A mere two servings of alcohol per day decreases sleep quality by 39.2% in both men and women*. After a week of not drinking, we gain an additional 5-6 REM sleep cycles a night, the restorative stage of sleep crucial for feeling truly rested.

Further reading:
How Does Alcohol Affect Sleep? 8 Ways Booze Affects Our Sleep

*https://www.sleepfoundation.org/nutrition/alcohol-and-sleep

1 Pint of Lager = 208 calories, for the wine drinkers 1 Large White Wine = 200 calories.

In addition to these empty calories which (unfortunately) have no nutritional benefit – alcohol also increases our appetite making us eat more (and often unhealthy) foods the same and following day.

The affects of alcohol on the brain continue long after a heavy session. Excessive drinking can change grey matter in our brain and lead to numerous forms of brain damage.

One study found that lost grey matter (the part of the brain which processes information) began regenerating after two weeks of not drinking. Brain tissue also increased after subjects gave up alcohol for three months in one 2011 study.

This one can be hard to swallow. Alcohol is a known and recorded carcinogen by the WHO (World Health Organisation)*.

It is directly linked to 7 forms of cancer including breast cancer, bowel cancer, liver cancer, mouth cancer and three different types of throat cancer.

This is because our bodies break down alcohol into a chemical called acetaldehyde, which causes the mutations of cells which can form cancerous tumours. In breast cancer, it is suggested that alcohol increases women’s oestrogen production, which can cause cancerous cells to multiply quicker.

The risk of cancer is naturally greater if drinking is combined with other factors such as poor diet, smoking or a family history of cancer.

*https://www.who.int/europe/news/item/04-01-2023-no-level-of-alcohol-consumption-is-safe-for-our-health#:~:text=Alcohol%20is%20a%20toxic%2C%20psychoactive,includes%20asbestos%2C%20radiation%20and%20tobacco.

Excess drinking makes it difficult for our bodies to digest food and absorb vital nutrients, proteins, vitamins and minerals*.

Alcohol is inflammatory and irritates the gut considerably which is why we often wake up hungover feeling sick and with an irritated stomach and a "gnawing" feeling.

*Bishehsari F, Magno E, Swanson G, et al. Alcohol and Gut-Derived Inflammation. Alcohol Res. 2017;38(2):163–171.

Heavy drinkers are 30% more likely to experience erection problems lasting a month or more.

Further reading:
Booze & Bones – 10 Ways Alcohol Affects Erections