Here's What Happens to Your Body When You Stop Drinking for 30 Days

From increased energy to better sleep, the benefits of giving up alcohol can improve your daily routine.

Call it Dry January, Sober October, or just plain getting on the wagon, giving up alcohol for a month-long stretch is trending these days for good reason. While a drink here or there can be a relaxing pleasure in moderation, the evidence for alcohol’s overall detrimental health effects continues to mount. It’s not a very pretty picture: according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), excessive alcohol use can result in short-term risks like car accidents and violent behavior, plus contribute to long-term health issues like high blood pressure, a weakened immune system, and certain cancers.

If you’re feeling the need to press pause (or even stop!) on your alcohol consumption, you’re in good company. As of 2023, 15 percent of U.S. adults said they would observe Dry January, a 30-day fast from alcohol in the first month of the year. Missed out on Dry January? No problem. You can begin your reset at any time—there are no rules around what's a good time to take a break.

Related: I Haven’t Had a Drink in 800 Days—and These Are the Best Non-Alcoholic Drinks I’ve Tried

Quitting alcohol for a month offers a mental and physical reset that can have surprisingly far-reaching benefits. Here's a look at what happens to your body when you stop drinking for 30 days.

You’ll Get Better Sleep

A “nightcap” like a cocktail has a reputation for making you feel tired, but in reality, alcohol is more likely to mess with your sleep than improve it. In a 2015 study on men, researchers found that those who reported drinking more experienced significantly worse sleep quality and duration and more sleep disturbances than those who drank less.

The flip side of the coin: going without booze could dramatically improve your nighttime rest. A 2022 study, for example, looked specifically at the results of giving up alcohol for a month. Its authors concluded that even people who weren’t 100 percent successful with abstaining reported better sleep. Those who stayed sober for the whole month had even greater bedtime benefits.

You Might Have More Energy

Alcohol is a depressant. This means that it slows down brain functioning and neural activity. (It’s no wonder we feel so chilled out after a glass of wine.) Unfortunately, though a drink can give you that nice, relaxed vibe, it can ultimately sap you of energy when you want or need it.

Giving it up for 30 days can bring your energy levels back into balance! In the study that looked at the effects of giving up alcohol for 30 days, 52 percent of participants reported having better energy.

Your Liver Will Thank You

We all know liquor isn’t great for the liver. So what happens to this detoxifying organ when you quit drinking alcohol? It could actually function more efficiently. See, when you over-imbibe, you’re putting a strain on your liver. “Creating an extra burden on our liver will by default slow down our liver’s ability to detox day-to-day ‘functional’ chemical exposures such as produce sprayed with pesticides or certain mainstream cleaning products, to name a few,” says Jenna Volpe, RDN, LD, CLT, founder of Whole-istic Living.

Alleviating this daily strain might not only promote better liver function, Volpe says, it could even help restore hormone balance. “Poor liver detoxification is also associated with hormonal imbalance in many cases, since the liver plays a role in the removal of estrogen metabolites and other endocrine functions."

You Could Experience Healing in Your Gut

The more we learn about the gut microbiome, the clearer it becomes that this bacterial world is a mastermind for overall health. A healthy microbiome has been associated with lower rates of depression and anxiety and less risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes, among other health outcomes.

But, like many of the body’s systems, the gut doesn’t take too kindly to alcohol. “Alcohol in and of itself is inflammatory to the intestinal tract, as well as the colon,” says Volpe. “For example, alcohol increases intestinal permeability (also commonly referred to as ‘leaky gut’), which makes it easier for harmful substances to pass through the gut barrier into the body.” When intestinal permeability is poor, you could end up with problems like food allergies, intolerances, and sensitivities, she explains.

Meanwhile, alcohol disrupts the healthy bacterial balance in the gut, creating a state called dysbiosis (a fancy term for an unhealthy ecosystem of microbes). According to Volpe, dysbiosis can potentially lead to a host of other health issues like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and autoimmune disorders if left unchecked.

The good news: a month without beer, wine, and cocktails could be enough time for your gut to heal from some alcohol-related issues. “While 30 days sans alcohol may not be enough of an intervention to resolve long-standing gut issues, it can absolutely help to create some momentum and progress in the right direction,” Volpe says.

You’ll Experience Cellular Repair

Even on the most microscopic level, alcohol is no friend to your health. As an inflammatory agent, it causes damage to your cells. Take it out of your diet and you could promote some serious cellular healing. “From an inflammation standpoint, removing alcohol as a dietary source of inflammation will make cellular repair easier, since there will be less cell damage taking place in need of repair,” says Volpe. “I believe 30 days is a significant enough block of time for this to make a difference.” You might see these changes show up as a more youthful appearance of your skin, elevated mental sharpness, or faster wound healing.

You Might Lose Weight

Here’s a nice little bonus you might reap from giving up alcohol: a lower number on the scale. “Alcohol is a significant source of empty calories, so giving it up may result in weight loss for some people, especially if they were consuming it regularly before,” Volpe notes. Since alcohol impairs fat metabolism, taking a break from it can also help your body get back to its proper metabolic function. Not surprisingly, in the study on people who stopped drinking for a month, 38% experienced weight loss.

You Could Feel More Emotional Clarity

Alcohol has a way of dulling negative emotions in the moment—but it’s not a solution for life’s problems. In fact, its blurring effects are the opposite of emotional clarity. Ditching drinks for 30 days could bring real improvements for emotional health. One study found that people’s levels of stress and anxiety as well as their relationships got better when they embraced sobriety.

Related: Demi Lovato Is 'Proud' They Made Their New Album 'Clean and Sober'

Bottom Line

If you’ve decided to go zero-proof for Dry January or any other purpose, staying the 30-day course will likely result in some impressive benefits. Physically, you might experience better sleep, weight loss, improved gut function, and greater energy, while emotionally you might find you feel lighter and brighter.

To ensure your success, surround yourself with friends and family who will support your alcohol-free journey. (And if you believe you might have a problem with alcohol, seek help. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services’ hotline is always available at 1-800-662-HELP(4357).) Realize, too, that the path toward a healthier relationship with alcohol isn’t necessarily linear. Celebrate your wins and be sure to forgive yourself for any lapses. Hang in there—in the end, kicking the alcohol habit is worth it for your well-being.

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Read the original article on Shape.