Everyone's body reacts to caffeine and alcohol differently, and our recommendations for reducing or eliminating intake will vary from person to person. For anyone who is struggling with chronic GI distress, we recommend temporarily eliminating both caffeine and alcohol for a time to heal the gut before reintroducing. If caffeine and alcohol are not being abused, it is safe for healthy individuals to continue to include one or two cups of caffeinated beverages and to enjoy alcohol sparingly.
To better understand if caffeine and/or alcohol should be limited, we review the purine pathway, focusing on 3-methylxanthine for caffeine recommendations and uric acid to determine if alcohol should be eliminated.