Short and long term benefits of stopping drinking for a week, month, half a year or longer

Quitting or cutting out alcohol significantly reduces the risk of serious illness and improves long-term quality of life. (Illustration image generated by AI)

Alcohol has many negative health effects, from immediate symptoms like headaches and anxiety after each drink, to long-term risks like cancer. But if you are considering quitting drinking, your body will soon show you positive changes both in the short and long term.

Scientists have discovered changes that happen to the body in the first days, weeks, months and years after stopping drinking alcohol.

After a day

It takes about 24 hours for alcohol to completely leave your body. Once the alcohol is gone, you may notice significant improvements in just one day.

Alcohol is a diuretic, making you urinate more and become dehydrated. As the alcohol leaves your body, dehydration is reduced, improving digestion, brain function and energy levels.

In addition, alcohol reduces the liver's ability to regulate blood sugar. When the body is no longer alcohol-free, blood sugar levels will gradually stabilize again.

If you drink alcohol every day, you may initially experience some discomfort as your body adjusts to the new situation, such as disrupted sleep, mood swings, sweating or shaking. Most symptoms usually disappear after about a week without alcohol.

After a week

Although alcohol may make you feel sleepy right after drinking, it actually disrupts your natural sleep cycle. After a week without alcohol, you may notice that you sleep more deeply and more soundly, leaving you feeling refreshed and energized in the morning.

At this point, your liver also starts to get stronger. As the body's filter, it does most of the work of processing alcohol and can be easily damaged even with moderate alcohol consumption.

The liver plays a vital role in cleansing the blood, processing nutrients, and producing bile to aid digestion. When alcohol is eliminated from your diet, your liver has a chance to recover and function more efficiently, contributing to overall health improvement.

If alcohol use has caused mild liver damage, 7 days may be enough to reduce liver fat, heal scarring, and repair minor tissue damage.

After a month

Alcohol makes it difficult to control emotions and can exacerbate symptoms of anxiety and depression. However, after a few weeks of abstaining from alcohol, most people begin to feel a marked improvement in their mood.

Even heavy drinkers report improved moods after 1-2 months of abstinence.

As your sleep and mood improve, you may notice a marked increase in your energy levels and overall health.

After a month of abstaining from alcohol, many regular drinkers report feeling more confident about changing their drinking habits and motivated to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

You can also lose weight and body fat at this time. Alcohol is high in calories and can trigger the hunger system, causing us to overeat or choose less healthy foods.

Your skin will thank you too, as alcohol can make you look older due to dehydration and inflammation, conditions that are reversed when you quit drinking.

Additionally, alcohol often irritates the intestinal tract and disrupts normal stomach function, causing bloating, indigestion, heartburn, and diarrhea. These symptoms usually begin to improve within 4 weeks.

After one month of abstaining from alcohol, insulin resistance - which can lead to high blood sugar - is significantly reduced by about 25%. Blood pressure drops (6%) and growth factors linked to cancer are also reduced.

After 6 months

The liver begins to repair itself within a few weeks of stopping drinking. In moderate drinkers, liver damage can be completely reversed in about six months.

At this time, even heavy drinkers may notice a stronger immune system, less illness, and a general feeling of well-being and lightness.

After a year or so

Alcohol is a contributing factor or direct cause of many chronic diseases, including heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, along with seven different types of cancer and many mental health problems.

However, stopping or cutting down on alcohol significantly reduces the risk of these serious conditions and improves long-term quality of life.

Alcohol increases blood pressure. High blood pressure (hypertension) is the leading risk factor for death worldwide . Just a 2 mmHg increase in blood pressure above normal (120 mmHg) increases the risk of death from stroke by 10% and the risk of death from coronary artery disease by 7%.

Cutting down on alcohol to less than two drinks a day can significantly lower your blood pressure, which in turn reduces your risk of stroke and heart disease. Lower blood pressure also reduces your risk of kidney disease and eye problems.

Long-term abstinence from alcohol reduces the risk of any type of cancer. One study looked at the cancer risk of more than 4 million adults over 3-7 years and found that alcohol-related diseases fell by 4%, even among light drinkers.

Reducing alcohol intake from heavy to moderate drinking can reduce the risk of alcohol-related cancers by 9%.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/loi-ich-ngan-va-dai-han-khi-dung-ruou-bia-mot-tuan-thang-nua-den-ca-nam-hoac-lau-hon-322672.html