Moderate Drinking Could Boost Your Immune System: Benefits of Alcohol

Want to boost your immune system? Alcohol might be able to help. Scientists have discovered that moderate drinking may actually bolster our immune system and help it fight off infection. The findings could give researchers a new tool when it comes to finding ways of improving the human body's ability to respond to vaccines and infections.

There have been several studies in the past that show people who drink moderate amounts of alcohol have a reduced risk of death. In fact, men and women who drink some alcohol tend to be healthier and have better cardiovascular function than those who don't drink at all. Intrigued by this, the researchers decided to more closely examine the effects of alcohol.

In this latest study, the scientists examined rhesus macaques, which have an immune system very similar to humans. More specifically, the researchers trained a group of 12 rhesus macaques to consume alcohol--a 4 percent ethanol mixture--of their own accord. Then, the scientists vaccinated the monkeys against small pox and separated them into two groups. One group had access to the alcohol while the other group had access to sugar water. Both groups also had regular access to pure water and food.

"Like humans, rhesus macaques showed highly variable drinking behavior," said Ilhem Messaoudi, one of the researchers, in a news release. "Some animals drank large volumes of ethanol, while other drank in moderation."

Prior to consuming alcohol, all of the animals showed comparable responses to the vaccination. After exposure to the alcohol, though, the groups of monkeys responded in very different ways. Heavy drinkers showed greatly diminished vaccine responses when compared to the group of monkeys who drank sugar water. Yet the monkeys that drank moderate amounts actually showed enhanced responses to the vaccine compared to the sugar water-drinking monkeys. It seemed that moderate drinking bolstered their bodies' immune systems.

"It seems that some of the benefits that we know of from moderate drinking might be related in some way to our immune system being boosted by that alcohol consumption," said Kathy Grant, one of the researchers, in a news release.

That said, too much alcohol was bad for the monkeys; it injured the animals' immune systems. In addition, the researchers stressed that if you have a family history of alcohol abuse, or are at risk, or have been an abuser in the past, you shouldn't drink in an attempt to improve your immune system. However, the study does reveal that moderate consumption of alcohol could help, which may pave way for future studies.

The findings are published in the journal Vaccine.