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Scientists are just beginning to explore the relationship between drinking and the good and bad bacteria in your gut.

A frothy beer or a glass of wine can enhance a meal and settle the mind. But what does alcohol do to the trillions of microbes living in your gut?

As with much of microbiome science, “there is a lot that we don’t know,” said Dr. Lorenzo Leggio, a physician-scientist who studies alcohol use and addiction at the National Institutes of Health.

That said, it’s clear that happy microbes are essential for proper digestion, immune function and intestinal health. And as scientists begin to explore how drinking may influence your gut, they’re learning that overdoing it could have some unhappy consequences.

Non-paywall link