No matter how much alcohol you consume — whether it’s just a few drinks with friends on a Friday night or an Olivia Pope-sized glass of wine every evening — if you quit drinking, you will notice a slew of benefits. You are probably already familiar with some of them, like improved sleep, weight loss, and a better mood.
But let’s take a look at what happens when you quit drinking in more detail. Who knows, it might even inspire you to take on a no-drinking challenge and experience those positive body changes yourself!
1. You Will Lose Weight
Alcohol contains plenty of empty calories. On top of that, drinking increases your appetite and makes you more impulsive. That’s why you might have a hard time resisting unhealthy and junk food. So, if you stop drinking on a regular basis, you will probably notice that your clothing fits a little more loosely.
2. You Will Sleep Better
At first, alcohol can make you feel sleepy, so you might jump to the wrong conclusion and think it helps you sleep. However, once you’ve fallen asleep, it wakes you up several times over the night because it affects your melatonin levels. Furthermore, it disturbs the crucial REM stage and may interfere with your breathing.
Even a glass or two of your favorite liquor can disrupt your sleep schedule. So, if you quit the booze, you will soon discover how well-rested you can be.
3. Your Heart’s Health Will Improve
You’ve probably heard that drinking a glass of wine or other alcoholic drink is good for your heart. But that’s not entirely true, which you will notice right after you quit. Your blood pressure will be lower, as will triglyceride levels and the risk of heart failure.
4. Your Liver Will Be Healthier
Our livers filter toxins from our bodies — and alcohol is very toxic. That’s why people who drink often tend to have liver problems like cirrhosis and fatty liver. But the good news is that this organ can heal itself if given the right circumstances, like no more alcohol to process.
5. Your Immune System Will Improve
If you are prone to binge drinking, you might notice you are getting sick more often. That is because such a habit weakens your immune system and causes inflammation. However, once you refrain from drinking, you will reverse the process, and over time, your body will be back fighting germs in full power.
6. You Won’t Have as Many Digestion Problems
Fermented alcoholic beverages such as wine and beer can stimulate stomach cells to produce more gastric acid and irritate your stomach. Too much acid can further damage the lining of the GI tract and even cause ulcers. So, what happens when you quit drinking? You avoid the risk of developing serious digestive problems and help your body regenerate itself.
7. You Will Be More Hydrated
Alcohol acts as a diuretic — it signals your body to get rid of water in the form of urine. That’s why you have to go to the bathroom more often after drinking it. But once you quit alcohol, your body and kidneys will start functioning normally, and you will retain more water and stay hydrated. By doing so, you will improve your general well-being.
8. You Will Look Better
One of the plus sides of rehydrating is that your skin’s condition will quickly improve. Drinking alcoholic beverages takes a toll on your appearance, causing wrinkles, dry skin, eczema, and redness in the cheeks. But taking a break from booze will help you appear and feel much healthier.
9. You Will Get Your Sex Drive Back
One drink makes you more relaxed and thus more in the mood for sex. But drinking anything more than that will probably have the opposite effect.
In such cases, women tend to lose their sex drive, and the vagina’s natural lubrication process decreases. On the other hand, men find it more difficult to get and keep an erection. Therefore, when you cut down on your favorite alcoholic drink, you will notice you are more in the mood for romance.
10. Your Mind Will Become Clear
Drinking heavily makes it harder for you to think and memorize things. It also affects your motor skills and clouds your perception of volume and distance. However, if you stay away from liquor, your brain will be able to regain some of these abilities.
11. You Will Feel Better
Alcohol is a depressant that causes you to feel anxious, depressed, and tired. So, what happens when you quit drinking? Your GABA and dopamine levels increase, and you are in a much better mood.
