it quickly adds up. Throw in appetizers or dinner and there’s a big impact on your budget.
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4. Brighter Skin
Alcohol is a diuretic, it makes you urinate more than if you just drank water. So it can become harder for your body to remain hydrated, leading to dry, dull-looking skin.
Because it can cause an increase in hormones, like cortisol and estrogen, alcohol can contribute to breakouts.
5. Stronger immune system
Excessive drinking can harm the good bacteria in our gut that aids our immune function.
It can also affect the body’s ability to respond to inflammation, which signals the need to react to viruses or other causes of disease.
6. More energy
After a month of not drinking, “people simply report that they just feel better,” explains Dr. Rotonya Carr, head of gastroenterology at the University of Washington School of Medicine. Their blood pressure and cholesterol panels improve and they are not as fatigued, she notes.
Long-term effects
British researchers found that six to eight months after Dry January, there was a 50 percent reduction in the number of participants who drank at harmful levels. Moderate alcohol intake should be one or fewer drinks per day for women and two or fewer for men.
Taking a break from drinking helps people reset their relationship with alcohol. They find other ways to unwind and cope with stress and realize they don’t need to drink every day.