How Alcohol Weakens the Immune System

As with most things in life, the arrow points to “moderation” (unless you are in a high-risk group due to poor health or pregnancy). For more information about alcohol and cancer, please visit the National Cancer Institute’s webpage “Alcohol and Cancer Risk” (last accessed October https://ecosoberhouse.com/ 21, 2021). Alcoholics Anonymous is available almost everywhere and provides a place to openly and nonjudgmentally discuss alcohol issues with others who have alcohol use disorder. And prolonged alcohol use can lead to mental health conditions like anxiety and depression.

Past data shows binge drinking can have a massive effect on the immune system. According to the Cleveland Clinic, once you take a sip of alcohol, your body prioritizes breaking down alcohol over several other bodily functions. The body doesn’t have a way to store alcohol like it does with carbohydrates and fats, so it has to immediately send it to the liver, where it’s metabolized. Similarly, alcohol can trigger inflammation in the gut and destroy the microorganisms that live in the intestine and maintain immune system health. There is some evidence that sorrow, especially if lasts a long time, can depress your body’s immunity. The effect can linger for 6 months, but may go on longer if your grief is deep or doesn’t ease.

Alcoholic Liver Disease

Drink responsibly— Using alcohol to cope with negative Covid-19 related feelings could place a person on a path toward developing an alcohol use disorder, Koob cautions. We do not receive any commission or fee that is dependent upon which treatment provider a caller chooses. Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) is a serious condition that causes low levels of oxygen in your blood.

Microbiota produces neurotransmitters, tryptophan metabolites, fermentation metabolic by-products such as short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), the release of cytokines by immune cells and gut hormone signaling. Some of these molecules can activate the vagus nerve or reach the brain and liver via systemic circulation. Alcohol consumption causes dysregulation in the intestinal microbiota, which leads to an alteration in this communication and subsequently causes alterations in brain and liver functions. In the human body, the gut represents the organ with the largest surface area (approximately 32 m2) [2] as well as the one with the highest number of microbes, especially in the colon, where the density of bacterial cells has been estimated at 1011 to 1012 per milliliter [3].

World Health Organization Health Topics Alcohol

It’s important to remember that alcohol can prevent the absorption of nutrients that your body needs, and a balanced diet can improve your immune system and overall health. A weak immune system can put you at higher risk of various medical conditions. As we said before, your immune system protects your body from unwelcome invaders and certain types of cancers. If you’re unfamiliar, inflammation is what naturally occurs when your immune system goes into action. The redness and swelling that you see is the result of your body sending more blood to provide nutrients to the site of injury.

Excess body weight increases a person’s risk for cancer and other diseases. When ALD reaches its final stage, known as alcoholic liver cirrhosis, the damage is irreversible and leads to complications. The damage is irreversible because scar tissues build up and replace the liver’s regenerative cells, preventing the organ from healing. Alcohol feeding suppresses the production and secretion of certain acute-phase proteins (i.e., type II cell surfactant). This effect may contribute to lung injury in response to inflammation (Holguin et al. 1998). We need lots of different ‘good’ bacteria in our gastrointestinal (GI) tract for healthy immune function.

Urinary tract infection (UTI)

Decreased IL-2 and CCL5 levels provide insight into possible mechanisms of impaired T cell recruitment and proliferation. Increases in IL-7 and IL-15, which are critical for T cell survival, may be compensatory mechanisms for reduced IL-2 levels. Reduced IgE levels https://ecosoberhouse.com/article/does-alcohol-weaken-our-immune-system/ were also observed and may be related to the observed decrease in IgE synthesis regulators, IL-13 and CD40 ligand. Increased levels of CCL11, a potent chemokine for IgE-producing eosinophils, may be compensating the reduced IgE levels (Helms, Messaoudi et al. 2012).

• The induced innate humoral response plays a critical role in clearing or containing infection while an adaptive response develops.
• Among men in 2016, an estimated 2.3 million deaths and 106.5 million DALYs were attributable to the consumption of alcohol.
• It’s important to remember that alcohol can prevent the absorption of nutrients that your body needs, and a balanced diet can improve your immune system and overall health.
• Still, some experts argue the immune risks don’t mean you have to quit lockdown happy hour completely.