This is how alcohol affects the immune system

Alcohol affects the immune system with negative effects, like so many other problems that its consumption entails. And it doesn’t have to be a chronic addiction that brings complications.

The relationship between alcohol and the immune system ranged in medical science from the recommendation of a glass of wine to raise the defenses to its total prohibition. This prompted intense discussions and a series of investigations to clarify the issue.

Needless to say, alcoholism is a prevalent scourge with disastrous consequences. It is an addiction that is present in all ages of life and at any latitude on the planet.

The immune system is not exempt from the effects of alcohol, and it is important for people to understand this, so as not to fall into misunderstandings. Sometimes, for commercial purposes, some brands promote certain consumptions that are not healthy.

The negative of alcohol does not only manifest itself in the long term or in chronic users. We know that this drug is behind traffic accidents, domestic problems and injury from fights. But the immune system is also weakened in acute and excessive consumption, slowing down the healing processes, for example.

By knowing how alcohol affects the immune system we take a step forward in the possibility of reducing the effects of your addiction. In addition, elements are added to treat specific cases where alcoholism favors infections and even the development of neoplasms.

What are the effects of alcohol on the immune system?

The first point of contact of alcohol with the body is the digestive system. Mainly, the mucous membranes of the mouth, stomach and intestine. The latter is a key part of the immune system to stop pathogens.

In the intestinal mucosa, the inner lining works as a barrier so that harmful things do not enter the blood. Alcohol is capable of irritating this mucosa and creating small openings through which microorganisms would leak.

Also, in the gastrointestinal system we have the microbiota, that set of bacteria that inhabit the intestine and behave collaboratively with humans, without making them sick. Alcohol, when it breaks into the intestinal lumen, alters the balance of these microorganisms and reduces their natural defensive function.

And it is not only the gastrointestinal section that is affected, but also the respiratory system. The lungs have mechanisms to sweep away mucus and expel microbes to the outside with the movement of tiny hairs called cilia.

It turns out that alcohol affects the lung immune system by disrupting the movement of the cilia. This is not to mention that the white blood cells near the bronchi become less efficient in alcoholism.

Phases of Immune Impairment by Alcohol

Alcohol affects the immune system in three different time phases, from the immediate to the chronic indirect. These periods occur and even overlap in an alcoholic person.

In the acute, the body’s defense cells have a tendency to attack alcohol as an external, unrecognized toxic substance. So, having an immune response, there is inflammation; the problem is that alcohol is capable of blocking some inflammatory proteins.

Inflammatory blockade by alcohol is complex, but we know that two direct effects are easily noticeable: epithelia heal more slowly and infections penetrate easily, especially at the lung level.

As time passes, if we continue to consume alcohol in excessive amounts, the white blood cells are more and more blocked by the drug. We enter the chronic involvement of the immune system and the possibility that opportunistic infections take over the organs.

Ultimately there are indirect effects, that is, those derived from hormonal and metabolic changes caused by alcohol. The substance is capable of modifying the circadian rhythm and damaging the liver, where multiple hormones are metabolized.

There is no safe dose of alcohol for the immune system

As far as the immune system is concerned, we can say that science has not found an amount of alcohol consumption that can be considered safe in its entirety. It is essential to be clear about this so as not to fall into commercial deception.

Alcoholism is a public health problem, and young people are the most vulnerable population at risk. If a person begins problem alcohol use in adolescence, it is likely that they will suffer from severe immunity problems in early adulthood.

Prevention is the best way to address the situation, and information becomes a key tool. The more we know what science has discovered about the effect of alcohol on the immune system, the more aware we will be when it comes to consuming it.

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