(Press-News.org) Contact information: Iqbal Pittalwala
iqbal@ucr.edu
951-827-6050
University of California - Riverside
Can a glass of wine a day keep the doctor away?
UC Riverside-led team finds that moderate consumption of alcohol can improve immune response to vaccination
RIVERSIDE, Calif. — It's the time of year when many of us celebrate the holidays with festive foods and drinks, including alcohol. No better time then to ask if it is true, as is widely held, that moderate consumption of alcohol is beneficial to health.
A research team led by an immunologist at the University of California, Riverside now has data that could put the question to rest. The researchers found that moderate alcohol consumption could bolster our immune system, and potentially our ability to fight infections.
The finding, published Dec. 17 in the journal Vaccine, can help lead to a better understanding of how our immune system works. It can also pave the way for potentially new interventions to improve our ability to respond to vaccines and infections, benefiting vulnerable populations, such as the elderly for whom the flu vaccine, for example, has been found to be largely ineffective.
"It has been known for a long time that moderate alcohol consumption is associated with lower mortality," said Ilhem Messaoudi, an associate professor of biomedical sciences in the School of Medicine and the lead author of the research paper. "Our study, conducted on non-human primates, shows for the first time that voluntary moderate alcohol consumption boosts immune responses to vaccination."
Messaoudi did the bulk of the research while she was an assistant professor at the Oregon Health and Science University, where she collaborated with Kathleen Grant, a professor of behavioral neuroscience and a coauthor on the research paper. She joined UC Riverside earlier this year.
To study the impact of alcohol consumption on the immune system, the researchers trained 12 rhesus macaques to self-administer/consume alcohol on their own accord. The team first vaccinated the animals (against small pox) and then allowed them to access either 4 percent ethanol (the experimental group) or calorically matched sugar water (the control group). All the animals also had open access to water as an alternative fluid, as well as food. The researchers then proceeded to monitor the animals' daily ethanol consumption for 14 months. The animals were vaccinated one more time, seven months after the experiment began.
The research team found that over nine months of the animals' ethanol self-administration, mean daily ethanol intake varied markedly among them.
"Like humans, rhesus macaques showed highly variable drinking behavior," Messaoudi said. "Some animals drank large volumes of ethanol, while others drank in moderation."
The animals' voluntary ethanol consumption segregated them into two groups: animals in the first group were those that consumed more alcohol, averaged a blood ethanol concentration (BEC) greater than the legal limit of 0.08 percent and were therefore designated 'heavy drinkers'; animals in the second group consumed less alcohol, averaged a BEC of 0.02-0.04 percent and were designated 'moderate drinkers.'
"Prior to consuming alcohol, all the animals showed comparable responses to vaccination," Messaoudi said. "Following exposure to ethanol, however, the animals showed markedly different responses after receiving the booster vaccine."
The researchers found that, as expected based on human epidemiological data, those animals that drank the largest amounts of alcohol showed greatly diminished vaccine responses compared to the control group. In contrast, animals that drank moderate amounts of ethanol displayed enhanced vaccine responses.
"These surprising findings indicate that some of the beneficial effects of moderate amounts of alcohol consumption may be manifested through boosting the body's immune system," Messaoudi said. "This supports what has been widely believed for some time: moderate ethanol consumption results in a reduction in all causes of mortality, especially cardiovascular disease. As for excessive alcohol consumption, our study shows that it has a significant negative impact on health."
Alcohol abuse kills 25,000 Americans annually and is one of the leading causes of preventable death in the country. Two thirds of U.S. adults consume approximately four drinks a week, considered to be a moderate amount by most consumers.
"If you have a family history of alcohol abuse, or are at risk, or have been an abuser in the past, we are not recommending you go out and drink to improve your immune system!" Messaoudi said. "But for the average person that has, say, a glass of wine with dinner, it does seem, in general, to improve heath, and cardiovascular function in particular, and now we can add the immune system to that list."
The study was carried out under strict accordance with the recommendations outlined in the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals of the National Institutes of Health, the Office of Animal Welfare and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The study was also approved by the Oregon National Primate Research Center Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee.
"Next, we plan to harness our observations made in this study to address bigger questions on the immune system, such as how can we boost our immune responses to vaccination, a particular challenge for our elderly," Messaoudi said.
INFORMATION:
She and Grant were joined in the study by F. Engelmann at UCR; M. Asquith and M. Brown at the Oregon National Primate Research Center; and B. Park, A. Rau and J. Shaw at the Oregon Health and Science University.
The research was funded by grants from the National Institutes of Health.
The University of California, Riverside is a doctoral research university, a living laboratory for groundbreaking exploration of issues critical to Inland Southern California, the state and communities around the world. Reflecting California's diverse culture, UCR's enrollment has exceeded 21,000 students. The campus opened a medical school in 2013 and has reached the heart of the Coachella Valley by way of the UCR Palm Desert Center. The campus has an annual statewide economic impact of more than $1 billion. A broadcast studio with fiber cable to the AT&T Hollywood hub is available for live or taped interviews. UCR also has ISDN for radio interviews. To learn more, call (951) UCR-NEWS.
Can a glass of wine a day keep the doctor away?
UC Riverside-led team finds that moderate consumption of alcohol can improve immune response to vaccination
2013-12-17
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Stanford researchers take a step toward developing a 'universal' flu vaccine
2013-12-17
Stanford researchers take a step toward developing a 'universal' flu vaccine
Targeting the stem rather than the head of a critical protein is the challenging but promising tactic of a new study
Every year the approach of flu season sets off a medical guessing ...
Minorities' health would benefit most from beverage sugar tax, UCSF researchers report
2013-12-17
Minorities' health would benefit most from beverage sugar tax, UCSF researchers report
Taxing sugar-sweetened beverages is likely to decrease consumption, resulting in lower rates of diabetes and heart disease, and these health benefits are ...
'Automation addiction,' other airline flight issues could be mitigated by better user interface
2013-12-17
'Automation addiction,' other airline flight issues could be mitigated by better user interface
Human factors/ergonomics experts conceptualize UI improvements that might prevent tragedy
Amid news reports on the National Transportation Safety Board hearings regarding ...
Regenerative medicine: Mayo Clinic and collaborators develop new tool for transplanting stem cells
2013-12-17
Regenerative medicine: Mayo Clinic and collaborators develop new tool for transplanting stem cells
ROCHESTER, Minn. -- Mayo Clinic researchers and colleagues in Belgium have developed a specialized catheter for transplanting stem cells into the beating heart. The novel ...
Chicago scientist involved in discovery of 4 new mammal species in Democratic Republic of Congo
2013-12-17
Chicago scientist involved in discovery of 4 new mammal species in Democratic Republic of Congo
CHICAGO -- Julian Kerbis Peterhans, a Roosevelt University professor and adjunct curator at The Field Museum who has conducted extensive studies on mammals in Africa, has announced ...
Brain chemical ratios help predict developmental delays in preterm infants
2013-12-17
Brain chemical ratios help predict developmental delays in preterm infants
OAK BROOK, Ill. – Researchers have identified a potential biomarker for predicting whether a premature infant is at high risk for motor development problems, according to a ...
Contrast agent linked with brain abnormalities on MRI
2013-12-17
Contrast agent linked with brain abnormalities on MRI
OAK BROOK, Ill. – For the first time, researchers have confirmed an association between a common magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agent and abnormalities on brain MRI, according to a new ...
Pain drugs used in prostate gland removal linked to cancer outcome, Mayo Clinic-led study finds
2013-12-17
Pain drugs used in prostate gland removal linked to cancer outcome, Mayo Clinic-led study finds
Research examines link between opioid suppression of immune system and cancer recurrence
ROCHESTER, Minn -- The methods used to anesthetize prostate cancer patients and control ...
Ancestor of snakes, lizards likely gave birth to live young
2013-12-17
Ancestor of snakes, lizards likely gave birth to live young
Controversial finding changes previous belief that ancestor laid eggs
WASHINGTON—The ancestor of snakes and lizards likely gave birth to live young, rather than laid eggs, and over time species have ...
Self-worth boosts ability to overcome poverty
2013-12-17
Self-worth boosts ability to overcome poverty
For people in poverty, remembering better times – such as past success – improves brain functioning by several IQ points and increases their willingness to seek help from crucial aid services, a new study finds.
The ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
Thirty-year mystery of dissonance in the “ringing” of black holes explained
Less intensive works best for agricultural soil
Arctic rivers project receives “national champion” designation from frontiers foundation
Computational biology paves the way for new ALS tests
Study offers new hope for babies born with opioid withdrawal syndrome
UT, Volkswagen Group of America celebrate research partnership
New Medicare program could dramatically improve affordability for cancer drugs – if patients enroll
Are ‘zombie’ skin cells harmful or helpful? The answer may be in their shapes
University of Cincinnati Cancer Center presents research at AACR 2025
Head and neck, breast, lung and survivorship studies headline Dana-Farber research at AACR Annual Meeting 2025
AACR: Researchers share promising results from MD Anderson clinical trials
New research explains why our waistlines expand in middle age
Advancements in muon detection: Taishan Antineutrino Observatory's innovative top veto tracker
Chips off the old block
Microvascular decompression combined with nerve combing for atypical trigeminal neuralgia
Cutting the complexity from digital carpentry
Lung immune cell type “quietly” controls inflammation in COVID-19
Fiscal impact of expanded Medicare coverage for GLP-1 receptor agonists to treat obesity
State and sociodemographic trends in US cigarette smoking with future projections
Young adults drive historic decline in smoking
NFCR congratulates Dr. Robert C. Bast, Jr. on receiving the AACR-Daniel D. Von Hoff Award for Outstanding Contributions to Education and Training in Cancer Research
Chimpanzee stem cells offer new insights into early embryonic development
This injected protein-like polymer helps tissues heal after a heart attack
FlexTech inaugural issue launches, pioneering interdisciplinary innovation in flexible technology
In Down syndrome mice, 40Hz light and sound improve cognition, neurogenesis, connectivity
Methyl eugenol: potential to inhibit oxidative stress, address related diseases, and its toxicological effects
A vascularized multilayer chip reveals shear stress-induced angiogenesis in diverse fluid conditions
AI helps unravel a cause of Alzheimer's disease and identify a therapeutic candidate
Coalition of Autism Scientists critiques US Department of Health and Human Services Autism Research Initiative
Structure dictates effectiveness, safety in nanomedicine
[Press-News.org] Can a glass of wine a day keep the doctor away?UC Riverside-led team finds that moderate consumption of alcohol can improve immune response to vaccination