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The Benefits of No Alcohol

June 3, 2025

Are you participating in any fundraisers that require you to give up drinking for a month? Well, you’ll be pleased to hear you’ll be helping yourself while you help others.

In this article, we will explore the many health, mental and financial benefits of quitting alcohol for one month. We’ll also share some great ideas on how to get started and sustain momentum. It’s easier than you might think, and with quality non-alcoholic wines available, you won't feel like you're missing out on anything!

Want to abstain from alcohol without missing out on any fun? Discover Edenvale non-alcoholic wine today.

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Health Benefits of No Alcohol

Where do we begin? There are many health advantages of cutting down on alcohol, including:

Liver Recovery

The liver works hard to process nutrients, detoxify, filter blood and produce bile, which helps the body to digest fats. Drinking alcohol means the liver has to work harder and longer to complete its tasks. Find out more about the liver and alcohol at the Liver Foundation.

Improved Sleep

The bloodstream rapidly absorbs alcohol, sending it to the liver to be metabolised. This happens at approximately the rate of one standard drink every hour. If you have even one drink before you hit the sack, there’s every chance your liver will go into overdrive and your sleep will be compromised. Learn more about the relationship between alcohol and sleep.

Enhanced Skin and Eyes

Have you noticed that when you drink alcohol, you need to go to the toilet more frequently? This is because it is a diuretic, which can cause the body to dehydrate, leading to dry, flaky or red skin, sunken eyes and cracked lips. Having a break from alcohol can be just the ticket for your complexion. Find out more about the effects of alcohol on skin.

Better Digestion

The gut is often called the second brain, a testament to how crucial it is to overall body health. If the gut isn’t happy, chances are other parts of your body or health will suffer as a result. It is believed that alcohol can potentially compromise the stomach lining, therefore negatively affecting its ability to process food and even contributing to Irritable Bowel Syndrome or Leaky Gut Syndrome. Learn more about the relationship between alcohol and the gut.

Potential Weight Loss

Want to lose weight, but it’s just not budging? With alcohol comes sugar, especially in drinks like wine and cocktails, meaning it’s packed with kilojoules. You’ve perhaps heard the reference ‘empty kilojoules’? This means the energy is low-value and doesn’t provide many nutrients. There are potentially immediate benefits of giving up alcohol, as you’re no longer ingesting these empty calories. But that’s not all.

How often have you finished a big night with a greasy souvlaki? Or you’ve mindlessly chowed down on chips as you’ve sipped away at a wine? We’ve all been there, and many of us had the waistlines to prove it!

Reduce Sexual Dysfunction

Have you ever turned to a tipple for some much-needed Dutch courage? You’re not alone! However, the irony is that alcohol can hinder our sexual health rather than help it. Heavy and regular drinking is linked to a myriad of sexual health problems, including erectile dysfunction, reduced testosterone levels, fertility issues and sexual performance. Learn more about alcohol and sexual health.

Young woman with eyes closed enjoying cup of tea by her bed whilst soaking up the morning sun.

Emotional and Mental Benefits of Quitting Alcohol

Enhanced Mental Clarity

Whilst some people turn to a drink to relax, unwind and remove stressful thoughts running around in their head, the opposite can occur. Neurotransmitters are essentially chemical messengers. They send commands from the brain to every part of the body and play a vital role in our functioning. However, alcohol can affect two critical neurotransmitters, GABA and Glutamate. The GABA messengers calm the brain and body, and Glutamate stimulates them. Alcohol accentuates both, so whilst you might feel calmer, you’re probably becoming a lot less alert and more ‘foggy’. Find out more about how alcohol affects the brain.

Boost in Energy Levels

We’ve learnt earlier how alcohol can dehydrate the body, adversely affect sleep and disrupt regular digestion. All these contribute to reducing our vim and vigour.

Financial Benefits of Not Drinking Alcohol

More Money in the Bank

These days, you’ll be hard-pressed to go out for a social drink for anything less than $10. Not only that, but as we can see below, the more you drink, the more liberal you become with your pennies and pounds. Keeping off alcohol for a while is a great opportunity to reduce costs and grow some savings.

Reduced Incidental Spending

Earlier, we mentioned the cheeky souvlaki at the end of the night. That’s not even the tip of the edible iceberg. Have you ever gone website browsing after a few drinks, only to wake up the following morning with a bunch of purchase delivery notifications? That ‘laissez-faire’ attitude is easy to adopt when we’re fueled up with alcohol bravado! Dropping the drink can lead to more mindful practices, including knowing what you’re spending, where and why.

Tips on Successfully Giving Up Alcohol

Ok, so we’re clear on giving up alcohol benefits, but how do we go about doing that? Here are just a few tips that should get you going:

Sign up for a fundraiser like Dry July - setting a clear and achievable goal can be really powerful.
Be aware of your triggers and try to avoid them in the first place.
Find alcohol-free alternatives (more on that below!).
Modify your environment - eg remove alcohol from your home.
Involve friends - a challenge shared is a challenge halved!

Non-Alcoholic Wine Benefits

So, does removing alcohol from wine deliver any benefits at all? Absolutely! From fewer calories and hangovers, to more antioxidants and mindfulness, opting for non-alcoholic wine means, well, that you can have your cake and eat it, too.

Discover the benefits of drinking non-alcoholic wine

Why not try a non-alcoholic wine from our collection, which includes sparkling, rosé, white, red and even mulled alcohol-removed wines. Here are a few to whet your appetite:

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