A critical review of recent knowledge of alcohol’s effects on the immunological response in different tissues

As the article title suggests, alcohol consumption weakens the immune system, making you more vulnerable to infections and long-term health problems. However, by making informed and mindful choices, you can still enjoy your drinks while protecting your immune health. Reducing alcohol intake or abstaining altogether allows the immune system to recover and function more effectively. According to the CDC guidelines, moderate drinking—defined as up to one drink per day for women and two for men—can help minimize immune suppression. One personal takeaway from this is how alcohol’s impact on the gut-immune axis is often overlooked.

Roles

• Alcohol’s effects on some cells of the intestinal barrier, however, are still unclear and remain to be investigated, particularly alcohol’s impact on GAPs as well as on the differentiation and proliferation of intestinal stem cells.
• 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.
• When a person is addicted to alcohol, it becomes impossible to stop drinking without help.
• In 2010, this journal devoted an issue to the many consequences of alcohol consumption on HIV transmission with an emphasis on prevention, HIV disease pathogenesis, progression and treatment, and the impact of alcohol–HIV comorbidity on the lung, liver, heart, and brain (Bryant et al. 2010).
• To mitigate the negative effects of alcohol on your immune system, it is important to adopt strategies for reducing alcohol intake and implement lifestyle factors that can boost your immunity.

Patients who consume alcohol may have lower adherence to ART, resulting in higher levels of viremia (Baum et al. 2010). These higher viral loads, in turn, make patients more infectious during unprotected sex with uninfected partners, which becomes more likely when patients drink (Kalichman et al. 2013). The respiratory tract’s defence mechanism relies on mucociliary clearance, whereby cilia-lined epithelial cells push out pathogens trapped in mucus out of the airways. Alcohol disrupts the coordinated beating of cilia, which decreases the lung’s ability to expel harmful particles and microorganisms, therefore increasing the probability of infection.

• By moderating alcohol intake, getting enough rest, and following other healthy habits, you can give your immune system the support it needs to keep you well this season.
• Pneumonia is one of the bacterial infections caused by the alcohol-altered immune response.
• Long-term drinking leads to suppressed numbers of the two main circulating immune cells in your body— white blood cells and B lymphocytes.
• In fact, alcohol use has been shown to increase the susceptibility of drinkers to both bacterial and viral infections, as well as advance the progression of several chronic viral infections, including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis C.

Effects on Circulating Immunoglobulin Levels

Early recognition and management of immune system complications can help you maintain better health and reduce the risk of serious diseases. Understanding these risks is crucial because the immune system is our frontline defense against countless threats. For example, research shows that heavy drinkers are up to 3 times more likely to develop pneumonia compared to non-drinkers. Importantly, the immune suppression caused by alcohol doesn’t just increase the risk of infections; it also affects vaccine Alcoholics Anonymous efficacy. Individuals who consume alcohol heavily often have a reduced response to vaccines, which means their bodies do not develop adequate protection even after immunization. Alcohol doesn’t just affect the immune system in the short term; it also has long-lasting consequences.

Alcohol distracts the body from other functions

For example, alcohol misuse is linked to peripheral neuropathy, a condition that commonly occurs in people with severe alcohol use disorder (AUD) and can cause numbness in the arms and legs and painful burning in the feet. Alcohol-related damage to nerves may also cause heart arrythmias (irregular heartbeat), postural or orthostatic hypotension (a drop in blood pressure due to a change in body position), diarrhea, and erectile dysfunction. However, substance use, including drugs and alcohol, can severely weaken this https://powernutritionpractice.com/why-does-alcohol-make-me-sneeze-rare-reactions-and-2/ defense. All of these reactions—from intestinal barrier disruption and alterations in the intestinal immune system, particularly the activation of T cells that produce IFNG and TNF, to dendritic cells showing an exhausted phenotype—exacerbate cirrhosis. Consequently, treatment options for cirrhosis could involve restoring the intestinal barrier and modulating the intestinal immune system.

What can I do to support my immune system if I choose to drink alcohol?

Several studies suggest that chronic binge alcohol consumption (CBA) exacerbates this connection between muscle mass and SIV in part by triggering immune-related molecules. Although CBA- and sucrose-treated animals continued to gain weight and had comparable body weights during the first 300 days after SIV infection (Bagby et al. 2006), a closer evaluation of body composition revealed subtle but significant differences (Molina et al. 2006). For one, weight loss was a more common reason for euthanasia in alcohol and immune system alcohol-treated compared with sucrose-administered animals (Bagby et al. 2006; Molina et al. 2008), and muscle wasting was more pronounced in alcohol-consuming animals (Molina et al. 2008).

Scientific studies consistently show that alcohol has a suppressive effect on the immune system. For example, research published by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) highlights that chronic alcohol consumption impairs the function of immune cells such as macrophages and lymphocytes, which are essential for fighting off pathogens. This impairment means that your body becomes less efficient at recognizing and eliminating harmful invaders like bacteria and viruses. Continued activation, recruitment, and turnover of these viral target cells in damaged mucosal tissues may provide the “fuel” for continued viral replication and persistence in the gut. Indeed, it is increasingly clear that the intestinal tract is one of the major reservoirs for viral persistence of SIV in macaques (Ling et al. 2010) and of HIV in humans, even those on antiretroviral therapy (Avettand-Fenoel et al. 2011; Poles et al. 2006). One study found that alcohol increases the percentages of memory CD4+ T cells in the gut, suggesting that alcohol use may increase turnover of viral target cells in intestinal tissues (Poonia et al. 2006).

You may also consider supporting a healthy immune system with food supplements, such as our own line of high-quality and clean food supplements, as well as following a balanced diet and exercising regularly. Doing so will help you maintain a healthy lifestyle and reduce your risk of getting sick. In some cases, it can even trigger an autoimmune disease if you’re genetically susceptible to it. So if you have an existing autoimmune condition or are genetically predisposed, it might be a good idea to stay away from alcohol altogether.