Alcohol Consumption and the Diversity of the Oral Microbiome in Postmenopausal Women.

Background: Alcohol reduces neutrophil function and decreases salivary flow, which could affect the composition of the oral microbiome.

Objective: We hypothesized that the α- and β-diversity of the oral microbiome and the relative abundance of bacterial taxa would differ by frequency and type of alcohol consumption.

Methods: We used a food frequency questionnaire to assess the frequency of consumption of beer, wine, and liquor (drinks/week) in a sample of 1179 postmenopausal women in the Osteoporosis and Periodontal Disease Study.