Ethanol-Induced Dysbiosis and Systemic Impact: A Meta-Analytical Synthesis of Human and Animal Research.
Level 3 - non-randomized controlled study
Systematic review and meta-analysis of observational human cohorts and preclinical animal studies
PubMed 41011331 · doi:10.3390/microorganisms13092000
What was done
A systematic PubMed search and meta-analysis evaluating 11 human and 19 animal studies on ethanol-induced gut microbiota alterations. The authors assessed microbial diversity, taxonomic shifts, intestinal barrier integrity, systemic outcomes, and the effects of microbiota-targeted restorative interventions.
What was found
Ethanol exposure was consistently associated with reduced microbial diversity, depletion of beneficial commensals (Faecalibacterium, Lactobacillus, Akkermansia, and Bifidobacterium), and expansion of proinflammatory taxa (Proteobacteria, Enterococcus, and Veillonella). Discrepancies between human and animal studies were observed, including opposite trends in specific genera such as Akkermansia and Bifidobacterium, alongside confounding factors like antibiotic exposure in human cohorts. Microbiota-targeted interventions partially restored diversity and improved clinical or behavioral outcomes. The abstract provides no numerical effect sizes, confidence intervals, or p-values.
Why it matters
This review synthesizes cross-species microbiome alterations driven by alcohol and identifies key translational discrepancies between animal models and clinical populations.
Limits
The abstract reports no numerical values or statistical effect sizes. The search was restricted to a single database (PubMed), and the analysis combined heterogeneous preclinical animal studies and observational human cohorts subject to confounders such as antibiotic use.
Cited by
- supports Individuals who consume more than four drinks per day for men or more than three drinks per day for women, or who have alcohol use disorder, have poorer markers of gut health than social drinkers.