Boozy Blues - The Alcohol and Food Intolerance Connection

Is that beverage giving your body THE BOOZY BLUES?

Alcohol intolerance is common and comes with a host of symptoms. You may not have realized that your drink is the culprit! 

Read below. 
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​Alcohol allergy is actually quite rare, but alcohol intolerance is very common!

So how will you know if you are intolerant to alcohol?

These are the most common symptoms of alcohol intolerance:

-  hives
-  headaches
-  rashes
-  heart palpitations
-  heartburn
-  low blood pressure
-  stuffy nose
-  stomach upset (may include nausea and/or vomiting)
-  diarrhea
-  bowel inflammation
-  hot flashes
-  breathing difficulties
-  excessive fatigue
-  blood sugar imbalances


Any of those symptoms, especially if experienced within 24-48 hours of consuming alcohol, can indicate an alcohol intolerance.

Nowadays you almost need to be a super sleuth when it comes to anything beverage related.  

Why is that?  ​Once upon a time, wine was made of grapes, vodka was made from potatoes, whiskey was made from grains, and beer from barley, you get where I am going with this.

Now, we have variety, cool microbrews and craft ales with a hint of citrus or coffee, fine wines that taste more of chocolate and tobacco, umpteen dozen kinds of vodka, rum, gin, etc.  We have the low cal light versions, the heavy hitters, the spiced, the creams. Anyone who has been to the liquor store recently knows this. There is an overwhelming selection of almost every variety of alcohol. With this advanced creativity and selection, alcohol is now a mixture of grains, fruit, nuts, chemicals, flavourings, added proteins, preservatives, and more.

The government has decided that we do not need to be advised of the secret ingredients apparently, as they are never on the label of the product.
The contents are not required by law to be listed as ingredients in the finished product.  

This can make it very tricky to try to decipher what the offending ingredient is.

Still not sure if alcohol intolerance is a problem for you?  Let me spell it out for you. If you have food allergies and/or intolerances, seasonal allergies, hayfever, asthma, depression/anxiety, inflammatory illness/disease, chronic illness, leaky gut, candida/yeast overgrowth, SIBO, autoimmune disease, and/or alcohol addiction (past or present), you my friend are likely alcohol intolerant.

So, what exactly is in that fine beverage that you are enjoying?

Below is a list of several alcoholic beverages and the common ingredients (not listed on the label).

Beer and Malt Beverages:  Wheat, Gluten, Nuts, Spices, Stonefruit, Citrus
Beer contains gluten and is often made of wheat or barley, but can also have different ingredients mixed in for flavouring. Ales may contain nuts for flavoring such as peanuts, almonds, walnuts, pecans and hazelnuts. Many light beers contain citrus fruits and/or stone fruits for flavour. Citrus fruits are often triggers for lung and sinus conditions, and grapefruit does not mix well with heart medications (statin drugs and blood pressure lowering meds).  Most craft beers may contain some kind of flavouring agent, that may be natural or artificial, and may be petroleum based.

Wines:  Sulfites/ Sulphates, Eggs, Milk, Fish
Both red and white wine usually contain sulfites, red wines or dry whites typically containing the most.  There are wines that may contain no added sulfur, but this does not mean that the sulfur was not already sprayed on the grapes, which are unwashed at the time of winemaking. Many wines also contain eggs, milk, or fish in the fining stage of production.

Mead:  Nuts, Honey, Pollens, Nuts, Spices, Bee Venom (uncommon)
Mead is traditionally made from raw honey, and will contain pollens. This is rarely an issue unless you have pollen allergies.  The bee venom is a rare and not a concern unless you have anaphylaxis to bees. Spices and nuts may also be added to specialty brews.  

Sake:  Sulfites/Sulphates, Yeast, Mold
Sake is mostly made from rice.  There’s a special kind of mold, koji, that is used instead of yeast to encourage and control the fermentation, however as with all fermentation, yeast is a natural occurrence in the development of the lactic acid ferment process.  

Vermouth:  Sulfites/Sulfates, Nuts, Herbs, Spices
Vermouth is a fortified wine infused with botanicals, which could be a root, bark, flower, seed, herb and/or spice.  The recipe may or may not contain nuts and other allergens. This is a typical ingredient in Martinis.

Gin: Nuts, Herbs, Spices
Gin is a juniper flavored spirit and is usually distilled with botanicals and nuts.  Some of the most common brands of Gin contain almonds.

Vodka:  Nuts, Wheat, Corn, Soy, Gluten, Sugar
Vodka is still commonly known as alcohol that has been derived from potatoes, but most vodkas are actually produced from GMO grains and/or soy. Some vodka recipes may also be made from molasses,  grapes, rice and sugar beets.

Whiskey/Scotch/Rye/Bourbon:  Wheat, Gluten, Corn, Peanuts, Nuts, Corn
Whiskeys have always been made from a fermented grain mash.  Depending on the country of origin, whiskey can be referred to as scotch, rye, or bourbon. Some varieties will also contain caramel colour, nuts, or artificial flavourings.

Rum: Nuts, Peanuts, Sugar
Rum is made from sugarcane byproducts, such as molasses, or directly from sugarcane juice. Spiced rums may be flavoured with nuts or peanuts.  


So there you have it.  Now that you know all of this, how do you prevent symptoms?  The best thing is avoidance of course, especially if you have any kind of chronic conditions.  You body may just need time to heal.
That said, I want you to celebrate life, and if having a glass of something boozy is what you want to do, just keep in mind the wisdom of MODERATION IS KEY.