Alcohol impacts our bodies in numerous ways, and oftentimes it negatively impacts many of our organs. It can lead to cirrhosis of the liver and heart disease, but it also affects some of our lesser-known organs. One such organ is the pancreas. Today, we take a closer look at how alcohol affects your pancreas.

Beer and Your Pancreas

As we’ve explained in previous blogs, your pancreas is responsible for producing enzymes necessary to digest the food we eat, and it also produces hormones like insulin that turn that food into stored energy. If we damage our pancreas with excess alcohol, it can lead to digestion issues and complications like diabetes.

The American Journal of Physiology recently took a closer look at how alcohol affects our pancreases. For their study, researchers examined the pancreases of two groups of mice. One group was given alcohol, and the other consumed a normal rodent diet. After tracking the mice for some time, researchers noted that the mice who were fed alcohol had lower concentrations of a Vitamin C transporting protein. As the name implies, this protein is responsible for transporting necessary Vitamin C to the pancreas. Researchers said this transport deficiency could predispose the pancreas to conditions like inflammation and pancreatitis.

More Troubles

But the troubles caused by alcohol don’t stop there. Your pancreas also gets vitamins and nutrients through the bloodstream, and chronic alcohol exposure can prevent the pancreas from absorbing the B Vitamins Biotin and Thiamin.

Thankfully, your pancreas is a very resilient organ. Low or moderate levels of alcohol intake aren’t likely to severely damage the organ. It typically takes years of heavy abuse before there shows signs of serious damage, but that doesn’t mean you don’t need to mind your alcohol intake. As researchers noted in the mice study, the effects of alcohol can leave a person predisposed to other conditions. If you don’t follow other healthy habits like eating a balanced diet or getting regular exercise, regular alcohol intake could still take a toll on your pancreas.

At the end of the day, whether it’s alcohol or junk food, it’s important to do it in moderation and counteract those choices with healthier options. If you don’t you might need to schedule a consultation with a pancreatic specialist!