Sober Pause. How your body will change in 30 days without alcohol

“Who doesn’t drink? Name it! No, I’m waiting!”, – the indignant retort of satirist Velurov from “Pokrovskie Vorota” instantly went viral. A couple of shots at the festive table, a glass of wine at dinner after a hard day or a mug of beer in a bar with friends – well, what’s wrong with that? Here and experts say that the consumption of alcohol in moderation for the body is not fatal, and sometimes even useful.

Nevertheless, more and more people choose a complete refusal of alcohol. Firstly, it is easier to keep control over oneself. Secondly, regular consumption of even small amounts of alcohol gradually reduces the quality of life. To be sure of this, it is enough to exclude any hot drinks from your diet for at least a month.

So what will happen to the body if you don’t touch alcohol for 30 days? Here are seven reasons to give up alcohol for a month. At least as an experiment.

Sleep without anxiety

It is well known that alcohol helps you fall asleep faster, but the sleep of a drunk person is not serene. The presence of alcohol in the blood leads to a violation of the order and duration of the phases of sleep. Asleep under the influence of alcohol immediately goes into a deep sleep, but in the second half of the night the body begins to actively remove toxins, because of which the duration of the stage of deep sleep is shortened. As a consequence, the body does not have time to complete the recovery processes. A person wakes up tired, sluggish and dehydrated.

In addition, even small doses of alcohol can cause nightmares. This is due to a decrease in brain activity, as well as a violation of breathing, because of which the body feels the lack of oxygen and is in a state of stress. In the first week after giving up alcohol, it will be more difficult to fall asleep, and even those who have not faced this problem before may have terrible dreams. This is how the body reacts to the refusal of habitual sleeping pills. However, by the 10th day of the experiment, sleep will improve, nightmares will disappear, and waking up will be easier and more positive.

Benefits for gray cells

Long-term use of alcohol, even in small doses, negatively affects the functioning of the brain. With systematic libations, the work of the cerebral cortex is disturbed, the cells of the mass die due to oxygen starvation. Nutritionist and nutritionist Jana Fry is sure that a safe dose of alcohol for our brain simply does not exist. The specialist shared her opinion in her personal blog on Instagram.

Jana: When alcohol enters the bloodstream, it destroys the walls of red blood cells. They become loose and sticky, gradually fuse with each other and form clots. These clots clog the small blood vessels in the brain. Your brain cells begin to die off, you experience oxygen deprivation, you have a feeling of pleasant relaxation, but in the meantime your brain is literally dying. This is why the benefits of alcohol are out of the question. There is simply no safe dose of alcohol! Even drinking a glass of wine will cause you to lose some of your brain cells. If you drink alcohol regularly (even once a week), your brain functions are impaired: your memory deteriorates, your attention decreases, and your thinking slows down.

Abstaining from alcohol allows you to restore the circulatory system, which in turn provides a flow of oxygen to the brain cells. In addition, memory improves, the ability to perceive new information increases.

“Thank you” from the heart

Scientists have proved that one glass of red dry wine a day improves blood flow and reduces the risk of atherosclerosis. However, this applies only to high-quality drinks in moderate doses. According to the expert, many wines lose their beneficial properties due to the content of preservatives.

Jana: There is a statement that red wine is rich in antioxidants. And beer contains B vitamins. But I urge you to consider any product or phenomenon holistically! Have you ever read the composition of wine? 99% of wines contain sulfur dioxide, a preservative. It completely destroys the B vitamins. In addition, sulfur dioxide causes severe allergic reactions, especially in asthmatics. It can also cause headaches and upset stomach. By the way, it is even added to non-alcoholic wines.

In general, alcohol has a detrimental effect on the cardiovascular system. Toxins formed as a result of the breakdown of alcohol lead to a violation of the heart rhythm. Blood pressure also rises, and due to blood clotting there is a blockage of blood vessels.

Refusal of alcohol for 30 days will significantly weaken the load on the heart, will help reduce the risk of hypertension and atherosclerosis, normalizes heart rate.

Sober glowing skin

By the fourth week of sobriety changes in the body will be noticeable in the mirror. Irritations and rashes on the skin will disappear, pigment spots will fade, and the complexion will become more uniform and healthy. Naturally, you can forget about such unpleasant consequences of raucous fun as bags under the eyes and puffiness on the face. As a bonus, the skin will acquire an attractive glow. All this is due to the normalization of the body’s water balance, as well as the restoration of blood circulation.

Healthy teeth

You may be surprised, but alcohol destroys not only internal organs, but even teeth. Dry mouth, familiar to anyone who has consumed alcohol, is caused by impaired saliva flow. Lack of saliva destroys tooth enamel and increases the risk of tooth decay. These are not quick processes, but even a month without alcohol is enough to restore dental health.

It will be easier to lose weight

Additional motivation to say “no” to alcohol is available for overweight people. Alcohol significantly increases appetite because it excites the brain neurons responsible for hunger. In addition, a drunk person is more likely to choose unhealthy food, and alcohol itself – quite a caloric product. For example, one glass of wine contains as many calories as a sweet doughnut.

Alcohol itself can affect your figure. You’ve probably noticed that men who drink beer have rounded bellies and larger breasts over time. Nutriciologist attributes these changes to the hormones contained in the drink.

Jana: Phytoestrogens contained in hops, from which beer is brewed, have a depressing effect on the production of male sex hormones. For men, this is fraught not only with a female figure, but also impotence and infertility. This also applies to non-alcoholic beer.

At the beginning of the sober experiment, the body will try to compensate for the lack of alcohol with food, which will cause increased appetite. Gradually, however, the food will return to normal, and the portions will become about 40% smaller than during alcohol consumption. Therefore, the refusal of libations helps people with obesity to lose an average of 3-4 kg in a month. And if you spend the freed up time on physical exercises, the result will surprise you!

Life with flavor

As a result of alcohol consumption, taste buds are dulled, which prevents them from recognizing subtle nuances of taste. The sense of smell is also affected by alcohol intake. Already by the third week of the experiment you can feel the fullness of flavors and aromas that were previously unavailable.

But do not forget that any experiments with your body is better to conduct under the supervision of specialists, otherwise you may find yourself in dangerous situations of some heroes from the video above.