Sober living

Endotoxins are toxins contained in the cell wall of certain bacteria that are released when the cell is destroyed. Compared to men, women had higher blood alcohol levels and circulating endotoxin levels. Alcohol alters the composition of the IMB, resulting in an alteration of the amount and type of neuroactive substances produced by the microbiota, which may lead to behavioral alteration [79]. Gut–brain communication is disrupted by alcohol-related immune and gut https://ecosoberhouse.com/ dysfunction [80]. Alcohol modifies the intestinal microbiota, pH and permeability of the intestine, causing an increased entry of endotoxins into our CNS and brain, leading to neuroinflammatory processes. “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.

A healthy gut microbiota is characterized by its richness and diversity in its composition [4]. Nevertheless, studies have shown that the normal gut microbiota comprises mainly Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes as the dominant phyla, followed by Actinobacteria and Verrucomicrobia. These gut commensals play an important role in specific functions like nutrient and drug metabolism, protection against pathogens, maintenance of structural integrity of gut mucosal barrier, among others [5,6]. The ability of alcohol to alter both innate and adaptive immune defenses inevitably impacts how the immune system of even a moderate alcohol drinker can respond to infections. In fact, alcohol use has been shown to increase the susceptibility of drinkers to both bacterial and viral infections, as well as advance the progression of several chronic viral infections, including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis C.

What happens if your immune system gets too weak?

When a person is addicted to alcohol, it becomes impossible to stop drinking without help. Of course, it is well known that drinking can lead to health issues, including organ failure. According to the World Health Organization, alcohol brings both short-term and long-term effects on every part of the body, especially the immune system.

These microorganisms, among others, include bacteria, fungi, yeasts and viruses [42]. However, in most cases, when referring to IMB, one usually refers to the populations of bacteria that have colonized our large intestine. According to Favini, a moderate amount of drinking — one drink per day for women, and two drinks per day for men per the United States Dietary Guidelines for Americans — is generally safe for people in good health and unlikely to have a negative effect on their immune systems. If you drink every day, or almost every day, you might notice that you catch colds, flu or other illnesses more frequently than people who don’t drink. That’s because alcohol can weaken your immune system and make your body more susceptible to infection. Pancreatitis can be a short-term (acute) condition that clears up in a few days.

From Dysbiosis to Disease

Alcohol abuse suppresses multiple arms of the immune response, leading to an increased risk of infections. The course and resolution of both bacterial and viral infections is severely impaired in alcohol-abusing patients, resulting in greater patient morbidity and mortality. Multiple mechanisms have been identified underlying the immunosuppressive effects of alcohol. Analyses of alcohol’s diverse effects on various components of the immune system provide insight into the factors that lead to a greater risk of infection does alcohol weaken your immune system in the alcohol-abusing population. Some of these mechanisms are directly related to the pathology found in people with infections such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, hepatitis, and pneumonia who continue to use and abuse alcohol. In contrast to the inhibitory effects of acute alcohol treatment (up to 24 hours), prolonged exposure of human (men and women) peripheral blood monocytes to 25mM ethanol for 7 days increased LPS-induced TNF-α production without affecting IL-10 production (Pang, Bala et al. 2011).

• In fact, alcohol use has been shown to increase the susceptibility of drinkers to both bacterial and viral infections, as well as advance the progression of several chronic viral infections, including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis C.
• The researchers reported significant reductions in the TNF-α levels three and six hours after the alcohol consumption.
• In fact, intestinal bacteria maintain immune and metabolic homeostasis, protecting our organism against pathogens.
• By incompletely understood mechanisms, alcohol abuse leads to a disruption of the intestinal barrier integrity which in combination with the mucosal injury induced by alcohol, increases the permeability of the mucosa [55].
• In addition, NADPH oxidase activity, membrane, and cytosolic p22phox and p47phox protein expression are elevated as well in the aortic tissue [188].