We’ll be talking about whether drinking bad wine can make you ill in this article.
Simply put, the answer to that is no, bad wine shouldn’t make you ill. But it all depends on how you’re feeling right now. Let’s go into more detail.
Can really make us sick?
Wine deteriorates for two main causes.
The first is oxidation, which occurs when a wine bottle has been opened or even corked, exposing the wine to an excessive amount of oxygen. This frequently results in a flat flavor or slightly off flavor in the wine. Even though it’s unlikely to make you feel sick, it’s still best to avoid it.
The second, however, is caused by bacteria, which consume the alcohol in the wine and eventually metabolize it into acetaldehyde and acetic acid inside the bottle. As a result, the wine tastes sour and vinegary. Because of this, a wine that has gone bad is more likely to make you feel sick. Here’s why.
Without getting too technical, it has been scientifically proven that as we get older, our ability to produce stomach acid significantly decreases. Before the food and beverages we consume are digested in our small intestines, stomach acid is the first line of defense.
Due to this, imbalances in the gut may result from the addition of harmful bacteria in wine and the decrease in stomach acid (which may also be brought on by some medications).
Leaky Gut and SIBO are a couple of conditions that can arise from gut dysbiosis, though there are many other factors at play.
Therefore, if you’re taking medication or already have digestive problems, we strongly advise avoiding wine that tastes like this at all costs.
Conclusion
You could possibly become ill from drinking bad or expired wine. But in the right circumstances and if you consume enough wine, it could potentially lead to a variety of digestive problems, from acute to chronic.
As a result, we strongly advise sniffing your wine before tasting it and checking to see if it appears cloudy or if there are any small clumps of foreign material inside.
We advise discarding any wine that has a bad odor or taste based on these observations.
Roseanne is an avid wine enthusiast, and has been our expert wine connoisseur since day 1. She’s extremely informed about all varieties of wine and different types of wine fridges.