Sixty-two percent of adults in the United States say they drink alcohol, according to a July 2023 Gallup survey. This widely outnumbers those who say they completely abstain — which came out to 38% of Americans.
Many month-long challenges have been advertised as a way to persuade people to spend 30 days without alcohol. "Dry January" and "Sober October" are examples of alcohol-free challenges that are popular to pursue.
January and October are by no means the only times when alcohol use can be halted. A 30-day (or more) challenge is a great way to help your overall health and wellness, as there are several benefits that could come out of abstaining from alcohol for a period of time.
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Below are five health-related improvements you may see if you spend 30 days alcohol-free.
- A better night's sleep
- Improved liver health
- Weight loss
- Improvements to brain function
- Better digestion
1. A better night's sleep
Better sleep can result from a lack of alcohol consumption — and better sleep leads to improved overall health.
Research has shown that when alcohol is consumed close to the time you go to bed for the night, quality sleep can be interrupted, according to Healthline.
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This loss of quality sleep will give you a groggy feeling the next day.
Once alcohol is removed from your routine, your sleep cycle can start to get back on track, leaving you more alert and refreshed in the morning.
2. Improved liver health
Drinking alcohol can increase the risk of many different diseases. One of these is liver disease.
There are three main types of alcohol-associated liver diseases that exist, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. These are steatotic (fatty) liver, acute hepatitis and cirrhosis, according to the source.
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Steatotic liver is the most common, according to the source, and "is the build-up of fat inside the liver cells."
Acute hepatitis "is an acute inflammation of the liver cells," according to Johns Hopkins Medicine, while cirrhosis "is the destruction of normal liver tissue."
All of these diseases are caused by heavy alcohol consumption. The liver is what breaks down alcohol, so drinking too much can cause severe damage.
One of the most important steps in treating a liver disease is not drinking alcohol, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. By avoiding alcohol, the liver can be healed of some damage that was caused, depending on the severity of the case, the source notes.
3. Weight loss
Excessive drinking may lead to weight gain, so the opposite could hold true when cutting alcohol out of your system, according to Healthline.
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Alcohol is extremely high in calories (especially super sweet drinks). It lacks nutrients and could cause hormones signaling appetite, hunger and stress to go off in your body, according to Health.com.
While light to moderate drinking is unlikely to cause weight gain, heavy drinking could.
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) lays out drinking guidelines, defining heavy drinking as four or more drinks per day, or eight or more per week for females, and five or more drinks per day or 15 or more drinks per week for males.
4. Improvements to brain function
Thirty days of being alcohol-free can improve brain function and your overall mood.
"Alcohol makes it harder for the brain areas controlling balance, memory, speech, and judgment to do their jobs, resulting in a higher likelihood of injuries and other negative outcomes," the NIAAA notes on its website.
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Thera are also long-term affects on the brain from heavy drinking, such as "alterations in neurons."
Adolescent brains are even more susceptible to long-term damage from heavy alcohol consumption, according to the source.
Consider giving your brain a break to help improve its function.
5. Better digestion
Do you ever have an upset stomach after drinking? Experience acid reflux? You're not alone.
After a night of drinking, a person can experience a hangover. While hangover symptoms can vary from person to person, some common symptoms include fatigue, weakness, thirst, headache, muscle aches, nausea, stomach pain, vertigo, sensitivity to light and sound, anxiety, irritability, sweating and increased blood pressure, according to the NIAAA.
Gastrointestinal irritation caused by consuming alcohol can happen, as the lining of the stomach is a part of the body directly impacted by alcohol, per the source, increasing acid release, which can cause nausea and discomfort in an individual.
Inflammation can also increase with alcohol consumption. That increased inflammation can cause hangover symptoms to be presented, according to the NIAAA.
Therefore, a sober month gives your stomach a break and helps contribute to an overall healthy lifestyle.
