Does Alcohol Weaken the Immune System? Yes, If You Drink Too Much

As reviewed by Szabo and Saha, alcohol’s combined effects on both innate and adaptive immunity significantly weaken host defenses, predisposing chronic drinkers to a wide range of health problems, including infections and systemic inflammation. Alcohol’s widespread effects on immune function also are underscored in the article by Gauthier, which examines how in utero alcohol exposure interferes with the developing immune system in the fetus. This exposure increases a newborn’s risk of infection and disease; additional evidence suggests that alcohol’s deleterious effects on immune development last into adulthood. Similar to thyroid disease, diabetes and SLE, multiple epidemiological studies and several mechanistic studies support the protective role of light to moderate alcohol in RA in a J- or U-shaped dose-dependent manner8,15,45–54 (Table 1).

These articles detail how alcohol affects the immune system and how researchers are harnessing this knowledge to help prevent and treat alcohol-related harm. Several studies have also shown that the lungs are highly vulnerable to the effects of alcohol. For example, alcohol can reduce the ability of respiratory epithelium cells to remove mucous from the lungs, which can directly damage lung tissue and weaken the proper functioning of the lungs over time. Although this chronic weakening of lung function may not cause any immediate symptoms, these effects can manifest when a severe respiratory infection occurs. “Anyone with chronic liver conditions should be avoiding alcohol, for example, people with hepatitis, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, liver inflammation, and any condition that could affect liver function would be a reason to avoid alcohol,” notes Favini. Though there’s still limited data on the link between alcohol and COVID-19, past evidence shows alcohol consumption can worsen the outcomes from other respiratory illnesses by damaging the accutane and alcohol interaction lungs and gut, and impairing the cells responsible for immune function.

Articles

Although the innate immune response is immediate, it is not specific to any given pathogen. Some of the most notable contributors to the innate immune response include natural killer (NK) cells, neutrophils, monocytes, macrophages, and dendritic cells (DCs). By illuminating the key events and mechanisms of alcohol-induced immune activation or suppression, research is yielding deeper insights into alcohol’s highly variable and sometimes paradoxical influences on immune function. The insights summarized in this issue of ARCR present researchers and clinicians with opportunities to devise new interventions or refine existing ones to target the immune system and better manage alcohol-related diseases. liberty cap characteristics “The good news is that earlier stages of steatotic liver disease are usually completely reversible in about four to six weeks if you abstain from drinking alcohol,” Dr. Sengupta assures. For those who have a risk factor for COVID-19, like heart disease or diabetes, he recommends drinking even less.

Cancer risk

Alcohol is a widely available dietary factor in our society and its pro-inflammatory effects and end-organ damage are well documented at high doses.7 However, alcohol’s role in inflammation and autoimmunity at moderate doses has been relatively less well understood. Alcohol is well known for promoting systemic inflammation and aggravating multiple chronic health conditions. Thus, alcohol may also be expected to serve as a risk factor in autoimmune diseases. However, emerging data from human and animal studies suggest that alcohol may in fact be protective in autoimmune diseases.

What Does Alcohol Do to Your Body? 9 Ways Alcohol Affects Your Health

In such patients, alcohol impairs mucosal immunity in the gut and lower respiratory system. This impairment can lead to sepsis and pneumonia and also increases the incidence and extent of postoperative complications, including delay in wound closure. Bagby and colleagues review substantial evidence that alcohol further disrupts the immune system, significantly increasing the likelihood of HIV transmission and progression. The gastrointestinal (GI) system is typically the first how did tom arnold lose weight point of contact for alcohol as it passes through the body and is where alcohol is absorbed into the bloodstream.

1. These studies point toward alcohol’s complex dose-dependent relationship in autoimmune diseases as well as potential modulation by duration and type of alcohol consumption, cultural background and sex.
2. They also offer evidence that alcohol-induced neuroimmune activation plays a significant role in neural degeneration and that the neuroendocrine system is involved in controlling alcohol’s effects on peripheral immunity.
3. But even low amounts of daily drinking and prolonged and heavy use of alcohol can lead to significant problems for your digestive system.
4. There are potentially two ways in which low-to-moderate alcohol consumption can modulate SCFA production.
5. For example, one study found that women who consumed 330 mL of beer for 30 days exhibited a significant increase in leukocytes, mature CD3+ T-cells, neutrophils, and basophils.

Alcohol’s pro- and anti-inflammatory effects on the immune system

The first point of contact for alcohol after consumption is the gastrointestinal (GI) system before it is absorbed into the bloodstream. Here, alcohol can damage the epithelial cells, T-cells, and neutrophils in the GI tract, all of which can alter the gut barrier function and allow intestinal microorganisms to leak into circulation. Heavy drinking can also lead to a host of health concerns, like brain damage, heart disease, cirrhosis of the liver and even certain kinds of cancer. “Alcohol has diverse adverse effects throughout the body, including on all cells of the immune system, that lead to increased risk of serious infections,” said Dr. E. Jennifer Edelman, a Yale Medicine addiction medicine specialist.

Alcohol consumption also damages epithelial cells, T cells, and neutrophils in the GI system, disrupting gut barrier function and facilitating leakage of microbes into the circulation (see the article by Hammer and colleagues). Alcohol alters the makeup of your gut microbiome — home to trillions of microorganisms performing several crucial roles for your health — and affects those microorganisms’ ability to support your immune system. It seems that drinking alcohol may also damage the immune cells that line the intestines and serve as the first line of defense against bacteria and viruses. In addition to changes in microbiota, high-dose alcohol can also decrease immunomodulatory gut metabolites such as aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR).97 AhR is a transcriptional factor expressed in immune cells and is known to impact T cell differentiation, effector and regulatory T cell functions.

In addition to laboratory studies confirming the impact of alcohol consumption on the innate immune system, several studies have looked at how heavy drinking can alter plasma cytokine levels. To this end, one study analyzed IL-10, IL-6, IL-18, and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) levels in 25 non-treating seeking heavy drinkers after they had consumed an alcoholic drink. The researchers reported significant reductions in the TNF-α levels three and six hours after the alcohol consumption. Future prospective patient studies that account for sex, age, cultural and socioeconomic background, alcohol type, timing of administration and mechanistic animal model studies on the gut microbiome and the immune system will be critical to better understand alcohol’s role in autoimmune diseases. In turn, this knowledge will help guide the creation of specific clinical recommendations on alcohol consumption in patients with autoimmune diseases as well as help identify protective immune and gut-derived biomarkers that could be used in the treatment of autoimmune diseases independently of alcohol. Much progress has been made in elucidating the relationship between alcohol consumption and immune function and how this interaction affects human health.

Alcoholics Anonymous is available almost everywhere and provides a place to openly and nonjudgmentally discuss alcohol issues with others who have alcohol use disorder. But when you ingest too much alcohol for your liver to process in a timely manner, a buildup of toxic substances begins to take a toll on your liver. Your liver detoxifies and removes alcohol from your blood through a process known as oxidation. When your liver finishes that process, alcohol gets turned into water and carbon dioxide. And that’s on top of the toll that alcohol use can take on relationships, not to mention the potential for financial strain and legal troubles. We are grateful to Dr R. Adron Harris, Dr William Schwartz and Cole Maguire for their advice and support in preparing this review.