Immunonutrition Research Group, Department of Metabolism and Nutrition, Institute of Food Science, Technology and Nutrition (ICTAN), Instituto del Frío, Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Madrid, Spain.
Proc Nutr Soc. 2010 Aug;69(3):341-6. doi: 10.1017/S0029665110001904. Epub 2010 Jul 2.
Social acceptance of drinking involves social and cultural roles and has important implications for public health. Since extensive evidence indicates that alcohol possesses immunomodulatory properties, scientists have recently debated the influence of alcohol consumption on the immune response, particularly in countries where drinking in a social setting is a part of cultural identity. Experimental and clinical data support the conclusion that alcohol is a potent immunomodulator. While high alcohol consumption suppresses a wide range of immune responses, leading to an increased incidence of a number of infectious diseases, moderate alcohol consumption may have a beneficial impact on the immune system, compared to alcohol abuse or abstinence, most likely due to the multiple components of polyphenol-rich alcoholic contributing to the protective effect seen for moderate alcohol consumption on CVD and the immune system. Despite this, the scientific literature appears to be concerned about the diseases associated with excessive drinking in some societies and cultures. Thus, the present review recognizes the importance to consider social and cultural aspects of drinking when examining the whole dimension of alcohol consumption (amount, beverage type, frequency and variability), in order to estimate global risk of consequences on host defence to better understand alcohol-related harm or benefit.
饮酒的社会接受度涉及社会和文化角色,对公共卫生具有重要意义。由于大量证据表明酒精具有免疫调节特性,科学家最近一直在争论饮酒对免疫反应的影响,特别是在饮酒是文化认同一部分的国家。实验和临床数据支持酒精是一种有效的免疫调节剂的结论。虽然高酒精摄入会抑制广泛的免疫反应,导致多种传染病的发病率增加,但与酗酒或戒酒相比,适度饮酒可能对免疫系统有有益的影响,这很可能是由于富含多酚的酒精的多种成分有助于对心血管疾病和免疫系统产生适度饮酒的保护作用。尽管如此,科学文献似乎还是对某些社会和文化中与过量饮酒相关的疾病感到担忧。因此,本综述认识到在考察饮酒的整体维度(量、饮料类型、频率和可变性)时,考虑到饮酒的社会和文化方面的重要性,以便估计对宿主防御的全球风险,从而更好地理解与酒精相关的危害或益处。