabo from Harvard Medical School highlights that intense consumption of alcohol erodes the defenses of the body, heightening the threat of infections, and possibly elevating the vulnerability or proneness to critical food-related diseases, some of which include salmonella, listeria, and campylobacter.

Moreover, consuming alcohol on a daily or frequent basis can contribute to exacerbating food poisoning, dehydration as well as an extended healing period.
Risk-reducing practices to avoid food-poisoning

Let’s explore some of the key strategies to alleviate and prevent food-borne diseases:
Practice safe cooking
Practicing safe cooking includes simple yet effective habits such as washing hands regularly while cooking meals, always making sure to keep raw meats separately from other food items also cooking items only to a safe temperature.
Watch the clock
Remember to never leave easily spoiled food items at room temperature for over two hours, especially in extreme heat.

Regularly clean kitchen surfaces and utensils
By simply cleaning the kitchen surfaces and utensils regularly, you can reduce the risk of food poisoning. The habit of using sanitizers on cutting boards, and countertops, as well as washing them thoroughly reduces bacteria, leading to the prevention of food-borne diseases.
Drinking ginger tea, and apple cider vinegar, and taking probiotics can significantly help alleviate food poisoning and related diseases. These methods are safe to implement and are worth a try when going through food poisoning or associated diseases.

The role of alcohol in travel safety
The belief that consuming alcohol, particularly wine can help avoid food poisoning while traveling goes way back in history. In regions with uncertain water standards, several people have depended on alcoholic beverages and wine. Several studies have backed this theory, proposing that the acidic nature of alcohol can facilitate the killing of pathogens like salmonella and listeria.

A food scientist mentioned that drinking alcohol while or post the consumption of contaminated and harmful food might nullify the harmful bacteria. However, it is important to note that being in control is essential. Drinking excessively, whether drinking may or may not help with food poisoning, is indeed significantly harmful, and further contradicts any potential benefits.
In a nutshell, alcohol might have some correlation with the reduced risk of food poisoning, but the evidence still lies in uncertainty. Depending on drinking alcohol as a way to fight off food-borne diseases is not a proven safe and efficient strategy, therefore, one should always focus on implementing scientifically proven and suggested methods as a precaution. Enjoying a drink once in a while is absolutely fine, but choosing to demonstrate and justify heavy drinking as a “precautionary measure” is what may cause even more harm.