Key Takeaways
Alcohol significantly impacts health, contributing to poor sleep, mood symptoms, high blood pressure and heart disease, liver disease, and cancer. Quitting alcohol can help prevent or manage many health conditions, and effects like better mood and sleep quality can be seen quickly. People who drink alcohol regularly in large amounts are at risk of alcohol withdrawal, which can be serious in some cases.
With increasing recognition of the negative health effects of alcohol, many people are drinking less or abstaining from alcohol. This practice has powerful effects on the body. Even with short-term periods without alcohol, you can notice some changes in your mood, sleep, and blood pressure. And abstaining from alcohol also has long-term benefits for your heart, brain, and liver.
1. You’ll Likely Sleep Better
While alcohol can make you sleepy and help some people fall asleep faster, it actually worsens overall sleep quality. A good night’s sleep includes getting enough rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, which the body needs for restoration, memory, learning, and mood. But drinking alcohol before bed can decrease how much REM sleep you get.
Quitting alcohol can improve your sleep quality, making you feel more rested. However, people who drink regularly may experience some difficulty falling asleep and nightmares soon after quitting alcohol, as a symptom of alcohol withdrawal.
2. Your Blood Pressure Will Improve
Alcohol increases your systolic blood pressure (the top number of a blood pressure reading), even if you don’t have high blood pressure. The American Heart Association guidelines recommend abstinence, or at least decreasing alcohol intake to no more than one drink per day for everyone to prevent or treat high blood pressure. It may help decrease blood pressure by about 3-6 millimeters of mercury (mmHg).
In addition to improving blood pressure, reducing alcohol intake may also help lower your risk of abnormal heart rhythms and heart disease.
3. You May Lose Weight
Depending on how much and how frequently you drink alcohol, you may see some weight loss when quitting. Alcohol has 7 calories per gram, but that’s not counting the additional calories in beer and mixers.
One beer contains about 150 calories, while craft brews can have up to 350 calories. A glass of wine contains around 130 calories, with sweeter dessert wines containing more. Mixed drinks have variable calories, with some including 300 calories or more.
Additionally, quitting alcohol can improve your insulin resistance, leading to better blood sugar control. One study looking at people who regularly drink in moderate to heavy amounts found a 3.5-pound weight loss with a month-long abstinence, along with improved insulin resistance.
4. Your Mood May Improve
Alcohol is linked to anxiety, depression, and irritability. Some people experience significant symptoms with hangovers. Quitting alcohol can alleviate these symptoms, and may even help improve your relationships.
However, people accustomed to regularly drinking moderate to large amounts of alcohol may experience worsening anxiety, depression, irritability, and mood swings as part of a withdrawal syndrome.
5. Your Liver Will Thank You
Your liver metabolizes alcohol, and alcohol may inflame the liver and cause serious liver disease, such as:
- Fatty liver disease
- Hepatitis (liver inflammation)
- Liver fibrosis (liver scarring)
- Cirrhosis
- Liver cancer
Quitting alcohol can help lower your risk of liver disease. In one study, even a short abstinence had an impact. Moderate to heavy consumers of alcohol had a modest improvement in the results of their liver function tests.
6. You’ll Improve Your Brain Health
Alcohol has serious effects on the brain. Long-term alcohol use increases the risk of stroke and dementia. Alcohol also has negative effects on:
Quitting alcohol can help protect your brain’s health, lowering the risk of dementia and stroke. If you abstain from alcohol, you won’t experience the short-term effects that drinking has on memory and cognition.
7. You Can Decrease Your Risk of Cancer
Alcohol is a carcinogen that increases the risk of several types of cancer. The more alcohol you drink, the greater your risk of developing certain cancers. These include:
Quitting alcohol is an important way to lower your risk of cancer.
Quitting Alcohol
Some organizations recommend keeping alcohol intake to moderate levels or less, defined as less than one drink per day for women and less than two drinks per day for men. However, the World Health Organization does not consider any amount of alcohol as safe for health.
Alcohol is a toxin, and drinking alcohol stresses the body, causes inflammation, and increases the risk of many health conditions.
Safety When You’re Drinking Less Than Usual
If you drink large amounts of alcohol frequently, quitting alcohol can cause severe and even life-threatening withdrawal symptoms within hours to days after your last drink. Serious symptoms of alcohol withdrawal include confusion, fever, hallucinations, and seizures.
Depending on the situation, outpatient or inpatient treatment can help you withdraw from alcohol safely. Your healthcare provider can provide resources and medication to help you quit.
You can also visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) website, or call the anonymous SAMHSA National Hotline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357) for free, confidential resources.
