Just no more alcohol! Did you overdo it yesterday in terms of beer, champagne, and spirits? For the New Year, many are planning to give up alcohol in the near future. Here you can find out what not doing really does and how quickly your liver recovers.
- Experts say: "If you can do without alcohol twice a week, you are not dependent"
- Better sleep, more energy - what does a long period of time without alcohol do to the body?
- Abstinence can have visible consequences
At the turn of the year, there is a toast, often it is not just a glass of champagne or beer. On New Year's Eve, many drink more alcohol than is good for them. And because most of them know that too, they swear off all alcoholic beverages - at least for a while. In the UK, major alcohol-free campaigns are launched twice a year. In “Dry January” and “Sober in October”, citizens are encouraged to stay “dry” or “sober” for a month.
Whether it's an individual resolution or a health campaign - many who step on the alcohol brakes want to treat their liver to a few relaxing detox weeks. Or they want to check how difficult it is for them to go without a beer after work, a glass of wine with dinner, or a drink in the bar.
But what does abstaining from alcohol do for the organism, metabolism, and well-being? And how long should the abstinence last before a noticeable change occurs?
That brings a day without alcohol
If you don't start an alcohol-free day with a proper hangover from the previous evening, you won't notice any physical change from the mini-abstinence. At most, the Pils or the glass of wine is missed in the evening and the mineral water is perceived as an unsatisfactory substitute in terms of taste. However, this is not yet a sign of the beginning of addiction, but simply a break with a pleasant daily habit.
Jarmila Mahlmeister, the chief physician at the Betty Ford Clinic in Bad Brückenau, says: "For people with normal alcohol consumption if you can do without alcohol for two days a week without any problems, you are not dependent." Experts recommend this regular short abstinence anyway, especially for more conscious handling of the potentially addictive substance. However, if you always think about not being allowed to drink anything on a non-alcoholic day or have to struggle with yourself not to get an alcoholic drink at the next gas station in the evening - you should seriously reconsider your consumption. Because alcohol already plays a dominant role in everyday life and the limit to addiction is close.
That brings a week without alcohol
Anyone who has previously consumed alcoholic beverages on a daily basis can already notice the first physical changes in the first few days, which become even more noticeable after two weeks:
- - Better and deeper sleep
- - Increased efficiency
Mahlmeister adds: “If the liver is relieved by abstaining from alcohol, it immediately breaks down stored fats. The triglycerides decrease after a few days, with the cholesterol it takes longer. But generally, our liver recovers amazingly quickly."
That brings a month without alcohol
For this period there are good numbers from Great Britain, where an alcohol-free campaign is started every January: research by the University of Sussex after the “Dry January” (alcohol-free January) of 2018have shown what the real benefit of doing without beer, wine, and spirits. After 31 days without alcohol, the participants not only had better control over their drinking behavior, they also had more energy, more beautiful skin, and less weight. The January teetotalers also recorded better sleep, lower blood pressure, and greater ability to concentrate. “We hear from many participants that they feel healthier and happier afterward. And that they don't need alcohol to have fun and relax, ”says Richard Piper of“ Alcohol Change UK ”, the initiators of Dry January.
The Betty Ford Clinic expert adds:
- - An overloaded liver makes you tired. Those who refrain from alcohol are therefore more alert, fitter, and more productive.
- - Alcohol hinders cell metabolism, swells up, and causes lymphatic congestion. Those who do without alcohol get firmer contours and smoother skin.
- - Alcohol has lots of useless calories. If you forego two units of 200 calories each day, you will have saved 12,000 calories after 30 days: a (theoretical) weight loss of almost two kilograms.
That brings a year without alcohol
- The liver is like new. Even severe alcohol-related liver damage can be cured by completely doing without.
- The entire metabolism, including the digestive processes and fat burning, runs faster. In combination with the increased performance through better sleep and more activity through better fitness, this leads to an optimized body feeling.
- If you normally have two drinks a day, you can lose 20 kilograms after a year without the calories alone.
And: "If you haven't drunk alcohol for a whole year, you can actually do without it in the future," says Jarmila Mahlmeister. "Even if alcohol is 'part of it' with us in many social situations, renouncing it does not mean a loss of quality of life."
But if you don't want to do without completely, you should keep the rules for moderate consumption in mind: For men, half a liter of beer or a quarter of a liter of wine is "allowed" per day. Women who break down alcohol less well should drink no more than half of it.
If you want to stop drinking but don´t know where to start, click here!
