Alcohol Withdrawal Therapy Shows Promise by Targeting the Gut-Brain Axis

Certain interleukins and gut microbiome links suggest inflammation may drive alcohol craving and disease risks.

A new study has found that alcohol withdrawal triggers positive changes in the gut microbiome, offering deeper insight into how the gut influences both physical and behavioral health—including cravings for alcohol.

The findings could pave the way for innovative treatments, such as probiotics, for alcohol use disorder (AUD) ().

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How Harmful Drinking Alters the Gut Microbiome and Fuels Unhealthy Behaviors

Researchers note that harmful drinking patterns disrupt the gut microbiome, leading to brain inflammation and contributing to unhealthy behaviors. These may include reduced sociability in individuals with AUD, along with heightened risks of depression and anxiety. Earlier studies have also suggested that specific gut bacteria may play an indirect role in driving alcohol cravings.

In the latest research, published in Alcohol: Clinical & Experimental Research, scientists in Germany focused on butyrate—a short-chain fatty acid known for its anti-inflammatory properties. Butyrate not only helps regulate appetite but may also be linked to mechanisms that influence alcohol craving, highlighting its potential as a therapeutic target.

Researchers worked with 63 people with AUD undergoing withdrawal therapy over 10-14 days, analyzing their blood and stool. They used metagenomic (“shotgun sequencing”) and statistical analysis to explore associations between changes to the microbiome and alcohol craving.

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During alcohol withdrawal therapy, participants’ bacterial load increased, their gut microbiota composition became more like that of healthy people, and their alcohol cravings diminished. Researchers observed increases in certain bacteria that have anti-inflammatory properties, support butyrate production, and appear linked to psychological health.

Gut Bacteria Shifts Linked to Immune Response and Butyrate Production

Changes in the abundance of several bacteria correlated with shifting levels of interleukins (ILs, proteins involved in the immune response, such as inflammation). The participants’ improved potential to synthesize butyrate likely led to higher butyrate levels, with the potential for more effective appetite regulation.

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In addition, declining levels of IL-8 point to its role in brain inflammation associated with alcohol craving and drinking. Decreasing levels of a particular bacterium suggest that it is linked to alcohol use.

The study helps illuminate connections between the gut and the brain that influence physical and mental health. The findings add to evidence that butyrate affects alcohol craving, possibly via its role in regulating appetite, and may be a potential therapeutic target.

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They highlight the association between certain interleukins, specific microbiome composition, and some disease outcomes, with inflammation potentially mediating the link between the gut microbiome and alcohol craving.

Reference:

The effect of alcohol withdrawal therapy on gut microbiota in alcohol use disorder and its link to inflammation and craving - (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/acer.70128)

Source-Newswise