Yahoo Lifestyle This Is What Happens to Your Body After a Month Without Alcohol
ICYMI, “Dry January” is when people don’t drink alcohol for the month of (you guessed it) January. They may do it to improve their health (as we’ll expand on below) or because they're “sober-curious,” just to name a couple of reasons.
According to CivicScience research, about 25 percent of Americans of legal drinking age participated last year.
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As we approach the end of the month, Dry January-ers may wonder if it was worth it. Have their bodies changed in any noticeable way?
After all, not drinking can be a big change for people. “Giving up alcohol can be quite a lifestyle adjustment, especially if it was part of your routine, like an after-work drink,” says Maggie Moon, MS, RD, a registered dietitian and Health-Ade advisor.
Ahead, a dietitian and psychiatrist share how a month without alcohol affects both your physical and mental health (if you’re not addicted, but just like to drink).
6 Ways Skipping Alcohol For a Month Can Impact Your Health
1. You may experience less gastrointestinal (GI) distress
Since alcohol irritates the gut lining, it can lead to GI problems such as heartburn, bloating and diarrhea.
So after a month without it, “your gut will thank you,” Moon says, explaining those symptoms will lessen or disappear.
She suggests further taking care of your gut by eating plant foods with fiber, polyphenols and living probiotics. More specifically, that includes raspberries, apples, broccoli, potatoes, dark chocolate, black tea, black olives, strawberries, kombucha and more.
2. Your liver may function better
Even a month off of alcohol can be good for your liver since it doesn’t have to worry about filtering toxins.
“Enzymes such as ALT and AST, which usually increase due to alcohol-induced damage to the liver, begin to improve,” says Dr. Michelle Dees, MD, a board-certified psychiatrist at Luxury Psychiatry Clinic. “This standard means that liver inflammation and health are balanced along with the overall strain on the liver itself.”
Related: Are Certain Types of Alcohol Better for Your Liver Than Others? Here’s What Doctors Say
Further “side effects” of this she mentions include boosted metabolism and energy levels.
3. You may sleep better
After a night of drinking, do you find yourself waking up a bunch in the middle of the night? You may know what we’re talking about here.
“Drinking alcohol can lead to drowsiness, but make no mistake: It’s a sleep disrupter that wreaks havoc on REM cycles,” Moon says. “You’re not giving up alcohol as much as you’re gaining a good night’s sleep.”
Besides the obvious benefits of good sleep, like feeling more awake, it can also regulate hunger hormones, repair tissue and clear metabolic waste from the brain, she adds.
4. You may feel enhanced mental clarity and an emotional boost
As you’ve probably heard (or experienced), alcohol is a depressant that can negatively affect your cognitive abilities and emotions. So, after a month without, you may have noticed an absence of those side effects.
“Once [alcohol] is removed from the system, neurotransmitter rebalancing occurs, enabling enhanced mental clarity, focus and productivity throughout the day,” Dr. Dees says. “A lot of people report an improvement in sleep, less anxiety and reduced mood swings…all of this happens in just a few weeks.”
5. Your skin may look fresher
Yup, alcohol even affects the skin! If you’ve been feeling more confident this month, this may be one reason why. “The dehydrating and skin-starving nature of alcohol means it can prematurely age you from the inside out,” Moon says.
To further benefit your skin, she encourages drinking water and tea, saying this can improve skin tone and texture, plus reduce puffiness and redness.
6. You may feel a confidence boost
Not drinking alcohol can have direct benefits on your mental health, too. Moon points to research from the University of Sussex that found 90 percent of people who gave up alcohol for a month said they felt a sense of achievement (even if their Dry January turned a little damp).
Dare we suggest making Dry January a Dry 2025 (or even a Dry February) instead?
Up Next:
Related: 17 Exciting Mocktail Recipes Made for Dry January—and Beyond
Sources
Maggie Moon, MS, RD, a registered dietitian and Health-Ade advisor.
Dr. Michelle Dees, MD, a board-certified psychiatrist at Luxury Psychiatry Clinic
A Quarter of Americans Participated in ‘Dry January,’ Here’s What That Could Mean Moving Forward, CivicScience
How ‘Dry January’ is the secret to better sleep, saving money and losing weight, University of Sussex
