I don’t know if you know this about alcohol, but it’s not very good for you! So, since it’s January and the month when most people go ‘dry’ or make a resolution to cut down or quit the booze, I thought we could look at what happens to your body when you stop drinking alcohol…
Alcohol can dehydrate you
It has a diuretic effect on the body which basically means it makes you pee out more liquid than you consume, and at a faster rate than normal. It does that by messing with your antidiuretic hormone. Dehydration from alcohol consumption can also cause headaches, but that’s not the only reason your head hurts, check this out…
The dreaded hangover
Have you heard the phrase ‘pickled’ when someone is drunk? It’s a very sweet term, but it has a literal meaning. When alcohol is metabolised in the body it becomes acetaldehyde – very similar in structure to formaldehyde – yes, embalming fluid! That’s another reason why you can get headaches, as well as dizziness, light-headedness and passing out.
The good news is, your liver is so good at cleaning up this mess, that the embalming fluid is converted to acetic acid before urination. Bad news for your liver though…
Alcohol kills brain cells
Alzheimer’s Research published the news that ‘If a person regularly drinks too much alcohol it can be toxic to their nerve cells. Over time, drinking too much alcohol can cause brain cells to die and a person’s brain tissue to shrink. This means there are fewer cells to carry the messages that the brain needs to do different tasks.’
A study at Oxford University discovered that, ‘those consuming over 30 units a week were at the highest risk compared with abstainers, even those drinking moderately (14-21 units/week) had three times the odds of right sided hippocampal atrophy.’ And concluded that, ‘Alcohol consumption, even at moderate levels, is associated with adverse brain outcomes including hippocampal atrophy. These results support the recent reduction in alcohol guidance in the UK and question the current limits recommended in the US.’
Alcohol induced myopia
Myopia is short-sightedness. Alcohol induced myopia is when you make a decision that you wouldn’t normally make if you had your sensible head on – you are more likely to do something irrational after consuming alcohol. A friend of Ad Astra once bought a boat… We’ve all considered texting an ex or a bad boss, some people even decide they can still drive…
This can get you into trouble and land you or someone else in hospital, fired or with a boat to sell!
The body favours alcohol as an energy source
Annoyingly, if you drink, yes it contains calories, but what makes you put on more weight is the fact that the body metabolises that alcohol before it uses the calories from food for energy. That means that any peanuts, crisps, pork scratchings, lasagne, curry and so on, will just sit there being stored away for when energy sources are low. And if you drink regularly, those energy sources aren’t really low enough often enough…
But the good news is… The effects of alcohol on your body are reversible
As long as you haven’t been alcohol dependent for many years all the damaging effects of alcohol on your body can largely be reversed.
When you’re ready to cut down, quit, or drink more responsibly, you’ll quickly find the benefits to your body can be felt – they’re tangible:
- No more hangovers! You will sleep better, and wake better
- More energy
- Better mental health
- Clearer skin
- Less puffiness
- Weight loss
- Reduction in blood pressure means fewer headaches, better breathing, fewer incidents of dizziness
- Lower risk of heart disease, stroke, liver disease, sexual dysfunction and gut problems.
Stopping or cutting alcohol intake just makes you a brighter, happier more confident person all round – and richer! If you need help cutting back, Drinkaware has lots of resources to help. But I do hope that this information has given you the confidence to form a healthier relationship with alcohol this month.
Jayne