Alcohol is a psychoactive and toxic substance that can cause dependence.2 Today, alcoholic drinks are a routine part of many people’s social lives. Meanwhile, the positive impact on physical and mental health are enough to keep many people sticking to a sober lifestyle. These include improved mood and positive thinking, which will benefit mental health, and, as Nathan explains, “Alcohol impacts the stress response, so you should experience a lower amount of work/life related stress and anxiety.” In addition, alcohol-free drink options are continuing to grow in popularity, and these can provide you with the social experience of drinking, without the negative effects of alcohol. Aside from the numerous health benefits of giving up alcohol, ditching the drink is good for your bank balance too. Saving money can be a great motivation as a reason to quit drinking, as you can use the money you would have spent on alcohol to reward yourself for going sober.
A healthier liver
Regular alcohol consumption can raise blood pressure, increasing the risk of benefits of drinking alcohol heart disease and stroke. Even moderate alcohol consumption may increase the risk of all alcohol-related cancers, including oral cavity, pharynx, larynx, colorectum, female breast, liver, and esophagus, but particularly breast cancer. “The one-year mark is when your overall risk of different cancers has leveled off,” says Dr. Mosquera. “Your relationships are likely improved, and your resilience has increased,” says Dr. Mosquera. Such nuance is rarely captured in broader conversations about alcohol research—or even in observational studies, as researchers don’t always ask about drinking patterns, focusing instead on total consumption.
Mind & Body
Many people participate in “dry January” and take the month off from drinking alcohol to reset after the holiday season. It’s tempting to assume that because heavy alcohol consumption is very bad, lesser amounts must be at least a little bad. But the science isn’t there, in part because critics of the alcohol industry have deliberately engineered a state of ignorance. As these examples illustrate, drinking alcohol may raise the risk of some conditions but not others.
Potential Risks of Vodka
This positive change can enhance your overall wellness and vitality. Choosing to live without alcohol means prioritizing your body’s nutritional needs, ensuring that every meal contributes to your well-being. This newfound clarity allows for better problem-solving and a heightened ability to concentrate on tasks at hand. Your productivity can skyrocket as a result, both in personal and professional realms.
- Premature skin aging will subside, and if you have dandruff or eczema, they too may disappear.
- If you’ve ever overindulged in your favorite drinks, you know that it typically doesn’t feel great the next day, and repeated alcohol abuse can impact your mental and physical health.
- “If heavier drinkers remove alcohol for a longer period of time, they might see weight loss, improvement in body composition, less stomach fat, improvement in triglycerides (one of the fat particles in the blood),” she said.
- The guidelines do not recommend that individuals who currently do not drink start drinking for any reason.
- So if you don’t check out the former drinker piece, you’re going to get a bias.
Drinking alcohol weakens that system, making you more vulnerable to infections and diseases. You don’t have to be a regular heavy drinker for alcohol to affect your immune system. If you have 5-6 drinks in a single session, you can suppress your immune system for up to 24 hours, according to the Alcohol and Drug Foundation. If you drink regularly, alcohol can also prevent nutrients from feeding your Halfway house immune system. It also reduces the white blood cells in your body, making it more difficult to fight off disease.
