Episode Transcript
You probably know that alcohol affects your liver, your brain, even your heart.
But did you know that alcohol also weakens your immune system?
In this episode of Trust Your Health, we’re breaking down how alcohol disrupts your body’s defenses — leaving you more vulnerable to infections, inflammation, and even slower recovery when you’re sick or injured.
Let’s start with the basics.
Your immune system is your body’s defense network. It fights off bacteria, viruses, fungi, and even abnormal cells like cancer. It works constantly — scanning your blood, your skin, your lungs, and your gut for threats.
But alcohol throws that system out of balance.
Alcohol interferes with the production and activity of white blood cells — especially neutrophils, lymphocytes, and macrophages. These are the soldiers of your immune system, and when alcohol slows them down or reduces their numbers, you’re left more open to infection.
Even a single episode of heavy drinking — what we call binge drinking — can suppress your immune response for up to 24 hours. That’s why some people notice they get sick or feel run down right after a big night out.
But chronic drinking has even bigger consequences. Over time, regular alcohol use reduces the number of circulating immune cells, weakens their ability to attack invaders, and increases inflammation throughout the body.
This makes it harder to fight off colds, flu, pneumonia, and even slows down wound healing after injuries or surgeries.
Alcohol also damages the lining of your gut and lungs — two of the most important barriers against infection. In the gut, alcohol promotes something called leaky gut, allowing toxins and bacteria to enter your bloodstream. In the lungs, alcohol impairs tiny hair-like structures called cilia, which help clear pathogens out of your airways.
Together, these effects make you more likely to get sick, stay sick longer, and heal more slowly.
What’s worse is that these risks apply even at moderate levels. You don’t have to be an alcoholic to experience immune suppression. Regular, daily drinking — even if it’s just a glass or two — still taxes your immune defenses.
So what can you do?
First, give your immune system a break. Cut back on alcohol, and aim for alcohol-free days each week. Focus on the basics — good sleep, hydration, exercise, and a nutrient-rich diet to support healthy immune function.
If you’re already dealing with frequent colds, slow-healing wounds, or chronic infections, talk with your doctor about how alcohol might be playing a role.
Your immune system is your frontline defense — and every drink you skip gives it a better chance to protect you.
In our next episode, we’ll look at how alcohol disrupts your reproductive system — and why it can throw off hormones, fertility, and sexual health more than most people realize.
Thanks for listening to Trust Your Health. Because trusting your health begins by understanding your body.
Be sure to follow the podcast so whenever you need clear, honest advice about your body, we’ll be here to help you make sense of it.
