With many Brits now self-isolating and staying at home to practise social distancing, life has become a little bit, well, boring.
Gone are trips to the pub, lunch with the girls and a social life of any kind as Britain battens down the hatches in the battle against coronavirus.
So, come 5.30pm, when you’ve clocked off from a day of working from home and want to relax, it’s only natural to reach for the bottle.
However, with Brits expected to report a rise in anxiety levels due to coronavirus, experts have warned that we also need to be careful of upping our alcohol consumption during the crisis.
Not only is it a bad idea to use alcohol to help with your stress levels because of the way it adversely impacts mental health, it’s also a no-no for your immune system, which needs to be in good working order, especially in the current climate.
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In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, experts have warned that consuming too much alcohol can weaken the immune system, leaving you more prone to viruses such as COVID-19.
Alcohol could cause damage to immune cells in the lungs, making you more susceptible to viruses.
So, as well as washing your hands with soap regularly and cutting most human contact, Brits also need to ration booze.
GP Dr Aragona Giuseppe told Metro: “Consuming excessive amounts of alcohol could cause damage to immune cells in the lungs and upper respiratory system, which in turn can increase the risk of developing diseases such as pneumonia, not to mention making you more susceptible to viruses.”
The doctor explained that alcohol can also affect the gut barrier, allowing more bacteria to pass into the blood.
This then causes a depletion of the three most important kinds of cells in your immune system, more often that not leaving you compromised.
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According to the NHS website, women are advised to drink no more than 14 units of alcohol a week – this is equivalent to 10 small glasses of wine.
A 750ml bottle of red wine contains 10 units.
Dr Michael Barnish, head of Genetics & Nutrition at REVIV Global previously told ED! that we should also be avoiding processed food such as ready meals – and give up smoking.
He revealed: “Sadly the things some of us enjoy, such as alcohol, cigarettes and really over-processed foods like ready meals, can all suppress our immune systems to varying degrees, based on our genes, and leave us vulnerable.”
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