Does Alcohol Weaken Your Immune System?
The immune system has 2 main branches: innate immunity and adaptive immunity. Both interact closely and work in synergy, essential for protecting the body against infections and disease.
So, what does alcohol do to your immune system when you drink from “just a little” to “too much”? What are the harmful consequences?
These are important questions, since understanding the effects of alcohol on the immune system helps you recognize the risks and protect your health as early as possible.
Before exploring further, please read the disclaimer located at the end of this webpage.
Key Takeaways
- Heavy and prolonged alcohol consumption can seriously impair the immune system, increasing the risk of concerning diseases related to the liver, lungs and gut.
- Excessive drinking (4-5 drinks) within a short time may suppress immune function for up to 24 hours.
- Managing intake, maintaining a nutritious diet, staying active, reducing stress and following professional guidelines help protect overall health from alcohol’s harm.
- Moderate drinking may reduce inflammation, with a safe recommended limit of ≤10 units per week (according to ADF).
Does Alcohol Weaken Your Immune System?
Yes, drinking alcohol can weaken the immune system. Regular or excessive consumption reduces white blood cell function, disrupts gut microbiota balance, increases inflammation and raises infection risk. Heavy or long-term drinking causes more harm than occasional use.
How the Immune System Works
The immune system has 2 main parts:
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Innate immunity: The body’s initial defense, acting rapidly and broadly against pathogens. It relies on NK cells, macrophages and cytokines to eliminate infected cells, orchestrate immune activity and initiate inflammation to combat infection.
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Adaptive immunity: More specialized yet slower to engage. With its immune memory, it can mount quicker and stronger responses upon re-exposure to the same pathogen. This system involves T lymphocytes, which regulate and destroy infected cells, and B lymphocytes, which generate highly specific antibodies.
Drinking alcohol weakens both of these immunities, thereby reducing the body's overall immune defenses.
Short-term Effects of Alcohol on Immunity
Drinking too much alcohol – about 4 drinks for women or 5 drinks for men within 2 hours – can suppress immune function for up to 24 hours.
Studies in both humans and animals show that right after heavy drinking, the activity of key immune cells such as macrophages and natural killer (NK) cells is reduced, along with lower production of TNF-α and certain inflammatory cytokines [1, 2, 3, 4]. Further clinical trials in humans are still needed to confirm these findings.
Importantly, while this temporary suppression may reduce inflammation, it also weakens the body’s ability to defend against bacteria and viruses. As a result, people are more likely to develop infections such as colds, flu, and pneumonia following binge drinking (Barr et al., 2015).
Long-term Effects of Alcohol on the Immune System
The long-term effects of alcohol on the immune system include slower recognition of pathogens, more severe illness and longer recovery times.
Chronic heavy drinking reduces the number and function of lymphocytes, particularly T cells (CD4 and CD8) and B cells, therefore lowering the body’s ability to mount an effective immune response [3].
As a result, heavy drinkers face a significantly higher risk of infections such as tuberculosis, pneumonia, HIV and hepatitis C.
In particular, those with alcohol dependence are 3-7 times more likely to develop severe pneumonia compared to people who do not drink or only drink moderately [3]. This is due to weakened immunity, including both innate and adaptive immune responses, reduced cytokine production and dysfunctional immune cells.
These long-term impairments contribute to higher rates of illness and mortality from infectious diseases in people with chronic alcohol use.
On Reddit, some users reported that after quitting alcohol, they noticed relief in certain symptoms such as joint pain, skin irritation, bloating, and slower recovery after exercise. They also mentioned that conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, eczema, fibromyalgia, and allergies felt more manageable.*
How Alcohol Affects Different Organs Related to Immunity
Alcohol can affect many immune-related organs in the body, weakening their function and causing a worrying risk of disease. Specifically:
Lungs
Alcohol damages immune cells in the lungs, particularly alveolar macrophages, which reduces the lungs’ ability to clear mucus and pathogens (Simet & Sisson, 2015).
Exposure to alcohol, both acute and chronic, also increases oxidative stress and disrupts the balance of antioxidants in lung tissue.
As a result, lung function declines; people who abuse alcohol face a higher risk of pneumonia and other respiratory infections [6].
Gut & Microbiome
Alcohol alters the quantity and diversity of beneficial gut bacteria, leading to an imbalance (dysbiosis). It also disrupts the intestinal barrier, causing increased permeability (“leaky gut”), which allows bacteria and toxins to enter the bloodstream more easily.
This weakening of the gut barrier and microbial imbalance is closely linked to alcoholic liver disease and systemic inflammation, showing another way how alcohol affects the immune system [7].
Liver
The liver metabolizes ethanol into acetaldehyde – a toxic compound that induces inflammation, oxidative stress and tissue damage, leading to liver fibrosis, cirrhosis, even hepatocellular carcinoma.
Liver injury reduces the organ’s ability to filter toxins and weakens immune responses, making the clearance of pathogens less effective, increasing the risk of infections and systemic immune dysfunction [8, 9].
Recommendations & Protective Strategies
To limit alcohol from harming the body, it is essential to follow these recommendations [12]:
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Limit alcohol intake: ≤10 units/week and ≤10 4 units each single occasion (according to ADF).
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Moderate drinking: Up to 1 drink/day for women and up to 2 drinks/day for men. Some studies suggest that this level may help reduce inflammation, improve vaccine response and lower inflammatory markers such as CRP [10, 11].
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Be aware of heavy drinking risks: Excessive or binge drinking raises the risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer and infections [4].
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Supportive lifestyle: A vitamin-rich diet, adequate sleep, regular exercise and stress reduction can help protect the immune system.
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Screening and intervention: Screening for alcohol abuse is essential. Professional support and gradual reduction strategies can help prevent immune system damage and protect long-term health.
Conclusion
In summary, moderate drinking may offer some anti-inflammatory benefits. However, when consumption exceeds safe limits or becomes chronic, alcohol turns into the “number one enemy” of the immune system and overall health.
Understanding how alcohol affects the liver, gut, and lungs as well as the health risks it poses can help you stay more mindful and proactive in protecting your own well-being.
Testimonial Disclaimer
*The testimonials presented on this website are provided by individuals based on their personal experiences with our products. These testimonials represent individual opinions and experiences, which may not be typical or applicable to all users of our products. Results may vary depending on a variety of factors, including individual health, lifestyle, and adherence to product usage instructions.References
- [1] Isabella R. Grifasi, McIntosh, S., Thomas, R., Donald T. Lysle, Thiele, T., & Marshall, S. Alex. (2019). Characterization of the Hippocampal Neuroimmune Response to Binge-Like Ethanol Consumption in the Drinking in the Dark Model. NeuroImmunoModulation, 26(1), 19–32. https://doi.org/10.1159/000495210
- [2] Afshar, M., Richards, S., Mann, D., Cross, A., Smith, G. B., Netzer, G., Kovacs, E., & Hasday, J. (2014). Acute immunomodulatory effects of binge alcohol ingestion. Alcohol, 49(1), 57–64. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.alcohol.2014.10.002
- [3] Tharmalingam, J., Gangadaran, P., Rajendran, R. L., & Ahn, B. C. (2024). Impact of Alcohol on Inflammation, Immunity, Infections, and Extracellular Vesicles in Pathogenesis. Cureus, 16(3), e56923. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.56923
- [4] Barr, T., Helms, C., Grant, K., & Ilhem Messaoudi. (2015). Opposing effects of alcohol on the immune system. Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry, 65, 242–251. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pnpbp.2015.09.001
- [5] Simet, S. M., & Sisson, J. H. (2015). Alcohol’s Effects on Lung Health and Immunity. Alcohol Research : Current Reviews, 37(2), 199. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4590617/
- [6] Lata Kaphalia, & Calhoun, W. J. (2013). Alcoholic lung injury: Metabolic, biochemical and immunological aspects. Toxicology Letters, 222(2), 171–179. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.toxlet.2013.07.016
- [7] Massey, V. L., Beier, J. I., Ritzenthaler, J. D., Roman, J., & Arteel, G. E. (2015). Potential Role of the Gut/Liver/Lung Axis in Alcohol-Induced Tissue Pathology. Biomolecules, 5(4), 2477–2493. https://doi.org/10.3390/biom5042477
- [8] Yan, C., Hu, W., Tu, J., Li, J., Liang, Q., & Han, S. (2023). Pathogenic mechanisms and regulatory factors involved in alcoholic liver disease. Journal of Translational Medicine, 21(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12967-023-04166-8
- [9] Mashiko Setshedi, Wands, J. R., & Suzanne. (2025). Acetaldehyde adducts in alcoholic liver disease. Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity, 3(3), 178. https://doi.org/10.4161/oxim.3.3.3
- [10] Lukas Mangnus, Hanna, Nieuwenhuis, W. P., Reijnierse, M., & Annette. (2018). Moderate use of alcohol is associated with lower levels of C reactive protein but not with less severe joint inflammation: a cross-sectional study in early RA and healthy volunteers. RMD Open, 4(1), e000577–e000577. https://doi.org/10.1136/rmdopen-2017-000577
- [11] Bell, S., Mehta, G., Moore, K., & Britton, A. (2016). Ten‐year alcohol consumption typologies and trajectories of C‐reactive protein, interleukin‐6 and interleukin‐1 receptor antagonist over the following 12 years: a prospective cohort study. Journal of Internal Medicine, 281(1), 75–85. https://doi.org/10.1111/joim.12544
- [12] Holmes, J., Beard, E., Brown, J., Brennan, A., Meier, P. S., Michie, S., Stevely, A. K., Webster, L., & Buykx, P. F. (2020). Effects on alcohol consumption of announcing and implementing revised UK low-risk drinking guidelines: findings from an interrupted time series analysis. Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health, 74(11), 942–949. https://doi.org/10.1136/jech-2020-213820
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