Are you sick and tired to wake up every morning feeling dehydrated, nauseous, and sleepy with an unpleasant head, stomach, or general body ache?
That’s the unpleasant aftermath feeling of a night of drinking.
Alcohol is one of the most damaging substances on earth. A lot of people don’t even realize how much alcohol they consume.
According to the NIAAA (national institute on alcohol abuse and alcoholism), nearly 15 million people ages 12 and older (9.0 million men and 5.5 million women) in the United States had an Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD).
The Most Destructive Habits
Alcohol is one of the most destructive habits you could possibly start. It’ll destroy your future, relationships, and general sense of well-being. And just because it’s legal doesn’t mean it’s safe.
Alcohol can also be said as the most commonly used drug in the world. It is easy to find and cheap to buy. But, many negative effects might be leading to health problems.
The only way to get off this destructive and dangerous habit that antagonizes your health and future is to quit alcohol.
If you’re considering quitting alcohol for any reason whatsoever — from health to social to spiritual, these benefits might help you get started even quicker.
Here’s a list of ten benefits that will happen to your body after you stop drinking alcohol.
The Benefits Of Quitting Alcohol
Your Heart Is Your Health
You may think that a glass of red wine or other ordinary alcoholic beverages is good for your heart, but that is not the case.
One of the most common effects of alcohol on the body is that it dilates the blood vessels and makes them more absorbent. Therefore the heart is forced to pump harder, which causes an increased risk of a heart attack.
Heart disease remains one of the leading causes of death in the US today, with more than 600,000 deaths per year attributed to cardiovascular disease-related risk factors. Alcohol consumption remains a major risk factor for heart disease due to its effects on the circulatory system and blood pressure levels
Therefore, quitting alcohol will lower your blood pressure and lower triglycerides. The fat called triglycerides will reduce the chance of heart failure.
The Healing Power Of Your Liver
Alcohol is known to be an inflammatory substance, causing your body’s tissues and organs, particularly your liver, to become inflamed.
Your liver’s activity is to clear out toxins and alcohol is poisonous for your cells. Heavy ingesting of at least 15 beverages for men and eight extra for women a week can result from a fatty liver and many different problems.
However, the good news is that your liver can restore itself or even regenerate when you stop drinking alcohol. The healing process can start within days to weeks after stopping drinking alcohol for mild liver damage. For some severe cases, it might take months.
But sadly:
“If the damage to the liver has been long-term, it may not be reversible,”
Warns Dr. Stein [1]
You Can Lose Excess Weight
There is a strong relationship between alcohol and weight gain. It has an impact on metabolism, body weight, and the risk of obesity.
Research shows that alcohol consumption can cause weight gain by slowing down metabolism[2]. A regular glass of beer has about 150 calories, and a glass of wine has about 120 calories.
In addition to that, alcohol will increase your appetite, make you more impulsive, and reduce your ability to resist fries and other temptations on the menu.
Therefore, if you stop drinking, the number on the scale may decrease, and your body will start to shed the excess of fat stored in the liver.
Related: How To Stop Eating Fast Food – 14 Ways You Can Break This Bad Habits
Take Your Relationship To The Next Level
Moderate social drinking can improve your mood and help you connect with others. However, if you drink one or more times a day, it may become an unhealthy habit.
This can lead to a disease called alcohol use disorder.
Being sober is also a major issue that impacts the entire family and relationship, not just the person with addiction issues. Here are some common co-existing family problems that are sometimes associated with alcohol abuse/addiction according to NIAAA[3]:
- Marital conflict
- Violence
- Infidelity
- Divorce
When you avoid alcohol, you will focus more on relationships, work, and your health. It can also relieve depression, anxiety and improve your self-esteem.
Cancer – The Power Of Prevention
Cancer is a disease that affects many people around the world. It is a threat to human life, and it is a challenge to the medical community.
Nowadays, there is a lot of research going on to find out more about this deadly disease and how we can reduce the risk of cancer from happening in our everyday lives.
It sounds shocking, but according to the National Cancer Institute, excessive alcohol drinking increases the possibility of various types of cancer.
These include:
- Head and Neck cancer
- Liver cancer
- Breast cancer
- Esophageal cancer
- Colorectal cancer
Can drinking red wine help prevent cancer?
Resveratrol is a plant steroid and antioxidant found in certain plants like grapes and some berries. And also found in red wine.
It has been investigated for many possible health effects, including cancer prevention. However, no causal links have been discovered between moderate red wine consumption and the development of prostate or colorectal cancer.
So, Prevention is better than cure. Quitting alcohol will reduce considerably your chance of getting cancer.
Turn Your Sex Life into another game
The way alcohol makes many people feel is different for everyone. Some people find that drinking a small amount of it will make them feel more active, while others find the opposite true.
Drinking too much alcohol regularly, especially to an alcoholic, can have adverse effects. Men may have difficulty obtaining and maintaining an erection.
For women, impulsivity may decrease, and their vagina may become dry. Cut down on alcohol and see if it will trigger a relationship.
Get Better Sleep – No More Wake-Ups
The body has a natural process that helps the brain to fall asleep. The body produces a hormone called melatonin which signals the brain to slow down.
Alcohol can cause you to feel sleepy at first, but it can wake you up repeatedly during the night because the more melatonin you have, the less likely you are to experience sleep interruptions.
Plus, it disrupts the vital REM stage of sleep and may interfere with your breathing. You may get up often to urinate.
You will sleep better if you stop drinking alcohol, especially in the afternoon, because your body will naturally produce melatonin and signal the brain to sleep better.
Lower Your Blood Pressure
Drinking alcohol has several negative effects on the body. One of them is blood pressure. When you stop drinking, your blood pressure drops.
While the decrease in blood pressure may not be dramatic, it provides a healthier lifestyle for our bodies and gives us a longer life to live.
Even simple drinking can be rewarded. You can talk to your doctor about your normal blood pressure lower than 120/80, and if your blood pressure exceeds 130/80, it is not suitable for your health.
Clean Your Brain
A lot of people are unaware of the effects that alcohol has on the body. Alcohol is a drug that slows down brain functions.
Alcohol addiction can lead to memory problems and affect how you think, feel, and even remember things. If you have been drinking for a long period, you may have difficulty thinking clearly and being aware of your surroundings.
Over time, excessive drinking can also blur your perception of distance and volume or slow down your motor skills. However, if you want to quit drinking, your brain will gradually restore some of these skills.
Conclusion:
After one month of being sober, you may notice that your body has started feeling better. It could have increased productivity & reduced health problems.
AVOIDING ALCOHOL can be beneficial to your kidneys, liver, mouth & throat, lungs, brain. It may also reduce your calorie intake for a month.
Alcohol addiction is complicated to break. Struggling with it can be a tiring task and require more focus on your part, which makes quitting even harder. Consider asking for help from professionals to make the process easier for you.
It’s important to know that there are treatments and resources to help those who want to stop drinking. For one, alcohol addiction can be treated using rehab, cure, or self-directed methods. Don’t do it yourself.
Having people around can be helpful in your recovery. Going to therapy, having the support of your family and friends can be great, or even just talking to counselors through email are all great choices that can help you feel better about yourself.
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