Not drinking alcohol can have some surprising benefits
Whether you’re trying to start your new year fresh or if you’re thinking about quitting alcohol altogether; either way, not drinking can have some unexpected benefits. These might actually make you want to limit your alcohol intake indefinitely!
1. Liver
One of the biggest benefits of not drinking alcohol, is that your liver will have a chance to recover. Alcohol has a negative affect on this particular organ. Cells in your liver die every time it has to filter alcohol. And when you stop drinking alcohol, your liver won’t have to filter alcohol anymore. If you enjoy drinking alcohol, you might be glad to hear that there is a cure for the cells that already died. If you give your liver a break and don’t drink, your liver could grow back. It won’t recover completely but seventy percent of your liver could grow back if you stop burdening it with alcohol.
If you drink an excessive amount of alcohol every day, you could be suffering from liver fibrosis. But to put it in perspective: you would have to drink four to six glasses of alcohol a day to increase the risk of getting this disease. If you do suspect that you might be suffering from a liver disease, always contact a medical professional to get it checked out.
2. Immune system
Alcohol influences your immune system. That means that when you stop drinking alcohol you could avoid getting the flu or other diseases. How it works? Alcohol influences the number of white blood cells in your blood. You need those white blood cells to fight of viruses and bacteria. If you drink a certain amount of alcohol, the number of white blood cells in your blood will decrease, causing you to be more vulnerable to disease.
3. Improve your sleep
Different organs are involved in dealing with your alcohol intake (especially the liver). Your body will have to work hard to break down the alcohol that you consume and all of that hard work happens at night when you are sleeping. Because your body is working hard, you won’t feel well-rested when you wake up and sometimes might experience a hangover. Not drinking alcohol can help you wake up relaxed and rested.
All of that might be reason enough to skip that drink you usually have with dinner and drink some water instead!
Also read: Shocking: This is what a liver looks like after years of alcohol consumption
Source: Happy in Shape, NHS Inform | Image: Unsplash, Thimo van Leeuwen