Alcohol Consumption & Health

Introduction

For many people, alcohol is a regular part of life, from after-work drinks to special social gatherings or a glass of red wine before bed. Whilst in many instances there is nothing wrong with occasionally imbibing, drinking too much at once (binge drinking) or drinking too often can have serious effects on your health. In this blog, we’ll take a look at alcohol use and its relation to or effects on your weight, sleep, sex life, and overall health, as well as tips for reducing your alcohol intake.

Alcohol use and weight

For many people, alcohol (especially when consumed in excess) can cause or be related to weight gain in a variety of ways, such as by:

1. Slowing your metabolism and stopping your body from burning fat.

2. Being high in calories.

3. Making you feel hungry.

4. Increasing cravings for salty, greasy, and/or high calorie foods.

5. Affecting your decision making, and possibly leading to poor food choices. 

Excessive drinking causes many people to retain more fat in their abdominal area. This is notable because a higher amount of belly fat is associated with a higher risk of developing chronic health conditions later in life, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and certain types of cancers.

If you are trying to lose weight but still want to drink, it is recommended that you further reduce your alcoholic intake from the suggested daily guidance. Rather than enjoying 1 drink per day, for example, try to limit yourself to 1-2 drinks total per week.

For those who are taking a GLP-1 weight loss medication, early studies have shown that these medicines may help to reduce alcohol consumption. Further, if you’re taking weight loss medication, you’re more likely to see quicker, better, longer-lasting results (and fewer side effects) if you reduce or eliminate your alcohol intake–so GLP-1s are a win-win in this situation! You can learn more about our weight loss service here.

Alcohol use and sleep

While some people feel that alcohol helps them to feel drowsy and fall asleep, its longer term effects on the quantity and quality of your sleep are overall quite harmful.

Over time, alcohol consumption can disrupt your sleep patterns, leading to issues with insomnia, fragmented sleep, and difficulty remaining asleep. It can also suppress your REM sleep, which is integral to dream formation and your cognitive function.

Alcohol can also contribute to sleep apnea, or worsen this condition if you already have it. This is because alcohol can relax your throat muscles, which means your breathing may repeatedly stop and start again during your sleep.

Furthermore, alcohol can worsen existing sleep disorders, if you have any, such as insomnia or restless leg syndrome.

If you are someone who feels that alcohol helps you to fall asleep, you may find that, over time, you need more and more alcohol in order to achieve the same sleep-inducing effect. This is because your body begins to develop a tolerance.

Instead of drinking alcohol before bed, instead try the following to help fall asleep faster and sleep better:

• Avoid screen time (e.g. phones and television) before bed.

• Limit your caffeine intake during the day, and stop consuming caffeine once it’s afternoon.

• Exercise more regularly.

• Try having a relaxing tea before bedtime, such as chamomile.

You can read our blog on getting a good night’s sleep here.

If you’re a heavy drinker and try to reduce your intake or stop drinking altogether, you may also experience symptoms of alcohol withdrawal, which can impact your sleep in the form of sleep disturbances such as insomnia or increased nightmares.

Alcohol use and your sex life

While some people feel that alcohol helps them to relax and lower their inhibitions, it can actually have a disruptive and negative effect on your sex life and fertility, especially when consumed in excess.

The negative effects of alcohol on sex and fertility can include:

• Decreased sexual sensitivity, due to interfering with signals between the brain and your genitals.

• Erectile dysfunction, due to making it more difficult to get and maintain an erection.

• Difficulty reaching orgasm, or making orgasms less intense.

• Vaginal dryness, which can make sex uncomfortable.

• Reduced semen production.

• Disrupted menstrual cycles and an increased risk of ovulation disorders.

• Decreased libido (sex drive).

Alcohol has some of these effects because it is a depressant, meaning it slows down your brain function, breathing, and blood flow.

If you are overweight and also a drinker, you may find that alcohol further disrupts your sex life. This is because excess body fat, combined with alcohol consumption, can significantly lower testosterone levels (more so than being ‘just’ overweight or ‘just’ a drinker alone). Testosterone is a key hormone for sexual desire in both men and women, so overweight drinkers are more likely to experience a decreased libido, difficulty achieving arousal, and issues with erectile dysfunction.

It’s important to note that consuming alcohol if you are pregnant may lead to miscarriage, preterm birth, stillbirth, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs), low birthweight, abnormal facial features, and behavioural problems. If you find out that you’re pregnant, stop drinking immediately and consult with your doctor.

Alcohol use and overall health

The overconsumption of alcohol, particularly over an extended period of time, can have negative impacts on many organs in your body, such as your brain, heart, liver, kidneys, and pancreas. Heavy drinking can also increase your blood pressure and blood cholesterol levels, both of which are major factors in your risk of heart attack and stroke, and may have a link to dementia and depression.

It’s also notable that long-term alcohol misuse can weaken your immune system, which leaves you more vulnerable to serious illnesses, and can even weaken your bones, placing you at a greater risk of fracturing or breaking them.

There’s also a link between excessive alcohol intake and certain types of cancer, such as liver cancer, mouth cancer, head and neck cancer, breast cancer, and bowel cancer.

Some people experience a great deal of difficulty when trying to stop drinking, such as withdrawal symptoms. In some instances, particularly if someone repeatedly tries to stop drinking alcohol, then starts again, and then tries to stop again, the withdrawal symptoms can become worse each time, including tremors, agitation, and convulsions/seizures.

Alcohol poisoning is another risk of heavy drinking, and it can be experienced even in one episode of heavy drinking–it does not have to be the result of long-term overconsumption. Alcohol poisoning symptoms include:

• Confusion.

• Vomiting.

• Seizures or fits.

• Slow breathing.

• Pale or bluish skin.

• Cold and clammy skin.

• Loss of consciousness.

If you suspect alcohol poisoning, you should dial 999 immediately and request an ambulance. If the individual is unconscious, turn them on their side, with a cushion under their head, so that they do not choke in case they vomit. You should never leave an unconscious person to “sleep it off,” as the levels of alcohol in their blood can continue rising for 30 to 40 minutes even after their last drink, and symptoms can worsen.

Tips for reducing your alcohol intake

For most people, it’s not necessary to completely eliminate alcohol in order to still live a healthy life or to lose weight. However, it would be beneficial in many instances to drink less alcohol.

One of the most important things to do is to avoid binge drinking, which is having multiple drinks in quick succession. Instead, try to have only 1-2 drinks at a time, and ideally drink water between alcoholic beverages if you’re having more than 1.

If you are drinking, enjoy it with a meal in a social setting so you can enjoy it.

You may also find it helpful to challenge yourself to cut out drinking on weekdays, or to more frequently volunteer as a designated driver.

Try to dilute the alcohol you’re consuming by mixing it with a non-alcoholic complement. This also makes the drink last longer and might help you drink less overall.

If in the past you have typically consumed alcohol frequently, either via binge-drinking or by feeling that you need a drink every day to “unwind,” take some time to consider why this may be and what other steps you can take to reduce your alcohol consumption. For example, would going for a jog, doing yoga, or soaking in a hot bath be able to replace the sense of relaxation you get from a nightly glass of wine? If you tend to consume a lot of alcohol at social gatherings, would alternating alcoholic drinks with non-alcoholic drinks help?

Finally, you should of course feel completely free to simply say “no” to alcohol at social events or gatherings, or anywhere else where alcohol may be present. There are plenty of reasons not to drink, and plenty of people who don’t imbibe.

In summary

Although alcohol is a normal part of life for many people, consuming it in excess, especially over an extended period of time, can have extremely negative effects. There is a strong link between alcohol consumption and your weight, sleep, sex life and fertility, and overall health. The good news is that many people are able to make reasonable adjustments to how and when they consume alcohol, which can lead to improved health in many of these areas.