Although it is a popular social pastime, with nearly 70% of the U.S. population consuming alcohol annually, drinking alcohol is the biggest risk factor for premature illness and, according to the World Health Organization, contributes to 3 million deaths annually. So what happens if you give it up? While talking to experts, we discovered some of the most surprising side effects if you do not drink alcohol. And for more healthy diet advice, check out The Worst Foods You Should Never Have In Your Home.
“If you have some kind of central nervous system like alcohol, you usually do not achieve restorative REM sleep,” explains Jessica Hoffman, LADC, a licensed alcohol and drug consultant at Hazelden Betty Ford, the country’s largest nonprofit supplier.
Rapid eye movement sleep or REM is the deepest sleep you can have. It is the most restorative sleep when your mind and body recover and balance after a long day, but it is often unattainable when you drink as alcohol is a REM suppressant. On the other hand, if you do not drink, you can sleep longer and less disruptively. “[When you don’t drink alcohol]”You’ll have a better quality of sleep, which is critical to almost every brain function we have,” says Hoffman. For more ways to improve your sleep, consider avoiding The Worst Foods for a Good Night’s Rest, according to sleep experts.
Alcohol use is one of the most avoidable risk factors for cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, alcohol use is about 6% of all cancers and 4% of all cancer deaths in the United States. “Your pancreas and liver, parts of your body that are constantly loaded with alcohol, are at the greatest risk of developing cancer,” explains the behavioral expert. Robin Barnett, EdD, LCSW, a licensed clinical social worker and author of Addict in the house.
“Your liver, which clears toxins from your body, is actually too hard when you drink. If the liver works too much and tries to get rid of the alcohol, it slows down the rest of your metabolism and immune system because it focuses on these alcohols. “If you do not drink, you can reduce the risk of developing cancers, compared to someone who is constantly under stress, it can make the body more vulnerable to diseases such as cancer. who regularly use alcohol.
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Your immune system works to defend your body against infectious diseases. Alcohol use can suppress the immune system and its response to the fight against diseases, which increases the chances of infectious diseases. “Alcohol lowers the body’s ability to respond to external threats,” Barnett says. ’24 hours after someone uses alcohol, their immune response decreases, making the body vulnerable to disease. If you do not consume alcohol, as well as to prevent these foods from weakening your immune system, experts say, can weaken your immune system, which increases your body’s ability to fight viruses and other diseases.
When people drink, it can be easy to overlook the calories consumed by alcohol, which are considered in your daily calorie intake. On average, American adults under the age of 50 consume 150 calories of alcohol daily, according to a BMC Public Health study. If you do not drink, you will simply not consume the calories, which would otherwise amount to a weight gain of 15 pounds over the course of a year.
Alcohol can promote weight gain, not only by adding calories to your daily intake, but also by overeating. An animal study published in Nature communication found that when mice are given alcohol, neurons in the brain that cause hunger are stimulated. Humans have the same AGRP neurons that promote intense hunger when stimulated, even when the body is not starving. By not drinking alcohol, you can effectively eliminate this possible trigger for overeating and make it easier to lose weight.
If you use alcohol, you may be at greater risk of developing cardiovascular disease. “You may be more vulnerable to the development of things like heart disease and diabetes because alcohol has been linked to side effects of high blood pressure and increased heart rate,” Hoffman said. Many alcoholic beverages also contain a lot of sugar. “Many times we don’t always realize the amount of sugar we metabolize when we drink alcohol,” Hoffman said. High glucose levels can lead to the development of cardiovascular related diseases. If you do not drink, you reduce the risk of future cardiovascular problems by lowering your blood pressure, lowering your triglycerides and reducing your risk of heart failure. (Related: Surprising Side Effects That Wine Has on Your Heart, Science Says.)
Alcohol is a toxin that the liver can remove from your body by metabolizing it. “For men, the chances of fatty liver and cirrhosis of the liver increase, and for women, 8 drinks a week or more, for men,” Barnett warns. The chance of cirrhosis and fatty liver decreases by about 10% if someone stops drinking. “If you stop drinking before there is significant damage, the liver is regenerated. Once it reaches the point of liver cirrhosis, which means the liver starts to die, only the areas that have not been completely killed by the alcohol will begin to heal. Barnett: If you stop using alcohol, remove the stress on your liver so that it can begin to heal on its own Read more about the effects of alcohol on your liver by reading Here is what happens to your liver when you drink alcohol.