Health
Potential health benefits of going 30 days without alcohol
Sixty-two percent of adults in the United States say they drink alcohol, according to a July 2023 Gallup survey. This widely outnumbers those who say they completely abstain — which came out to 38% of Americans.
Many month-long challenges have been advertised as a way to persuade people to spend 30 days without alcohol. “Dry January” and “Sober October” are examples of alcohol-free challenges that are popular to pursue.
January and October are by no means the only times when alcohol use can be halted. A 30-day (or more) challenge is a great way to help your overall health and wellness, as there are several benefits that could come out of abstaining from alcohol for a period of time.
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Below are five health-related improvements you may see if you spend 30 days alcohol-free.
- A better night’s sleep
- Improved liver health
- Weight loss
- Improvements to brain function
- Better digestion
Cutting alcohol out of your diet can help contribute to an overall healthy lifestyle. (iStock)
1. A better night’s sleep
Better sleep can result from a lack of alcohol consumption — and better sleep leads to improved overall health.
Research has shown that when alcohol is consumed close to the time you go to bed for the night, quality sleep can be interrupted, according to Healthline.
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This loss of quality sleep will give you a groggy feeling the next day.
Once alcohol is removed from your routine, your sleep cycle can start to get back on track, leaving you more alert and refreshed in the morning.
By abstaining from alcohol for 30 days, you could very well see improvements to your sleep. (iStock)
2. Improved liver health
Drinking alcohol can increase the risk of many different diseases. One of these is liver disease.
There are three main types of alcohol-associated liver diseases that exist, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. These are steatotic (fatty) liver, acute hepatitis and cirrhosis, according to the source.
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Steatotic liver is the most common, according to the source, and “is the build-up of fat inside the liver cells.”
Acute hepatitis “is an acute inflammation of the liver cells,” according to Johns Hopkins Medicine, while cirrhosis “is the destruction of normal liver tissue.”
All of these diseases are caused by heavy alcohol consumption. The liver is what breaks down alcohol, so drinking too much can cause severe damage.
Heavy alcohol consumption can be dangerous to the liver. (iStock)
One of the most important steps in treating a liver disease is not drinking alcohol, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. By avoiding alcohol, the liver can be healed of some damage that was caused, depending on the severity of the case, the source notes.
3. Weight loss
Excessive drinking may lead to weight gain, so the opposite could hold true when cutting alcohol out of your system, according to Healthline.
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Alcohol is extremely high in calories (especially super sweet drinks). It lacks nutrients and could cause hormones signaling appetite, hunger and stress to go off in your body, according to Health.com.
While light to moderate drinking is unlikely to cause weight gain, heavy drinking could.
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) lays out drinking guidelines, defining heavy drinking as four or more drinks per day, or eight or more per week for females, and five or more drinks per day or 15 or more drinks per week for males.
Since alcohol can cause weight gain, taking it out of your life can have the opposite impact. (iStock)
4. Improvements to brain function
Thirty days of being alcohol-free can improve brain function and your overall mood.
“Alcohol makes it harder for the brain areas controlling balance, memory, speech, and judgment to do their jobs, resulting in a higher likelihood of injuries and other negative outcomes,” the NIAAA notes on its website.
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Thera are also long-term affects on the brain from heavy drinking, such as “alterations in neurons.”
Adolescent brains are even more susceptible to long-term damage from heavy alcohol consumption, according to the source.
Consider giving your brain a break to help improve its function.
Alcohol consumption has short and long-term impacts on the brain. (iStock)
5. Better digestion
Do you ever have an upset stomach after drinking? Experience acid reflux? You’re not alone.
After a night of drinking, a person can experience a hangover. While hangover symptoms can vary from person to person, some common symptoms include fatigue, weakness, thirst, headache, muscle aches, nausea, stomach pain, vertigo, sensitivity to light and sound, anxiety, irritability, sweating and increased blood pressure, according to the NIAAA.
Gastrointestinal irritation caused by consuming alcohol can happen, as the lining of the stomach is a part of the body directly impacted by alcohol, per the source, increasing acid release, which can cause nausea and discomfort in an individual.
Inflammation can also increase with alcohol consumption. That increased inflammation can cause hangover symptoms to be presented, according to the NIAAA.
Therefore, a sober month gives your stomach a break and helps contribute to an overall healthy lifestyle.
Health
Katie Couric couldn’t remember the year or the president during frightening brain episode
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Journalist Katie Couric is sharing a scary medical episode that she experienced on June 27.
In a post on Substack titled “The Day I’ll Never Remember,” she detailed a sudden episode that left her unable to recall the current month, year and president.
“I thought it was 2024. And I believed Joe Biden was president,” she wrote.
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The event occurred while Couric was attending the Aspen Ideas Festival in Colorado, during which she participated in two public panels — one on AI and one on journalism — both of which she cannot remember at all.
“I have no idea what we talked about, or of what occurred when the panels ended,” she said.
Journalist Katie Couric is sharing a scary medical episode that she experienced on June 27. (Getty Images)
John Molner — Couric’s husband, who was in attendance at the festival and the two panels — also shared his account.
After the event, someone told Molner that Katie wasn’t feeling well. When he reached her, an EMT and a doctor were tending to her. “I could tell something was off,” he wrote. “It could have been altitude sickness, but Katie was definitely not all there.”
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At the hospital, when Couric struggled to recall the year, the president and her grandchildren’s names, doctors began checking for a stroke.
An MRI revealed no signs of stroke, which was a relief, but “Katie’s ‘fog’ became a lot more apparent,” Molner wrote.
John Molner, Couric’s husband, who was in attendance at the festival and the two panels, also shared his account. (Getty Images)
“She repeatedly asked me the same questions: ‘What was I doing before we got to the hospital?’ ‘Why am I at the hospital?’”
Couric was ultimately diagnosed with transient global amnesia, a sudden, temporary episode of memory loss that prevents a person from forming new memories and may also erase some recent memories, according to Mayo Clinic.
“The cause seems to be as mysterious as the brain itself.”
It is not caused by a stroke, seizure or head injury, and it usually resolves completely within 24 hours.
“[It’s] just a very weird neural episode that’s pretty uncommon and, at least in most cases, is a ‘one and done’ experience,” Molner said.
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Couric said she finally began feeling “like herself” again around 9 p.m. and went to sleep at 2 a.m.
As TGA leaves a “permanent gap in memory” for the duration of the episode and for hours beforehand, Couric said that from around noon on that day until at least 7 p.m. will remain a “big, black hole.”
As TGA leaves a “permanent gap in memory” for the duration of the episode and for hours beforehand, Couric said that from around noon on that day until at least 7 p.m. will remain a “big, black hole.” (Getty Images)
Data shows that approximately three to eight people per 100,000 will have an episode of transient global amnesia, with people 50 years of age and older at higher risk.
The specific cause of TGA is not known, but some experts believe it stems from a “temporary dysfunction in the brain’s hippocampus — the area responsible for creating new memories,” Couric shared.
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“Doctors believe this is driven by brief interruptions in blood or oxygen flow, or microscopic spasm in the blood vessels.”
Episodes could potentially be triggered by intense physical exertion, emotional distress, extreme temperature changes or migraines, experts say.
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Approximately 15% of patients will have a recurrence 10 years later.
“Why did this happen to me? Was the altitude an issue? Was I dehydrated? Tired? Stressed? The literature doesn’t seem to indicate that these are contributing factors, but the cause seems to be as mysterious as the brain itself,” Couric wrote.
Anyone who experiences sudden memory loss, confusion, difficulty speaking, weakness, numbness, vision changes, severe headache or other stroke-like symptoms should seek immediate medical attention or call 911, doctors advise. (iStock)
“All I know is that those hours will be forever lost. Someone described it as my brain failing to hit the ‘record button.’”
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“While this was a freaky occurrence, it could have been much more serious. So ultimately, I’m relieved — even though several hours of a Saturday in June will always be missing for me.”
Anyone who experiences sudden memory loss, confusion, difficulty speaking, weakness, numbness, vision changes, severe headache or other stroke-like symptoms should seek immediate medical attention or call 911, doctors advise.
Health
One walking habit could signal a healthier brain after 80, scientists say
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Older adults identified as “super movers” are about half as likely to develop cognitive impairment than their peers.
That’s according to a recent study led by Stony Brook Medicine in New York, which evaluated the cognitive function of 4,000 adults 80 and over who participated in multiple aging and longevity studies over several years.
Among this group, 6% to 10% were classified as super movers, which means they walk at a much faster pace than others of the same age and gender — at speeds comparable to people three decades younger.
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The super movers were found to have about half the risk of cognitive decline compared to seniors with typical gait speed.
The findings were published in the journal Neurology on June 16.
Older adults identified as “super movers” are about half as likely to develop cognitive impairment than their peers. (iStock)
“The study reinforces that mobility and brain health are closely connected,” lead study author Dr. Joe Verghese, MD, neurologist at Stony Brook Medicine, told Fox News Digital. “This suggests that preserving mobility may be an important marker of healthy brain aging and resilience.”
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The most intriguing finding, according to Verghese, was that super movers maintained cognitive function despite having similar dementia-related brain changes as their peers.
In postmortem brain analysis, there was no difference in dementia-related pathologies between the super movers and the slower walkers, the study stated.
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“This suggests they may possess resilience mechanisms that help preserve brain function even in the presence of age-related changes,” he said. “Understanding these resilience factors could lead to new strategies for promoting healthy brain aging.”
As the study was observational, there were some limitations, and it does not prove that walking faster prevents dementia, the researchers noted.
Super movers were found to have about half the risk of cognitive decline compared to seniors with typical gait speed. (iStock)
“Other factors, such as cardiovascular health, physical fitness or genetics, may also contribute to both faster walking and better cognitive outcomes,” Verghese said.
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This study adds to growing evidence that what’s good for the heart and muscles also benefits the brain, he noted, adding that “staying physically active remains one of the most effective, evidence-based ways to support healthy aging.”
“Walking speed is best viewed as a marker of overall health, not a treatment.”
“The broader message is that physical activity is important at any age,” Verghese said. “Walking is an easy step-up point because you don’t need any special equipment. You can do it inside or outdoors, and you can do it on a regular basis. You can walk with a dog, you can walk with a friend.”
Any activity is beneficial if it’s done regularly and with the right intensity, he added.
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Rather than just trying to walk faster, the neurologist recommends that seniors focus on maintaining mobility through regular physical activity, strength training, balance exercises and good cardiovascular health.
“Walking speed is best viewed as a marker of overall health, not a treatment,” Verghese noted.
Major public health guidelines from the CDC and U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week, such as brisk walking.
Major public health guidelines from the CDC and U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week, such as brisk walking. (iStock)
This can be achieved by walking 30 minutes a day, five days a week, or about 20 to 25 minutes most days. Another option is to engage in shorter sessions that add up over the day.
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“You have to do it within your health limitations and medical conditions,” Verghese advised. “So if there are any medical concerns, I would get your physician to clear you before starting exercise.” The good thing about walking, he added, is that you can start at a slow pace and then gradually build up to a brisker pace.
“And then adding on strength and balance training, whatever age you are, I think is also important.”
Health
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