We’ve all heard this, and most have probably experienced anecdotal “evidence”, but is it true?
If you tie on a bender, are you more likely to wake up with a cold? If you already have one, will getting drunk prolong it?
How so? By what process?
I’ve never heard this. But it is true that alcohol reduces your resistance to cold. Alcohol is a vasodilator so when you drink it, it brings more blood to the surface and makes it more difficult for your body to retain heat. The thing about drinking whisky to warm up is 100% wrong. You may subjectively feel warmer, get a flushed face, etc. but you’re not, really. In fact, your core temperature is actually dropping.
From a holistic standpoint, any stressor on your body (heavy drinking, staying up late, being out in the cold for too long, not eating well, etc) has the impact of reducing the effectiveness of your immune system, which has the effect of making you more likely to become succeptable to the virus that you were previously able to fight off. There are tons of bacteria, viruses, and contaminants in our environment that we are constantly exposed to. Once the immune system is weakened enough, the illness takes hold.
Thanks for the reply, akrako1.
What does it mean, “From a holistic standpoint”?
Isn’t “holistics” just a bunch of smoke and mirrors to be scientificly dismissed along with homeopathy and acupuncture?
I don’t mean to insult you, it’s only that that seems be a buzzword for hippies selling “all natural soap” or the like.
I’m just looking for anything peer reviewed that says granny was right. I want to know the biologic mechanisms involved.
p.s. Feel free to add an “A” or an “L” into that post wherever you feel.
But no "Y"s.
Well, ‘holistic’ at it roots simply means dealing with the whole, rather than separating it into parts. In that sense, he’s basically just saying that if one part of your body or mind is being stressed in a way it shouldn’t, it will detract from the performance of the rest of your body. Makes sense, doesn’t it? Holistic has become a hell of a buzzword, but it doesn’t necessarily entail hoax/hippies/soap.
As for scientific studies, don’t you just feel better while you’re rested, full, slaked, and on top of all your problems? Stress and depression both hinder your immune system, and so by preventing those, you will be better able to keep yourself from getting sick.
Yes, I do, thank you dakravel.
I guess we just categorize the entire phenomenon under “stress”? Perhaps a little dehydration for good measure?
Obviously it’s not a lack of calories or oxygen which we could consume more of, after say, running a marathon. Isn’t that just another kind of stress, often coinciding with dehydration? If getting drunk increases your chance of catching a cold, why not marathons as well? Or do they?
Please don’t get me wrong. I’m not trying to justify my own alcoholism or deny anybody else’s. I’m especially not comparing getting drunk to running marathons - except in a figurative way. Heh.
I just want The Sraight Dope.
p.s. Cecil- please feel free to take parts of my posts and create a new question that sounds better, or something.
I find that a bit of alcohol actually helps a cold. Not huge amounts, although that may work as you won’t feel anything after eight pints. However, if that’s not how you like to deal with things a hot whiskey or two will make nicely drowsy and warm so you can go to bed and sweat it out. Stick a bit of lemon in it and you’ll get some vitamin C too. 
Well, I was thinking in particular the normal use of the word ‘stress’. Like if my friend said she’d been feeling stressed lately, my first thought would not be, “You must be doing a lot of exercise lately, or perhaps running marathons”.
As for running marathons, I’m sure there are at least a few studies on the correlation between exercise and immune system healthiness. The first result for me on webmd.com for ‘exercise immune system’ says that exercise supplements a flu vaccine. I’m not sure how trustworthy webmd.com is at large though, what do the doctors on this board think?
I googled “alcohol immune system”, and found a few interesting links. Nothing much supporting the idea that alcohol strengthens your immune system, and quite a bit that says otherwise. Some of the sites saying the latter almost seem reputable.
It would probably depend on the individuals personal immune system, if your sickly , your probably gonna get the sniffles or worse, if you have a hardy system thats hardened to winter, then you wont notice much beyond the original hangover.
That being said ,there is also something to be said for socializing when your feeling the blahs , basically your gonna be sick anyways , just getting out and doing something , even drinking and flirting will lift up your immune system.
Declan