- Alcohol can be enjoyable in moderate amounts, but a regular drinking habit can also throw your body for a loop.
- Health Digest offers up a massive list of all the benefits of giving up booze, and it’s hard to ignore.
- Everything from sleeping better to improved blood pressure and overall health is waiting for you if you choose to ditch alcohol.
This year has been a challenge for just about all of us. Daily stress levels are sky-high thanks to the pandemic and all the nasty stuff and isolation that came along with it. So, it’s probably no surprise that a new study suggests that alcohol consumption has seen a sharp increase in 2020 when compared with the year prior.
Alcohol can be enjoyable and safe when consumed in moderation, but it can also be easy to lean on its warm embrace a bit too often, especially during times of increased stress. The good news is that giving up alcohol doesn’t mean your life will suddenly get more boring or less enjoyable. In fact, there are a ton of benefits to skipping booze entirely, and Health Digest put together an impressively long list, complete with the scientific evidence to back up each claim.
I know what you might be thinking. Yes, some studies in recent years have shown that alcohol consumption can be good for the body in certain ways. However, these benefits seem to pale in comparison to the list of good things that happen if you give it up entirely.
I’m not going to dive deep into each of the many points that Health Digest makes — if you’re interested, head over to the site and check out the full rundown — but if you want a more consolidated list, here’s what you can expect:
- You’ll sleep better
- Your heart health will improve
- Your liver won’t have to work as hard
- Your risk for specific types of cancers goes down
- Your skin could get a boost
- You could lose weight
- Your brain will work better
- You’ll be happier and more focused
- You’ll have fewer accidents
- Your relationships will improve
- Your immune system will get a boost
- Your blood pressure will go down
- Your stomach will feel better
- You’ll never have a hangover again
- You could reverse prediabetes
Okay, wow. That’s one heck of a list, right? I know some of these benefits seem vague — you may be asking how exactly your heart, stomach, or liver will get healthier after you quit alcohol — but that’s why you should probably check out the supporting evidence.
Needless to say, there are a lot of good things that can come from ditching a regular drinking habit. Not everyone wants or is ready to make that move, however, and if you’re enjoying alcohol responsibly that’s also totally fine. Just know that whenever you choose to stop (if you do), you have a lot to look forward to.
