Side Effects of Giving Up Wine, According to Science
Did you have another restless night of sleep after drinking a few glasses of wine the night before? Does your body feel run down and groggy again? While it's fun to pop open a bottle of wine to enjoy with a delicious meal, drinking wine on a consistent basis can have a few negative repercussions on your body. So if you're thinking about going through a detox, we turned to the research to learn some of the side effects of giving up wine. Here's what you may experience, and for more healthy tips, be sure to check out our list of 15 Underrated Weight Loss Tips That Actually Work.
You'll get better sleep.
Although it seems like common knowledge that alcohol will relax you and help you fall asleep (given that it has sedative properties), the alcohol in your system can actually disrupt your sleep and causing you to feel even groggier in the morning. According to the Sleep Foundation, as the alcohol metabolizes in your digestive system, it can disrupt your REM cycles—causing your deep sleep cycles to only last 40 minutes instead of 90 to 120 minutes.
Here's What Not Enough Sleep Does to Your Body, Say Doctors.
You may lose a few pounds.
Frustrated that you can't lose those extra pounds you're carrying right now? Your wine habits may be to blame. According to Healthline, drinking regularly in any capacity (especially a drink that has added sugars, like wine coolers) can cause uncomfortable gas and belly bloat. Alcohol is an inflammatory substance, which means your body will swell up a bit after you consume it. Even if your wine is lower in calories and added sugars, wine contains yeast, which can result in bloat in the stomach, according to Ria Health.
Here's The Biggest Danger Sign You're Drinking Too Much Alcohol, Say Doctors.
You'll lower your risk of disease and sickness.
According to an issue of Alcohol Research: Current Reviews, it was stated that alcohol can "disrupt immune pathways in complex and seemingly paradoxical ways. These disruptions can impair the body's ability to defend against infection, contribute to organ damage associated with alcohol consumption, and impede recovery from tissue injury."
The issue also states that when alcohol is consumed and absorbed in the bloodstream, it affects the GI tract and the microbes in the gut microbiome, which aids normal gut function and can "affect the maturation and function of the immune system."
By giving up wine, your immune system becomes stronger and is less vulnerable to sickness and disease.
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You won't be as moody.
Wine may seem like the answer when you're in a sour mood, but in reality, that wine is only going to add to the negative feelings that you may be having. According to the American Psychological Association, because alcohol is a depressant, it can actually worsen mental health issues and increase feelings of depression and anxiety. A study published by the Behavior Research and Therapy points out how regularly consuming alcohol can slow down your cognitive behavior and increase depression, anxiety, and the overall feeling you get when you're at your best.
You'll lower your blood pressure.
According to the Mayo Clinic, drinking too much alcohol can raise blood pressure to unhealthy levels. If you're one who likes to have a few drinks at a time (at least three drinks in one sitting), you can see temporary increases in your blood pressure. And if this drinking habit tends to be a consistent one, you'll likely see long-term increases.
Plus, if your drinking habit is leading to weight gain, that weight gain can also be a factor for high blood pressure levels.
If you have high blood pressure, giving up wine or simply drinking small amounts of wine in moderation will help decrease that number.
Here's The Danger of Drinking One "Small" Glass of Wine Per Day, According to Science.
