This is what a month of alcohol break does to you

This July month is coming to an end. This means that you will not have drunk alcohol for more than 30 days. And that pays off. Both physically and mentally. As an extra boost, you can read here about the benefits of a one-month alcohol break.

First of all, we must conclude that every person, and therefore every body, is different. Where one sleeps wonderfully, the other still stares at the ceiling. But what every pauser feels to a greater or lesser degree is the fact that he has taken back control of his health. And that is a wonderful feeling!

The advantages at a glance

Some of the following benefits may sound familiar to you. Others may be new. In any case, it is always nice to read what profit you make if you temporarily do not drink.

Happy liver

The claim that the liver rests and recovers after a month of alcohol break is not a blank slate, but is backed up by research. Researchers from the Radboudumc took together with the NTR television program The Knowledge of Now, the test of the sum. Fourteen moderate drinkers and the presenters of De Kennis van Nu drank no alcohol for a month before the study. To rule out coincidences, nine total abstainers participated as a control group. What turned out? An alcohol-free month caused cholesterol levels to drop, abdominal fat to decrease and blood levels, which indicate liver irritation and the decay of liver cells, to decrease as well.

Happy heart

Did you know that drinking (excessive) alcohol can affect the muscle cells in the heart? Consistently drinking too much can in the long run lead to a severely weakened heart muscle, also known as a cardiomyopathy. This means that your heart muscle is slackened, weaker and less able to pump forcefully. The only thing that helps is to stop drinking immediately. Source: hartwijzer.nl.

Less chance of 7 different types of cancer

(54%) associates alcohol mainly with socializing and less with something that is unhealthy for you (27%). Alcohol increases the risk of oral, pharyngeal, larynx, esophagus, liver, colon and breast cancer. Drinking one glass of alcohol a day already increases the risk of health risks.

Weight loss

Are your pants a bit looser since you participated in IkPas? That is quite possible, because about 32% of the previous participants indicates that they have lost some kilos during IkPas. There are several reasons why you can lose weight during the period that you stop drinking alcohol. This is not only due to the fact that wine, beer and mixed drinks themselves contain many empty calories, but also due to the impact that alcohol has on your eating, sleeping and exercise patterns. Is losing a few kilos a nice by-catch as far as you are concerned? Then read here how participating in IkPas gets you in shape (unnoticed).

Sleep well

That drink just before going to bed is relaxing, cozy and even helps you fall asleep faster. All benefits. But now it comes: that drink helps at the start of your night but breaks you up during the night. Alcohol really messes up your sleep cycle.

The sleep cycle works like this: sleep consists of dream sleep (REM sleep) and regular, deep sleep (NREM sleep). During the night, our body goes through the cycle several times a night. Your body starts with NREM sleep, then moves on to REM sleep and back to NREM sleep. A sleep cycle lasts about 90 minutes. Drinking alcohol before going to sleep increases deep sleep and decreases the amount of dream sleep.