Excessive Alcohol Consumption Can Damage Pancreas, Lead To Diabetes

Chronic alcohol abuse can interrupt the pancreas’ ability to absorb vitamin C, which could result in pancreatitis, according to a new study published in the American Journal of Physiology - Cell Physiology.

Pancreatitis and other pancreatic diseases can cause diabetes, digestive issues and malnutrition, and the more a person drinks alcohol the more likely he or she is to develop pancreas-related health issues.

“Alcohol-related pancreatitis takes an average of 10 years of daily alcohol abuse to develop, and the risk of developing the condition increases with the amount of alcohol consumed,” said Fred Gorelick, MD, a collaborator of the study's authors.

Previous research has demonstrated that chronic alcohol abuse weakens the pancreas’ defense mechanisms over time and makes the organ more prone to damage. Researchers did warn, however, that because less than 10 percent of alcoholics suffer from pancreatitis, other genetic and environmental factors may be at play.

Alcohol abuse and vitamin C

During the study mice were fed a diet in which 25 percent of their calories consisted of alcohol. Researchers discovered that the pancreatic cells from mice who consumed alcohol experienced more difficulty absorbing vitamin C than those who were not fed alcohol.

When levels of vitamin C and other critical micronutrients are reduced in the body due to alcohol abuse, normal cellular activity in the pancreas is thrown off.

"This may sensitize the pancreas to a secondary insult, predisposing it to the development of pancreatitis and other pancreatic diseases," said Hamid Said, PhD, and lead author of the study.

Source: American Physiological Society