Six Amazing Things That Will Happen When You Stop Drinking Alcohol

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While an occasional glass of red wine here and there can actually be good for you, alcohol, in general, isn't great for your body and health. Even moderate drinking has been linked to increased negative side effects on both physical and mental health, including weight gain, memory loss, and even cancer. So if you are looking to go dry for even just a month or two, here are six things that will happen to your body when you do to spur you on.

You will lose weight

Depending on your alcohol consumption, cutting out alcohol could help you lose weight. If you find that you are a heavier or frequent drinker, then cutting out high calorific drinks such as wines, beers, and sugary cocktails might result in you dropping the pounds, and seeing more of an immediate effect, compared to those who only drink occasionally. This makes sense considering that a Long Island Iced Tea has a whopping 424 calories. Once you see the weight drop off, it will also give you the motivation to keep going and not give in to your cravings. 

Drinking also tends to affect our appetites, which in turn leads to poor diet choices. How many times have you had a few drinks on a night out and suddenly found yourself desperate for some crisps, a pizza, or snacks in general? Alcohol tends to be the biggest culprit behind excess food intake, especially before dining with a study even showing that women who drank two alcoholic beverages then went on to eat 30% more than those who were given a non-alcoholic solution.

Your brainpower will get a boost. 

Common side effects of a boozy night out (or even just a few glasses of wine with dinner) include a fuzzy head, headaches, forgetfulness, and generally not feeling as mentally sharp as you would if you were sober. It's therefore not surprising that a reduction of alcohol consumption results in a boost in brainpower. Studies have shown that students who frequently binge drinked, had a lower ability to learn new verbal information alongside negative effects on their logical and visual memories as well. Alcohol can also cause memory loss and interfere with the development of the brain when consumed regularly, which is why it is crucial for young adults, especially, to drink sensibly or quit altogether. 

You will sleep better

This might come as a surprise seeing as alcohol makes many people feel initially sleepy. In fact, there are plenty of people who have a drink before bed in a bid to help them fall asleep quickly - hence a nightcap. But do you ever find yourself waking up in the early hours of the morning after a night of drinking? Alcohol is a depressant, which means that it slows down the body, giving you that initial sleepy feeling. However, once your body has worked to metabolize it all, you are likely to wake up in the middle of the night. This results in poor quality sleep due to the 'rebound' from the suppressed phase of sleep. Alcohol-induced sleep can also lead to weird and intense dreams and is less restorative, meaning that you will still feel exhausted when you wake up and get ready the next morning.

Your risk of cancer will be reduced

While it's generally pretty well known that alcohol can cause extensive damage to the liver and increase blood pressure and risk of strokes, not everyone knows that it can also increase your chances of developing cancer as well. An individual's risk of cancer increases the more alcohol that they consume regularly over time, and the risk for each type of cancer is greatly influenced by how much you are drinking. For example, the risk of breast cancer gets higher after just a few drinks a week, and heavy drinkers are 10-15 times more likely to develop cancers associated with alcohol such as mouth and throat, liver, colon, breast, and cancer of the esophagus. Your risk has nothing to do with the type of drink either, so whether you are partial to a glass of wine, a whiskey, or a beer, you are still increasing your chances of developing cancer. Through the simple act of going dry and quitting your alcohol consumption, you will not only improve your health in the short term but also potentially prolong your life. If you need any help, the sober living company can help and make the adjustment that comes with living alcohol-free easier.

You will have beautiful skin

Reducing, or giving up alcohol altogether, promotes healthy, hydrated, and glowing skin. Have you ever felt yourself getting warm or red in the face after a wine or two? That's because alcohol causes the skin to flush due to the blood vessels over-stretching, which can also leave spider veins and cause the face to be puffy - particularly the next morning. Alcohol is also a diuretic, meaning that you will lose a lot of water due to needing the toilet frequently, which results in dehydrated and dull skin. When the skin is dry, fine lines and wrinkles will be more visible, contributing to premature aging, blotchy skin, and irreversible damage. Alcohol can also flare up any existing dermatological problems that you might be experiencing, such as rosacea, psoriasis, or eczema and one study found that just one drink is enough for two out of three rosacea patients to experience a flare-up. So do yourself a favor and cut down on the alcohol - your skin will feel more hydrated, plump, and have that natural glow that you can't get from makeup. 

 Your liver will thank you

No discussion about the positive benefits of quitting alcohol would be complete without mentioning the liver. Excessive alcohol consumption is incredibly harmful to this very tolerable and essential organ and increases your chances of liver cirrhosis, cancer, and liver disease. While it doesn't happen overnight, drinking more than one or two drinks daily can cause fatty changes in the liver. By stopping your alcohol intake entirely for a few months, liver disease such as this can be fully reversed, allowing the cells in the liver to return to normal again.