Despite being a popular social pastime, with nearly 70 percent of the U.S. population enjoying alcohol annually, alcohol consumption is the leading risk factor for premature illness and contributes to 3 million deaths each year, according to the World Health Organization. Health. So what happens if you give it up? While talking to experts, I discovered some of the most surprising side effects of alcohol consumption. And for more healthy diet tips, check out the worst foods you should never have in your home.
“When you have any type of central nervous system depressant, such as alcohol, you don’t usually get that restorative REM sleep,” he explains. Jessica Hoffman, LADC, Authorized Advisor for Alcohol and Drugs at Hazelden Betty Ford, the largest nonprofit treatment provider in the country.
Fast-moving sleep or REM sleep 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 untouched when you drink, because alcohol is a REM suppressant. On the other hand, if you refrain from drinking, you can have a longer and less disturbing sleep. “[When you don’t drink alcohol], you will be able to have better sleep quality, which is essential for almost every brain function we have, “says Hoffman. For more ways to improve your sleep, consider avoiding the worst foods for a healthy sleep. good rest, to sleep experts.
Alcohol consumption is one of the most preventable risk factors for cancer. Alcohol consumption accounts for about 6% of all cancers and 4% of all cancer deaths in the United States, according to the American Cancer Society. “The pancreas and liver, areas of your body constantly taxed by alcohol, are most at risk of developing cancer,” explains the behavioral health expert Robin Barnett, EdD, LCSW, authorized clinical social worker and author of Addicted to the house.
“Your liver, which removes toxins from your body, is actually overloaded when you drink. If your liver is overloaded, trying to get rid of alcohol, then it slows down the rest of your metabolism and immune system because it focuses on removing this alcoholic toxin from your body. “says Barnett. When the body is constantly under a state of stress, it can make the body more vulnerable to diseases such as cancer. If you do not drink, you can reduce your risk of developing these cancers compared to someone who consumes alcohol regularly.
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Your immune system works to protect your body against contagious diseases. Alcohol consumption can suppress the immune system and its response to disease prevention, increasing the chances of developing infectious diseases. “Alcohol decreases the body’s ability to react to external threats,” says Barnett. “For 24 hours after someone consumes alcohol, their immune response decreases,” making the body vulnerable to disease. If you do not consume alcohol, and avoid these foods can weaken your immune system, experts say, can prevent your immune system from weakening, increasing the body’s ability to fight viruses and other diseases.
When people drink, it can be easy to overlook the calories consumed through alcohol, which are brought to the daily caloric intake. On average, American adults under the age of 50 consume 150 calories from alcohol every day, according to a BMC Public Health study. If you do not drink, you simply will not consume those calories, which would otherwise mean a weight gain of 15 kilograms in a year.
Alcohol can promote weight gain not only by adding calories to your daily intake, but also by causing overeating. An animal study published in Communications about nature found that when mice were given alcohol, the neurons in the brain that cause hunger were stimulated. People have the same AGRP neurons that promote intense hunger when stimulated even when the body is not starving. If you do not drink alcohol, effectively eliminate this potential trigger of overeating and it may be easier to lose weight.
Drinking alcohol may put you at greater risk of developing cardiovascular disease. “You may be more vulnerable to developing things like heart disease and diabetes because alcohol has been linked to the side effects of high blood pressure and high heart rate,” Hoffman said. Many alcoholic beverages also contain large amounts of sugar. “We often 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 disease. When you refrain from drinking, you reduce your risk of future cardiovascular problems by lowering your blood pressure, lowering your triglycerides and reducing your chances of heart failure. (Regarding: Surprising side effects that wine has on the heart, says science.)
Alcohol is a toxin that the liver removes from the body by metabolizing it. “For men, consuming 15 drinks a week or more, and women, 8 drinks a week or more, increase the chances of fatty liver and liver cirrhosis,” warns Barnett. The chances of cirrhosis and fatty liver decrease by about 10% when someone stops drinking. “If you stop drinking before significant damage occurs, the liver regenerates. Once it reaches the point of liver cirrhosis, which means that the liver begins to die, only areas that have not been completely killed by alcohol will begin to heal, ”Barnett explained. When you stop drinking alcohol, it removes stress from the liver, allowing it to begin to heal on its own. Learn more about the effect of alcohol on the liver by reading Here’s what happens to your liver when you drink alcohol.