Category: Sober Living

Alcohol misuse can also lead to high blood pressure, an irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia), or increased heart rate. For example, alcohol misuse is linked to peripheral neuropathy, a condition that commonly occurs in people with severe alcohol use disorder (AUD) and can cause numbness in the arms and legs and painful burning in the feet. In addition to its effects on the brain, alcohol also affects the peripheral nervous system, which comprises the nerves outside the brain and spinal cord. More information about alcohol’s effects on the brain is available on NIAAA’s topic page on Alcohol and The Brain. Keep reading for more information on how alcohol can affect your body. Drinking too much – on a single occasion or over time – can take a serious toll on your health.

Antioxidants and Anti-inflammatory Properties

This is because alcohol is a carcinogen, and regular intake can damage DNA in cells, leading to mutations that can cause cancer. If you drink vodka every night in large amounts, there’s a chance that you can become dependent on it, according to Dr. Howard C. Becker, a professor of psychiatry. With all of those devastating effects, it’s clearly a good idea to drink in moderation and to be careful not to overindulge. Rather, pretty much every organ in your body takes a beating when you overindulge in alcohol in different ways, and none of them are pretty. And if you’re malnourished, you’re at risk for a whole host of medical problems, according to Medical News Today. Drinking too much vodka every night can also damage your intestines, which can lead to malnutrition as your body can’t absorb nutrients from food properly.

Quitting without a plan can be extra tough because you’ll still want to fill the emotional void that alcohol used to sop up. Try to think about what you’ll replace alcohol with so that you can still get that outlet.” Instead of meeting friends regularly at a bar to connect and wind down, suggest a new workout class you could do together or just meet up for a walk. “Everyone turns to alcohol for a reason,” says Dr. Mosquera. “For a light drinker, you don’t really need to taper,” says Dr. Mosquera. Depending on whether you’re a light or heavy drinker, your strategy around cutting back will be different.

A digital journalist with over seven years experience as a writer and editor for UK publications, Grace has covered (almost) everything in the world of health and wellbeing with bylines in Cosmopolitan, Red, The i Paper, GoodtoKnow, and more. Grace Walsh is woman&home’s Health Channel Editor, working across the areas of fitness, nutrition, sleep, mental health, relationships, and sex. If you are concerned about how much you are drinking, seek guidance from a doctor.

Increasing Consumption

Alcohol affects almost every area of the body, and consistent, prolonged use can cause these effects to slowly build up to dangerous levels, especially when heavy drinking is involved. These effects are also heavily outweighed by the harmful effects of alcohol if more than a drink a day is consumed. We do assume some degree of risk when drinking alcohol—regardless of the amount. The CDC defines moderate drinking as up to two drinks daily for men and up to one drink for women. Wine, especially red wine, has become revered for its potential health benefits.

Wine’s Influence on Mental Health

Participating in social activities that don’t revolve around drinking can also help forge supportive friendships that encourage a lifestyle change. Understanding what emotions or settings lead to how old is demi lavato drinking is vital for change. Cutting down on alcohol can foster significant improvements in both mental and physical health. Your consistent support, healthy communication pathways, and belief in their ability can be incredibly motivating for sustained recovery. Encourage activities to replace drinking habits and maintain regular check-ins.

Up to four drinks per week would even be a big improvement from a glass or two per day. “An occasional glass, especially when paired with a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle, may offer some slight antioxidant benefits from grape polyphenols and can play a role in social connection,” says Warner. That said, wine may have a slight edge over other aetna insurance coverage for drug addiction treatment alcoholic beverages on the health front. Even at low doses (i.e. less than one glass per day) alcohol can still have negative effects. “Over time, this habit will start to negatively affect sleep, energy levels, weight, digestion, and overall health,” says Warner.

Because these disturbances permeate every organ and tissue in the body, they can contribute to endocrine-related health conditions including thyroid diseases, dyslipidemia (abnormal cholesterol levels in the blood), reproductive dysfunction, and stress intolerance, and diabetes. If you’re looking to reduce how much you drink, consider swapping in some of the popular alternatives to alcohol and speak to your doctor if you have concerns about how much you’re drinking. The NHS and other public health bodies recommend 14 units per week as low-risk drinking, not “safe” drinking. While evidence for this final conclusion has been building for years, the World Health Organization (WHO) made a statement in January 2023 to confirm that “when it comes to alcohol consumption, there is no safe amount that does not affect health.”

Alcohol can also impair your ability to get restorative rest because you’re less likely to enter REM sleep, which has been shown to increase your risk of dementia. While these areas may take the greatest hit from regular drinking, they aren’t the only ones affected. In the study, more excessive drinking translated to more rapid cognitive decline.

Wine in the Context of Diet

• Once in the bloodstream, it is carried throughout the body to organs like the liver, brain, and heart.6,7
• Gradually reducing these limits over time supports healthier habits, minimizing risks like liver disease and mental health disturbances.
• The compound effects of drinking on your brain can be serious.
• Since alcohol is a depressant, it can throw your sleep cycle off balance by slowing down your nervous system.
• These compounds may benefit heart health by improving blood vessel function, reducing inflammation, and boosting your HDL (high-density lipoprotein, or ‘good’) cholesterol levels.
• Six months without alcohol is when you can begin to see your immune system optimizing and fighting the good fight again, though depending on the time of year and your environment, you might not immediately notice.
• Justin Laube, MD, is a board-certified integrative and internal medicine physician, a teacher, and a consultant with extensive expertise in integrative health, medical education, and trauma healing.

And if you become physically dependent on alcohol, withdrawal symptoms can include anxiety, irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure, nausea, tremors, and even hallucinations. It’s not just your digestive organs that can be damaged from drinking too much vodka every night. For one, drinking too much vodka can cause gassiness, diarrhea, painful bowel movements, a feeling of fullness in your abdomen, and bloating. Have you noticed that ever since you started drinking vodka every night that you’ve been more likely to get sick during cold and flu season? That’s why you should absolutely never drive after drinking a lot of alcohol, as it can be extremely dangerous, as noted by Dr. Knight.

Contact a Recovery Advocate today to learn more. If you or someone you know is struggling to cut back on alcohol use, our team can provide discreet, professional assistance. Alcoholism may be used to describe many conditions related to alcohol use but is often used to reference alcohol dependence. Alcohol abuse is often used synonymously with alcohol use disorder (AUD).

• Furthermore, heavy drinking may increase the risk for developing type 2 diabetes due to increased body weight, blood triglyceride levels, or blood pressure, and decreased insulin sensitivity, for example.
• There’s now a better understanding of the link between drinking and some illnesses, including a range of cancers.
• This means that a nightly glass of red wine could add 875 calories to a person’s average weekly intake.
• In addition to triggering telltale hangover symptoms like headache, nausea and fatigue, alcohol can also lead to dehydration, gastrointestinal discomfort, risky behavior and poor sleep, says Diaz.
• Tolerance occurs when the body adjusts to the constant presence of alcohol, making a larger amount of alcohol necessary to achieve the same effect.
• Polyphenols have been shown to improve blood flow, reduce inflammation, and protect against oxidative stress.
• Define why you want to cut back on or quit alcohol, and set specific, achievable goals, such as reducing the amount you drink or the frequency of your drinking.

“You may notice an increase in mental clarity and memory, since alcohol use can impact concentration central nervous system depression and memory,” he explains. It should not be used in place of the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider. We specialize in compassionate, evidence-based care tailored to your needs.

Subreddits for Further Support

Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant that has immediate effects on the body, like intoxication (feeling drunk) and hangover symptoms after drinking. I am asking because I am 21 soon, and like alcohol too and don’t see anything bad can happen from daily wine drinking. Longer-term, it may impair liver function, increase the risk of certain cancers and adversely affect cognitive and mental health. However, certain people, such as those who are pregnant, take medications that interact with alcohol, or have a history of addiction, are advised to abstain from alcohol consumption. Research indicates that excessive drinking may also elevate the risk of developing cancers of the mouth, throat, esophagus, colon, rectum and breast., How does this happen?

The effects of wine on women’s health are more complicated due to differences in body composition and hormone levels. However, excessive alcohol consumption can lead to weight gain and other health problems. Therefore, it is important to consume wine in moderation and speak with a healthcare provider about any concerns regarding cancer risk. In fact, drinking wine every day can actually increase stress levels in the long run.

Just remember to be mindful when you pair your vodka with any mixers to offset the taste of the alcohol. “Like other distilled spirits, vodka is lower in calories than beer or wine per serving,” she revealed to The List. Indeed a serving of vodka has a mood-boosting effect that makes you feel happy and content, as noted by Laura Krebs-Holm, a registered dietitian. Are you wondering what the effects might be on your body and its systems and whether they’re good or bad? And for the most part, vodka is fairly affordable, with plenty of brands selling bottles that don’t taste all that bad, even without a mixer that masks the alcoholic flavor.

Most notably, drinking alcoholic beverages stimulates the release of endorphins, hormones that make you feel pleasure and dull pain. “Additionally, many people enjoy a drink in the company of others, which can also help to improve mood.” Perhaps that’s why so many people like to drink in bars or serve drinks at parties and special events. Read on to discover exactly what happens to your body when you drink vodka every night. In addition to those properties, vodka is quite the versatile alcoholic beverage, rendering it a good selection for pairing with mixers for a tasty drink that packs a punch. After all, a serving of vodka delivers a nice punch of alcohol to your system, relaxing you and getting the dopamine flowing in your brain.

The concept of a “standard drink” helps quantify alcohol intake, usually containing about 14 grams of pure alcohol. Recognizing these levels is important for understanding potential health risks. This article discusses the extensive effects and provides practical strategies for those ready to rethink their relationship with alcohol. In her spare time, you’ll find her running while listening to her favorite podcasts, attending her kids’ sports events, or cooking up something delicious in the kitchen.

It is important to be mindful of the caloric impact of wine when consuming it regularly. The number of calories in wine can vary depending on the type of wine and the amount consumed. It contains varying amounts of alcohol, which is produced during the fermentation process. Wine is a type of alcoholic beverage made from fermented grapes or other fruits. That’s because alcohol can have a negative impact on your immune system, rendering you more vulnerable to the flu, colds, and other infections.

It also has tannins, which could provide additional benefits, particularly for heart health. Red wine has more antioxidants—the compounds responsible for most of its health benefits. However, it’s important to note that these benefits may vary based on the type of wine consumed, specifically red and white wine. Research shows that even having just two drinks before bed can disrupt your sleep. In fact, research has found that red wine may provide more benefits than white wine. However, it’s important to note that these benefits may vary based on the type of wine consumed, specifically red and white wine,” says Lauren Manaker, M.S., RDN, LD, CLEC.