The Negative Effects of Alcohol on Your Immune System

Do you know about the negative effects that alcohol can have on your immune system? You may likely fall sick after a couple of nights of getting drunk.

Hangovers are a common phenomenon if you have such nights. Some flu symptoms may emerge after heavy drinking. Such scenarios aren’t part of the usual hangover.

Actually, heavy or regular drinking does more harm than good to your immune system. This can result in impairment or damage to your immune system.

When this occurs, you become more vulnerable to the flu, the common cold as well as other illnesses.

Alcohol Lowers White Blood Cells

You lower the number of white blood cells in your body when you consume alcohol. Your immune system takes a toll when you engage in heavy drinking. Remember, white blood cells are an instrumental component of your immune system.

White blood cells help to tackle any diseases or pathogens that you contract. Still, you require enough cells to shake off any diseases.

Your body will find it hard to fight off any diseases if you don’t have enough white blood cells. The disease will start to replicate and spread if you have inadequate cells. In turn, you’ll become ill.

Impairs Disease Response

alcohol and the immune systemFurthermore, alcohol impacts the behavior of the remaining cells. They won’t react to threats in the usual way since they are impaired.

This implies that they may not combat a disease that they encounter in your body. They may also not warn other cells about the impending danger.

This allows the disease to spread throughout the body with no hindrance.

This becomes an uphill task for your immune system once it discovers the disease, thereby translating to prolonged recovery time.

Attacks Healthy Cells

In more isolated instances, the body’s defense may fight itself when you consume alcohol. This is achieved through various methods.

Here, the white blood cells attack utterly normal body cells. They end up damaging the healthy cells as time passes. This is typically less common compared to regular immune system problems, yet it can surface due to prolonged constant alcohol consumption.

How to Limit the Damage

Luckily, the damage to your immune system usually lasts if you continue consuming alcohol. If you quit drinking alcohol, you’ll start recovering.

You can significantly boost the performance of your immune system by restricting yourself to one drink every night.

Through various studies, researchers have found that a glass of red wine can be beneficial to your body’s immune system. It can help your system to operate with better efficiency.

To stay healthy, make sure you do not indulge in heavy or frequent drinking habits.

How to Boost Your Immune System

As well as moderating your alcohol intake, there are steps you can take to get an immune system boost. Including taking a simple supplement called Immune Complex up to 2 times a day.

Backed by extensive clinical research, it contains natural vitamins as well as a select form of zinc. These ingredients are proven to limit the effects of the common cold and flu as well as being generally beneficial for immune support.

Click here to read my full Immune Complex review

Last Updated on July 22, 2024 by Aileen