Healthy Immunity
Alcohol is a prevalent drug of choice in Western society, one that many people turn to in order to relieve stress, relax, and ‘enjoy themselves’. However, recent studies are starting to give us a clearer picture of just how harmful alcoholic beverages can be to our overall health.
In particular, ‘binge drinking’ is on the rise in the US and around the world. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) defines binge drinking as a pattern of drinking alcoholic beverages rapidly that brings blood alcohol concentration (BAC) levels to 0.08 g/dL. This typically occurs after 4 drinks for women, and 5 drinks for men, in about 2 hours.
A small but significant study published in early 2015 regarding binge drinkers demonstrated both a highly pro-inflammatory response 20 minutes after the alcohol was consumed, followed by an anti-inflammatory response that reduced the activity of several important disease-fighting cells in the immune system. Continue reading
