This is what happens to your body when you stop drinking alcohol

Alcohol has many negative effects on our health, some of which may surprise you. These range from short-term effects, such as waking up with a pounding head or anxiety, to long-term effects, including cancer.

If you’re thinking about getting rid of alcohol for a while, you’ll find many quick and long-term benefits for your health.

We’ve created a timeline – based on scientific research – that shows what you might feel in the first days, weeks, months and years after taking a break from alcohol.

Some benefits start immediately, so every day without alcohol is a win for your health.

after a day

It takes about 24 hours for alcohol to completely leave your body, so you may start to see improvements after just a day.

Alcohol causes you to need to urinate more frequently, which leads to dehydration. But your body can absorb a glass of water almost instantly, so alcohol reduces dehydration once it’s out of your system, improving digestion, brain function and energy levels.

Alcohol also reduces the liver’s ability to control blood sugar. Once the alcohol is removed from the system, blood sugar begins to return to normal.

If you drink alcohol daily, you may feel a little worse at first while your body adjusts to not having alcohol in your system all the time. You may initially experience sleep disturbances, mood swings, sweating, or tremors. Most symptoms usually get better in about a week without alcohol.

after one week

Although alcohol may make you feel sleepy initially, it disrupts your sleep cycle. By the end of the alcohol-free week, you may notice that you are more energetic in the morning as a result of getting better quality sleep.

As the body’s filter, the liver takes on much of the burden in processing alcohol and can be easily damaged by even moderate drinking.

The liver is important for cleaning the blood, processing nutrients, and producing bile that helps with digestion.

But it can also regenerate quickly. If your liver has only mild damage, seven days may be enough to reduce liver fat and heal mild scarring and tissue damage.

Even small amounts of alcohol can impair brain functioning. So quitting may help improve brain health within a few days in light to moderate drinkers and within a month in heavy drinkers.

after a month

Alcohol can make it harder to manage mood and worsen symptoms of anxiety and depression. After a few weeks, most people start feeling better. Even heavy drinkers report improved mood after one to two months.

As your sleep and mood improve, you may also notice more energy and better health.

Even regular drinkers feel more confident about changing their drinking patterns after a month of abstinence.

Your weight and body fat may decrease. Alcohol contains very high amounts of kilojoules and can trigger the appetite reward system, causing us to overeat or choose less healthy foods when drinking.

Even your skin will thank you. Alcohol can make you look older through dehydration and swelling, which can be reversed when you quit.

About the authors

Alcohol irritates the intestine and disrupts the normal functioning of the stomach, causing bloating, indigestion, heartburn and diarrhea. These symptoms usually begin to resolve within four weeks.

With one month of abstinence, insulin resistance – which can cause high blood sugar – is significantly reduced by 25 percent. Blood pressure also decreases (by up to 6 percent) and cancer-related growth factors decline, reducing the risk of cancer.

six months later

Liver repair begins within a few weeks. For moderate drinkers, the damage to your liver can be completely reversed in six months.

At this point, even heavy drinkers may feel that they are better able to fight infections and feel healthier overall.

after a year or more

Alcohol causes or aggravates a large number of chronic diseases, including heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and seven different types of cancer, as well as mental health problems. All of these risks can be reduced by quitting or reducing alcohol consumption.

Alcohol increases blood pressure. High blood pressure (hypertension) is the top risk factor for death in the world. A small increase of 2mmHg in blood pressure above the normal range (120mmHG) increases death from stroke by 10 percent and from coronary artery disease by 7 percent.

Drinking less than two servings of alcohol a day can significantly reduce blood pressure, thereby reducing the risk of stroke and heart disease. Lowering blood pressure also reduces the risk of kidney disease, eye problems and even erectile dysfunction.

With continued abstinence, the risk of developing any type of cancer is reduced. One study looked at cancer risk in more than 4 million adults over three to seven years and found that alcohol-related cancer risk dropped by 4 percent, even among light drinkers who quit. Heavy to moderate drinking reduced the risk of alcohol-related cancer by 9 percent.

bring about change

Any reduction in drinking alcohol will have some noticeable and immediate benefits for your brain and general health. The less you drink and the longer you go between drinks, the healthier you will be.

Whether your goal is to cut down or quit altogether, there are some simple things you can do to help you stick to it:

If you’re still wondering whether to make a change, you can check your drinking risks here.

If you have tried to cut down and are finding it difficult, you may need professional help. Call the National Alcohol and Other Drugs Hotline on 1800 250 015 and they will put you in touch with services in your area that can help. You can also talk to your GP.

We would like to thank Dr. Hannah McRae for her assistance in identifying the research used in this article.