With cold, flu, and pneumonia season in full swing, it’s especially important to protect yourself — and your lungs — as much as you can. And one surprising way to do that is to take it easy on the champagne this New Years Eve (and after).
Most people associate alcohol with its negative effects on the liver and the heart. But it can be just as damaging to your lungs. And not only in a general “it’s-just-bad-for-you” way: Studies have shown that excessive alcohol intake can damage the molecular structure of the lung and reduce levels of the antioxidant glutathione, which lowers the lungs’ immune defenses.
Recently researchers discovered that excessive drinking disrupts substances in the lung called claudins (see the “What is…” section below for a definition of this term), potentially leading to serious conditions like pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).
The same group of researchers also discovered that lungs exposed to too much alcohol have a dampened response to signals sent out by the hormone that plays a key role in immunity within the lung.
Granted, this research did focus on lung function in cases of chronic alcohol abuse, and most of us probably don’t fall into that category. But I’m sure we’ve all had instances where we’ve overindulged. And it’s important to remember that the damage done by those overindulgences can add up — and leave you with a whole health hangover that remains well after the immediate headache and queasiness have passed.
