Does Alcohol Cause Inflammation?

Medically reviewed by Stella Bard, MD

Alcohol is deeply embedded into the fabric of society. Across cultures and traditions, people worldwide drink alcohol when celebrating, socializing, and relaxing. While often perceived as a harmless indulgence, alcohol consumption can have detrimental effects on our health. 

Alcohol use increases the risk of many health problems, including heart disease, liver failure, and certain types of cancer. The link between inflammation and chronic diseases is also well-established, which raises a crucial question: Does alcohol cause inflammation? The short answer is yes.

This article explores how alcohol causes inflammation and what you can do to reduce its adverse effects.

Alcohol Use Disorder

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a chronic brain condition characterized by continued alcohol consumption despite harmful consequences. If you are struggling with alcohol use disorder or suspect you have an unhealthy relationship with alcohol, you are not alone.

There are many resources available to help overcome alcohol misuse and addiction. Talk to a healthcare provider to discuss your concerns or call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 800-662-HELP (4357).

How Does Alcohol Cause Inflammation?

Inflammation is the body's natural response to injury or infection. When the body detects a threat—such as pathogens (e.g., bacteria, viruses), chemical irritants, or damaged tissues from injury—it initiates an inflammatory response to eliminate the threat and promote healing.

Alcohol acts as a catalyst for inflammation, triggering your body's inflammatory response. When you drink alcohol, your body metabolizes it into acetaldehyde—a toxic chemical that causes oxidative stress and cell damage. Although acetaldehyde is only in the body for a short time, it can cause damage to several organs and tissues, including the liver, brain, pancreas, and gastrointestinal tract. 

Alcohol contributes to inflammation in several ways, including: 

• Gut microbiome disruption: Alcohol disrupts the balance of good and bad bacteria in the gut microbiome. Known as dysbiosis, alcohol consumption allows harmful bacteria to proliferate. Over time, dysbiosis causes inflammation in the gut, triggering systemic (bodywide) inflammation that can lead to gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, autoimmune, metabolic, and neurological diseases.

• Oxidative stress: Alcohol metabolism generates an excess of reactive oxygen species (ROS), highly unstable molecules that lead to oxidative stress (an imbalance of harmful free radicals and beneficial antioxidants in the body). Oxidative stress triggers inflammation and plays a role in the development of many diseases, including heart disease, respiratory diseases, neurological diseases, and cancer.

• Increased gut permeability: Alcohol consumption increases the permeability of the intestinal lining, allowing bacterial toxins called lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to leak into the bloodstream. This triggers the release of pro-inflammatory proteins (cytokines), leading to low-grade systemic inflammation and an increased risk of several inflammatory diseases, including obesity and diabetes.

• Immune system suppression: Alcohol weakens the immune system, reducing its ability to fight bacterial and viral infections and effectively regulate inflammation.
  

What Type of Alcohol Does Not Cause Inflammation?

All types of alcohol can trigger inflammation, though how much inflammation it causes can vary depending on the type of alcohol and amount consumed. Red wine contains polyphenols—antioxidant compounds with anti-inflammatory properties—which suggests it may cause less inflammation than other types of alcohol, such as liquor or beer. If you drink, do so occasionally and in moderation to protect your health.

How to Tell If You Have Inflammation

Acute (short-term) inflammation causes symptoms such as redness, swelling, warmth, and pain at the site of infection or injury. Chronic (long-term) inflammation associated with long-term alcohol use slowly destroys the body's tissues, causing a range of bodywide symptoms that may seem vague or unexplainable. 

Symptoms of chronic inflammation include:

• Chronic fatigue

• Unexplained weight gain or weight loss

• Joint pain or stiffness

• Muscle aches

• Depression

• Anxiety

• Diarrhea

• Bloating or constipation

• Acid reflux (heartburn)

• Insomnia

• Frequent or recurrent infections

Impact of Chronic Inflammation on Health

Chronic systemic inflammation slowly destroys the body's healthy tissues and organs and can damage cell DNA. Over time, this prolonged inflammatory response takes a toll on your health. Chronic inflammation is linked to the development of many chronic health conditions, including:

• Heart disease: Atherosclerosis (a buildup of fats and cholesterol in and on the walls of the arteries), heart attack, and stroke

• Autoimmune diseases: Rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, and lupus

• Neurodegenerative disease: Dementia, Alzheimer's disease, and Parkinson's disease

• Metabolic disorders: Obesity, type 2 diabetes, and fatty liver disease

• Respiratory diseases: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and allergic rhinitis

• Cancer: Breast, bladder, colorectal, liver, lung, and prostate cancers

• Skin conditions: Eczema, psoriasis, and rosacea

• Arthritis: Especially forms of inflammatory arthritis, including ankylosing spondylitis, gout, and psoriatic arthritis

Inflammation vs. Swelling

Swelling is temporary fluid buildup in the body, which can occur due to injury or illness. Inflammation is the body's immune response to a detected threat, which can have lasting health effects.

Alcohol can cause both swelling and inflammation. In the short term, alcohol consumption can lead to swelling in your face and other parts of the body due to dehydration and fluid retention. Excessive or chronic alcohol consumption can trigger inflammation throughout the body, increasing your risk of chronic diseases.

How to Reduce Inflammation

Healthy lifestyle choices can help reduce inflammation, lower your risk of chronic diseases, and enhance your overall health and well-being. Adopting healthy lifestyle habits is a challenging journey. Remember that change takes time, and it's perfectly fine to make minor, gradual adjustments rather than attempting an overnight transformation. The key is to adopt habits that you can realistically sustain over time, such as the following: 

• Follow a nutrient-dense diet: There is no specific anti-inflammatory diet, but evidence suggests the Mediterranean diet may help control inflammation and protect cells from oxidative stress-related damage. Limit your intake of processed foods high in added sugars, artificial ingredients, and unhealthy fats.

• Exercise regularly: Regular physical activity decreases the number of pro-inflammatory immune cells, helping reduce inflammation. Research shows that even 20 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise helps control inflammation. You can reduce inflammation by getting at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise weekly.

• Limit alcohol intake: Limiting alcohol consumption or abstaining from alcohol is one of the best ways to reduce inflammation. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that adults who want to consume alcohol should limit their intake to two daily drinks or less for men and one daily drink or less for women.

• Stress management: Chronic stress, worry, anxiety, and depression can trigger or worsen inflammation. While stress is sometimes unavoidable, taking time for activities that help you relax and reduce stress—such as yoga, meditation, connecting with friends and family, and deep breathing exercises—can help control inflammation.

• Avoid smoking: Smoking is a significant contributor to chronic inflammation and causes nearly 1 in 5 deaths in the United States each year. Quitting smoking, or never starting, can help reduce and control inflammation and promote good health.

Summary

Alcohol consumption can trigger systemic inflammation and increase the risk of chronic diseases, including heart disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, and autoimmune disorders. With chronic inflammation, you may develop symptoms such as fatigue, weight changes, joint and muscle pain, skin problems, gastrointestinal discomfort, and frequent infections.

You can reduce inflammation by making healthy lifestyle choices, including eating a healthy, nutrient-dense diet, exercising regularly, and practicing stress management techniques. Consuming small amounts of alcohol in moderation or abstaining from alcohol altogether can help reduce inflammation, improve your overall health, and reduce your risk of chronic diseases.

Read the original article on Verywell Health.