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

Your health care team may suggest added doses of COVID-19 vaccine if you have a moderately or severely weakened immune system. People with mental health conditions such as depression and schizophrenia spectrum disorders may be more likely to develop serious COVID-19 symptoms. People who currently have cancer are at higher risk of developing more severe illness from COVID-19. This risk can vary, depending on the type of cancer and the kind of treatment you’re receiving.

Your immune system has several different cell types, each of which has a different but very important job to help keep you healthy. Alcohol gets in the way of these immune cells being able to do their jobs. Even drinking a little https://ecosoberhouse.com/ too much (binge drinking) on occasion can set off a chain reaction that affects your well-being. Lowered inhibitions can lead to poor choices with lasting repercussions — like the end of a relationship, an accident or legal woes.

Limit alcohol use.

For instance, IL-1 induces HPA axis activation and glucocorticoid release that suppresses the immune system (Sapolsky, Rivier et al. 1987). Cytokines are also proposed to cross the blood-brain barrier and produce sickness behavior (Watkins, Maier et al. 1995), which is comorbid with AUD (Dantzer, Bluthe et al. 1998). Ethanol administration (4g/kg) in male rats increased IL-6 but decreased TNF-α expression in PVN, an effect that was blunted or reversed after long-term ethanol self-administration (Doremus-Fitzwater, Buck et al. 2014). Cytokines can also modulate important behavioral functions including learning and memory (Hao, Jing et al. 2014) possibly due to their role in neuroplasticity (Sheridan, Wdowicz et al. 2014). Many gaps remain in our understanding of the stress response, its physiological basis in the HPA, axis and its role in modulating the effects of ethanol on host immunity.

But if you find yourself leaning on the bottle to get you through the day, it could be worth it to head outside for a jog — exercise is a tested method of supporting the immune system — or video chat a friend instead. From March 7 to April 11, alcohol sales surged by 26 percent in the United States. People report drinking far does alcohol weaken your immune system more frequently and earlier in the day than they did pre-pandemic. Research has conflicting findings on whether drinking in moderation has health benefits. Some studies have found this link whereas more recent studies have not. Antibodies are proteins that fight against foreign particles, such as bacteria and viruses.

Eating well supports your immune system

Both innate and adaptive immunity rely on a multitude of different cells and molecules. Thus, both types of immunity are mediated partly by the actions of specific immune cells (i.e., include a cell-mediated response) and partly by the actions of molecules secreted by various immune cells (i.e., include a humoral response). Additionally, the role of alcohol-induced changes in the microbiome on immunity should be studied. Recent studies have shown that the microbiome modulates immunity in the gut, and in turn, immunity modulates the microbiome in the gut (Belkaid and Hand 2014). Only two studies have examined alcohol-induced changes in colonic (Mutlu, Gillevet et al. 2012) and fecal microbiomes (Chen, Yang et al. 2011), and both studies focused on individuals with AUD. In contrast, level of anti-inflammatory protein adiponectin increased (Joosten, van Erk et al. 2012).

Another inherited blood disorder, called thalassemia, might also make you more likely to have serious COVID-19 symptoms. In thalassemia, the body doesn’t produce enough hemoglobin and this affects how well the red blood cells can carry oxygen. Some conditions that affect the brain or nervous system can increase your risk of developing severe COVID-19 symptoms.

Gut health

Antibodies detect and get rid of substances that are harmful to your body, including bacteria and viruses. Pancreatitis can be a short-term (acute) condition that clears up in a few days. But prolonged alcohol abuse can lead to chronic (long-term) pancreatitis, which can be severe. “Drinking alcohol in large quantities even just for a short period of time — like binge drinking — can be bad for your health and your immune system,” says Favini. Certain underlying health conditions you have (for example, obesity or chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder) may affect your risk of becoming very sick if you get COVID-19.

• Both enzymes convert alcohol to acetaldehyde, which is further metabolized to acetate by acetaldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) in the mitochondria.
• “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.
• Studies also show that frequent episodes of stress seem to exacerbate autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and ulcerative colitis and can cause flare-ups in allergic reactions like eczema and asthma.
• Therefore, symptoms may last longer and may become more intense than normal.
• Drinking at this time may actually lower immunity and make a person more susceptible to the disease.
• Drinking alcohol is a major factor in the disruption of the digestive system.

As a result, it was concluded that alcohol does leave the body vulnerable to infectious diseases. Diabetes and obesity both reduce how well a person’s immune system works. This risk can be reduced by keeping blood sugar levels controlled and continuing your diabetes medications and insulin.

Modulation of Adaptive Immunity by Alcohol

At New Directions for Women, we recognize the connection between alcohol and immune system function. Our trained staff provides support and therapies that help patients gain long-term sobriety. Our safe and supportive environment in California makes it easier to complete treatment.