With September being National Recovery Month, it’s a great time to focus on the positive health effects that happen when someone gives up substances or unhealthy habits. While National Recovery Month brings awareness to substance abuse in several forms, including illegal and prescription medication, it also addresses what is perhaps the top substance that is overused in the United States today: alcohol. Whether you think you or a loved one has an issue with alcohol, even moderate use can have big impacts on health.
Because alcohol use is so normalized in our culture, and because early health claims about alcohol consumption (that have now been debunked) have been so prevalent, many people don’t think about what alcohol could be doing to their health. This is especially true for those who feel they have their drinking well under control, who don’t struggle with overconsumption. However, the more we learn about the relationship of alcohol and our bodies, the more need there is for reevaluation. It’s an important question to consider: do I really need alcohol in my life and are the risks worth it?
The decision to include or exclude alcohol is one that has been a hot button topic through the years. From the Prohibition Movement of the mid-1800s to the Temperance Movement of the early 20th century, plenty of debate and dialog has been had. But as modern research highlights the risks to our health, the question of whether to drink or not to drink is rising again.
41% of Americans overall say they’re trying to drink less this year.1 That trend toward a sober lifestyle is even more dramatic when looking at generations. 61% of Gen Z (those born between 1997 and 2012) say they’re attempting to curtail their alcohol consumption this year, and 49% of Millennials (those born between 1981 to 1996) say they’re putting down the bottle.2 The majority say they’re doing it to prioritize their mental health and well-being. In the doing, they’re likely making a big improvement in their physical health as well.
The impacts of alcohol on health are at the top of the headlines again as recent research has shown stronger and stronger correlations to drinking and cancer risk. It’s now been shown that alcohol consumption is to blame for 1 in 20 cancer diagnoses. In a new report released in just the last few weeks, the Cancer Progress Report states, ““Unfortunately, awareness about the link between alcohol and cancer is still low, highlighting the need for public messaging campaigns, such as cancer-specific warning labels displayed on alcoholic beverages, along with effective clinical strategies to reduce the burden of alcohol-related cancers.”3 While advances in treating cancer continue to expand, researchers find that in 40% of cancers, lifestyle, diet, and nutrition choices are to blame.4
The good news?
That means that you have powerful means in your choices to cut your risk of cancer almost in half, and one of those choices could include giving up alcohol.
So what happens to your body when you put down the wine glass or the beer can? A lot, actually, and more quickly than you might think. Check out the following timeline to see how quickly your body begins the repair process:
The First 24 Hours: Your blood sugar levels will begin to come back to normal (all alcohols impact blood sugar levels and insulin resistance. Yes, some more than others, but it all has an effect.5). WIthin the first day, some people experience feelings of anxiety, nausea, or sweating, while others don’t notice these symptoms. Your body works hard in the first 24 hours to clear alcohol from your system, since the body recognizes it as a toxin.
Within 3 Days: When you’ve gone three days without a drink, your body begins a more robust reset, by detoxing and recalibrating. For some people, this is a day that can prove challenging, as the need for a drink can feel stronger than in the previous two days.
At the 1 Week Mark: You may find that you’re sleeping better and you’re not as dehydrated. Why? Alcohol often interferes with getting the deepest kind of sleep due to its effect on blood sugar. Additionally, alcohol tends to dehydrate your system, so when you’ve cut out alcohol for a week, your body is able to do a better job hydrating your system.
Round the Corner into Week 2: Here’s where things can start to get really exciting! Your stomach is now repairing itself (yes, alcohol is really tough on your GI system) and your cardiac health begins to improve. If you’ve struggled with blood pressure issues, this is likely the time that you’ll see your blood pressure begin to normalize. Be sure to keep your medical provider informed about this change in your lifestyle as any medications you’re currently on may need to be evaluated and the dosage changed or cut out completely.
By Week 3: Your liver will be experiencing the advantages of being alcohol-free, which means your liver is healing and is releasing the liver fat it holds in response to alcohol. Some people find that they’re losing a bit of weight as they have taken the extra alcohol calories out of their diet.
That Quarter-Year: At three months into your alcohol-free journey, you may find that your immune system is working better and is helping you have fewer colds. You may also find that you don’t feel as inflamed. The three month mark is a big deal, and you’ll likely find that your health is improving at a quick clip. Your mental wellness will likely see an upswing as well. Your anxiety may be lower, you may find yourself more motivated to complete tasks, and you might find that your focus is greatly improved. Alcohol can lower oxygen levels in the brain, and when you take it out of your lifestyle, your brain may just thank you for it.
Six Months In: Better skin, better memory, better cognition. Those are the things you’ll notice when you’ve spent half the year without alcohol. Your liver, after healing and restoring itself, is now able to detoxify your body even more efficiently from other environmental and dietary factors, and all that clean-up leads to a brighter complexion and brighter brain.
1 Year Anniversary: Simply put, it’s dramatic. Your risk of heart or liver disease and certain cancers of the mouth, liver, and breast, have dropped significantly. Your organs will be functioning better and your overall mental outlook will likely be improved.
And Beyond: The longer you keep alcohol out of your lifestyle, the more compounding advantages you’ll see. Research shows that you’ll slow your aging process; those who drink speed up their aging process while those who abstain experience a protective effect of their DNA.6 You may also discover that your relationships are healthier.
Members of Altrua HealthShare agree to a Statement of Standards which includes a commitment to avoid overconsumption of alcohol. Because the Altrua HealthShare is committed as a community to live a healthy lifestyle, the continuing discoveries about the effect of alcohol on one’s health show in even greater detail the importance of this line item on the Statement of Standards. (If you’re not yet a Member of Altrua HealthShare or would like to learn more about becoming a Member, contact a Member Services Representative at 1.888.669.0653).
With the holiday season fast approaching, with all kinds of events and celebrations that might include alcohol, now is a great time to evaluate your relationship with alcohol. How much are you consuming? Really? Measure it by the ounce to get an accurate understanding of how much you’re exposing your body to. How do you feel? Are you finding that you often feel puffy or inflamed? Is it hard to enjoy an event or a date night without alcohol? Or is it time to simply start clearing things out of your diet and habits that don’t serve your overall goals for health? This one change can bring you a wealth of healing and health.
Looking for more resources about reducing alcohol in your lifestyle? Check out this two-part series on The allmomdoes Podcast with host Julie Lyles Carr and her guest, sobriety coach Christy Osborne.
1 https://ncsolutions.com/the-goods/sober-curious-nation-alcohol-survey/#:~:text=Sober%20Curious%20Movement%3A%2041%25%20of,lifestyle%20and%20set%20of%20values.
2 https://ncsolutions.com/the-goods/sober-curious-nation-alcohol-survey/#:~:text=Sober%20Curious%20Movement%3A%2041%25%20of,lifestyle%20and%20set%20of%20values.
3 https://cancerprogressreport.aacr.org/progress/
4 https://www.webmd.com/cancer/news/20240918/new-report-highlights-overlooked-cancer-risk-factor-alcohol
5 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2955866/
6 https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2022-07-26-genetic-study-provides-evidence-alcohol-accelerates-biological-aging