What Alcohol Does To Your Immune System

Most of us know that alcohol isn’t great for our health. It increases inflammation, encourages unfriendly bacteria in the gut to overgrow, interferes with metabolism, and even moderate alcohol consumption of 4-5 drinks/wk contributes to fatty liver disease. But our focus for today is what alcohol does to your immune system. Here are 3 things to keep in mind regarding alcohol.

Alcohol Distracts Your Immune System

When you drink alcohol, the body prioritizes getting that alcohol out of your body as fast as possible. While it’s doing that, your body is less able to protect you from both outer stressors and inner stressors like taking out cancer cells. According to the CDC, all types of alcohol increase your risk of cancer and the more you drink, the greater the risk. 

Alcohol Increases Risk of Respiratory Infections

Alcohol damages your body’s defenses, specifically the immune cells and cilia (microscopic hairs) in your lungs that help you fight off harmful bacteria and viruses therefore making you more susceptible to respiratory infections.

Alcohol Damages Healthy Bacteria

Alcohol consumption is shown to harm beneficial bacteria while contributing to increased growth of harmful bacteria. Not a good combo. A healthy gut is essential to a healthy body.

If you drink alcohol, I recommend taking this opportunity to revisit your relationship with it as well as the frequency you consume it. Spreading it out more, not drinking daily or most days, is healthier for your immune system (gut health, liver, etc). If alcohol is your “go to” for social events or de-stressing after a challenging day or week, this is a great opportunity to explore some alternative tools.

It is my passion to work with people like you whose health symptoms are getting in the way of you living life fully and with a sense of freedom in your body. I can help you to regain your health so you can feel great and free to enjoy life fully.

If you’re ready to discover where your best health has been hiding, I’d love to connect with you!
Apply for a complimentary Unstoppable Health Discovery Session. http://bit.ly/schedulinghealth (subject to availability).

Until next time, I’m wishing you unstoppable health!

~Rebecca

P.S.
Know someone who could use my help?
Send them the link to apply for a complimentary Unstoppable Health Discovery Session. bit.ly/schedulinghealth (subject to availability).