What Happens to Your Body When You Stop Drinking? Side Effects & Benefits

“Again, depends on what the baseline alcohol consumption is,” she said. Alcohol is metabolized by the liver and an enzyme called dehydrogenase. However, when you drink in excess, the enzyme gets saturated and is metabolized by a different enzyme. Each person’s individual risk will also be different depending on their genetics, their age and how healthy they are. ‘There is no magic number here – no cliff edge where, if you drink below that level you’re safe to drink, and over that and you’re going to die,’ he says.

How Long Does It Take Your Liver to Detox From Alcohol?

Stopping alcohol will reduce the number of empty calories that you consume. Not only will you reduce your overall calorie intake, but you will also likely replace some of these calories from healthier sources. This will lead to improved nutrition, which can profoundly impact your overall health, especially over time. When you quit alcohol after using it consistently, your body spends about a week to a week and a half adjusting to its absence. This can create dangerous withdrawal symptoms but will typically fully resolve within two weeks. As for alcohol-free days, the ­evidence is even weak on whether this is beneficial.

After Six Months

• At Monument, you can connect with a therapist specialized in helping people cut back on drinking, such as myself.
• Stopping alcohol can seem daunting, especially if you use it frequently or if it is a central part of your social life.
• But what are the benefits of cutting out booze for a month and beyond?
• Plus, they can link you to support services and track your progress through follow-up visits.

Plus, over time you will begin to experience the many benefits of sobriety. As research is starting to show, consistently drinking less alcohol can have some important health benefits—which are sure to linger long after the month has ended. “When you quit drinking, your immune system gets a much-needed boost,” says Andrews. Your body can allocate its resources more effectively to fight off infections, making you less prone to common colds, flu and other ailments, she says.

After 3 months:

It is worth mentioning that nutritional status improvement occurs when someone strop drinking, which is one big reason why people may see many of the above improvements with sobriety. One of the surprising side effects of giving up alcohol is that your skin may start to look better. This is because alcohol can cause dehydration, which can lead to dry, dull skin. So, giving up alcohol can help your skin to look more hydrated and glowing.

Better mental health

• “So dry skin, often with a flushed complexion, is not a look most of us would choose.”
• If you’re a heavy drinker, you may need to wean off alcohol to let your body adjust.
• When you first stop drinking, your body will begin to detoxify itself.
• If you know there’s going to be more than one margarita on the cards, a little prep beforehand could come in handy for the following day.

Here are some significant ways not drinking for 30 days or more can impact your body, mind, and overall health. Serious alcohol misuse can decrease your lifespan by as much as 28 years compared to those who don’t drink. This huge change in lifespan is due to the numerous medical problems that alcohol can cause.

People who drink heavily and those with alcohol use disorders may experience uncomfortable mental and physical health effects when they cut back or stop drinking alcohol abruptly. They can create mild distress or severe danger, depending on how much you drink and how long you have been drinking. Research shows what happens when you stop drinking that some damage to your brain, liver, heart, and gut done by alcohol will slowly heal when you stop drinking. While it’s true that alcohol withdrawal symptoms can be severe, they will not last forever. Once you get through that part of the process, you’ll start to feel better physically and mentally.

• For those with an alcohol use disorder, there are effective prescription medications that can be helpful when abstaining from alcohol.
• “If you’re a heavy drinker, this is where your liver health starts rebounding,” says Dr. Mosquera.

Weight Management

But some research failed to account for the fact that some ­teetotallers are former heavy drinkers, or don’t drink because of poor health. There seemed to be a mild protective effect for the heart in those who consumed a small amount of alcohol. Drink more than that, and those benefits were lost as the increased risk from cancer and other ­problems took over. If all of them drank one alcoholic drink every day during that year, 918 of them would develop such a problem – an extra four people. Most admitted to ‘probably drinking too much’ every day and also, as Dr Cannon suspected, to lying to their doctors about doing so for fear of being judged, lectured or even labelled an ‘alcoholic’.

Better sleep

Here’s a timeline of how your body might react after you stop drinking alcohol. Once the initial symptoms of withdrawal have subsided, you may find that you have more energy than you did before you stopped drinking. This is because alcohol is a depressant, so when it’s no longer in your system, your body has more energy to work with. One of the best things about giving up alcohol is that you may find yourself feeling happier overall. This is because alcohol can cause depression, anxiety, and other mental health problems. Did you know alcohol use can actually make you more prone to getting sick by undermining the immune system?

What are the Effects of Excessive Alcohol Consumption?

So, giving up alcohol can help you to avoid these potentially deadly diseases. Drinking alcohol can contribute to a variety of cognitive issues, including poor memory, slow reaction time, impaired impulse control, and poor concentration. Over time, drinking can also damage nerve cells and contribute to a loss of brain volume.

Alcohol Withdrawal Timeline: Symptoms and What to Expect

One of the financial benefits of giving up alcohol is that you’ll likely have more money to spend. This is because alcohol is a costly habit, so giving it up can free up some extra cash. Another benefit of giving up alcohol is that your mind may be clearer. This is because alcohol can cause changes in brain chemistry, which can lead to cognitive problems. If you struggle to sleep, talk to your doctor about solutions that might help. While giving up alcohol can be a challenge, it’s important to remember that the benefits are well worth it.