Inflammation
According to the inflammatory hypothesis of alcoholism, the brain damage caused by excessive alcohol begins when drinking changes the gut microbiome and causes a leaky gut. This process allows debris from dead bacteria (endotoxin) in the gut to enter the blood causing liver inflammation and, with enough time, liver cirrhosis. This process can also cause inflammation of the brain, (neuro-inflammation), which can kill brain cells and make thinking difficult.
Our diet can influence this process by changing the bacteria which normally live in our gut, or by causing a “leaky gut”. Modern diets typically contain excessive processed food and omega-6 fat (the kind of fat in seed oils like corn, soy, and peanut) - and this can inhibit healthy bacteria and promote overgrowth of harmful bacteria that damage the gut and produce excessive endotoxin. High fructose corn syrup (used to sweeten soft drinks) makes this process worse. Our brain, and therefore our mood, can be affected by inflammation and by brain stress signals such as cortisol and inflammation messenger molecules called cytokines. Damaged cells, such as those that line the gut, can produce inflammatory cytokines that can encourage a generalized inflammatory response.
A “cytokine” is a kind of signaling molecule which influences all kinds of cells and tissues. Some cytokines can promote inflammation as part of the normal response to germs in the body. Other cytokines reduce inflammation. Inflammatory cytokines make us feel sick, and the symptoms they cause are sometimes called the "sickness response".
We all know what it feels like when we get sick; there are common features of many illnesses, such as a lack of appetite, body aches, and depressed mood. Inflammatory cytokines cause these sickness response symptoms when we get the flu or even after we get vaccinated. Cytokines can also influence the production of brain neurotransmitters, including dopamine and serotonin. This effect contributes to the idea that depression and other mental illnesses are an important symptom of brain inflammation.
Understanding this inflammatory process in the brain and the brain damage that results is key to understanding why people with alcohol use disorder lose their control over alcohol.
This diagram summarizes the "inflammatory hypothesis" of Alcoholism:
This illustrates factors influencing inflammation in the gut and the brain:
For more scientific information on alcoholism and nutrition and related issues, you can find links to published articles on Dr. Umhau’s Research Gate site.
