Does alcohol affect your immune system?

My friend and I have a bet... does moderate consumption of alcohol affect your immune system. Basically, can anyone tell me if drinking several glasses of hard liquor, while having a cold, will have anytype of effect on your immune system... will it worsen your symptoms?

only serious replies only... can anyone provide proof, of whether it will or won't effect your immune system.

Alcohol in those quantities won't likely have a direct effect on your immune system. Long term alcohol use can lead to increased incidence of certain infections, such as pneumonia, but only in alcoholics.

Drinking while fighting a cold can make the cold "worse" however. For example, alcohol dehydrates you. When you are fighting a viral infection, the last thing you want it to be MORE dehydrated. Drinking while sick is generally not a good idea for that and other reasons.

i guess it depends on how much you drink! :)

You will recover from the cold but become alcoholic

yes it does

DRINKING LOTS OF ALCOHOL CAN BREAKDOWN YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM AND YOUR LIVER AND MAKES YOUR BRAIN BRAKDOWN ALSO ESPESALLY MEMORY CELLS...YES IT WILL WORSEN IN TIME..THEY SAY THAT WISKEY WILL HELP A COLD'WHEN ALL IT DOES IS MAKES YOU SWEAT 'SO PEOPLE THINK THERE SWEATING THEIR COLDS OUT OF THEM,,,

Yes, due to the fact that alcohol will dehydrate the body. Key liquids are lost, that enable the body to perform many functions. One of which, is the immune system. In addition, after several glasses of hard liquor, the liver requires more vitamin C to cleanse the body of toxins. Vitamin C strengthens the immune response. The effects of the cold would more than likely worsen.

The immune system is a group of organs that protect us from the outside invaders, if you drink a several glasses of alcohol it will certainly effect your immune system. Your immune system has to work harder to defend you and as consequence it might worsen the symptoms, depends how high it is at the moment of your sickness.