Longitudinal gut microbiome changes in alcohol use disorder are influenced by abstinence and drinking quantity.

Many patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD) consume alcohol chronically and in large amounts that alter intestinal microbiota, damage the gastrointestinal tract, and thereby injure other organs via malabsorption and intestinal inflammation. We hypothesized that alcohol consumption and subsequent abstinence would change the gut microbiome in adults admitted to a treatment program. Stool and oral specimens, diet data, gastrointestinal assessment scores, anxiety, depression measures and drinking amounts were collected longitudinally for up to 4 weeks in 22 newly abstinent inpatients with AUD who were dichotomized as less heavy drinkers (LHD, <10 drinks/d) and very heavy drinkers (VHD, 10 or more drinks/d).

Adults with alcohol use disorder may overreport dietary intake using the 1-year Diet History Questionnaire II.

Minimal recent research explores how alcohol use disorder (AUD) affects dietary intake during periods of alcohol consumption. Therefore, we aimed to assess the feasibility and utility of a computerized food frequency questionnaire, the Diet History Questionnaire II (DHQ II), to quantify dietary intake in adults with AUD. Participants were adult men and women seeking treatment for AUD at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center.