Daily Reading 7/5

What Happens to Your Body When You Avoid Alcohol for 28 Days

Unfortunately, many individuals eagerly anticipate going out and consuming alcohol again, despite the fact that alcohol is a toxin that damages all bodily organs.

After examining scenarios in which people survived life-threatening situations, Bright Side has compiled a list of essential tips and tricks to ensure your safety.

Enjoying an occasional glass or two is perfectly fine, but excessive alcohol consumption can seriously harm your health, affecting these specific areas of the body:

• Liver: The liver is seriously damaged by alcohol use, and it can become inflamed (sưng tấy), leading to scarring and cirrhosis (xơ gan), as well as alcoholic hepatitis, fatty liver disease, or liver cancer.
• Central nervous system: The brain is deeply affected by alcohol consumption, which can cause dementia-like symptoms (các triệu chứng mất trí nhớ) memory loss, blacking out, depression, etc.
• Circulatory system: too much alcohol can cause high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, trouble pumping blood through the body, blood clots, stroke (đột qụy), cardiomyopathy, heart attack, other heart diseases, and breathing difficulty
• Digestive system (hệ thống tiêu hóa): Excessive alcohol use can inflame the lining of the stomach, causing indigestion or nausea (buồn nôn), as well as an increased risk of ulcers (loét), chronic (kinh niên) heartburn, and gastritis (viêm dạ dạy)
• Pancreas: Abnormal (dị thường) activation of stomach enzymes can inflame the pancreas (tuyến tụy) and cause pancreatitis (viêm tụy cấp)
• Skeleton and muscles: Loss of nutrients (chất dinh dưỡng) leads to osteoporosis and osteoarthritis, and an increased risk of bone fractures (gãy xương) and weak muscles.
• Immune system (hệ thống miễn dịch): It lowers the natural defenses in the immune system and makes one prone to (có khuynh hướng, dễ bị) gastritis (lây) diseases, including pneumonia (viêm phổi) or tuberculosis (bệnh lao)
• Reproductive health: Too much alcohol can cause reproductive problems, from erectile dysfunction (không “lên” được) to irregular menstruation (kinh nguyệt không đều), infertility (vô sinh), premature birth (đẻ non), miscarriage (sảy thai), stillbirth (chết non), or having a child with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS)

According to a recent study, an average earner consumes 9.5 liters of alcohol annually, with higher consumption among those who drink socially or to cope with stress after work.

Conversely, abstaining from alcohol yields numerous benefits. Volunteers who refrained from alcohol for 28 days noted significant changes in their physical appearance.

Week 1: Increased appetite and sugar cravings

Many drinkers experience increased food cravings, particularly late at night. Abstaining initially boosts appetite and sugar cravings, which normalize after a month. Volunteers also saw improvements in sleep, reduced blood sugar levels, and alleviated headaches.

Week 2: Better sleep and overall health

By the second week, improvements were evident: better sleep, enhanced physical appearance with reduced dark circles, improved senses of smell and taste, enhanced urinary tract function, decreased saliva production benefiting tooth enamel, and reduced risk of cavities.

Week 3: Improvement of overall health

The human liver regenerates within three weeks, leading to improved skin complexion and reduced wrinkles due to enhanced circulation and digestion.

Week 4: Lower risk of cardiovascular disease/High confidence and better mental state

By the final week, some volunteers lost 6-8 pounds, reduced their risk of cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure, gained confidence, and enhanced cognitive function.

Research from 2018 conducted by the Royal Free Hospital, published in the British Medical Journal, highlighted the benefits of abstaining from alcohol for a month:

• Lowers blood pressure and cholesterol levels
• Leads to weight loss
• Improves sleep
• Lowers risk of disease
• Decreases blood protein levels (cancer protection)
• Saves a lot of money

Therefore, the benefits of quitting drinking are extensive. According to experts at alcoholchange.org, it takes three weeks to break a habit, making the month-long experiment compelling evidence to stay away from alcohol.

NOTABLE VOCABULARY:

life-threatening (adj): describes a situation, illness, or injury that could potentially cause death.

=> Slipping and injuring yourself in the bath is not only painful but life-threatening.

excessive (adj): much more than what is considered reasonable or necessary.

=> Farmers have been criticized for their excessive use of chemical fertilizers.

inflamed (adj): describes a body part that appears red and swollen due to injury or infection.

=> an inflamed left knee.

dementia (n): a condition affecting the brain and memory, leading to gradual loss of cognitive abilities and normal behavior.

=> However, dementia is seen as being specific to the elderly age groups.

nausea (n): the unpleasant sensation indicating an urge to vomit.

=> Some patients suffer from nausea and headaches.

wherein (adv): in which place or part.

=> Wherein lies the difference between conservatism and liberalism?

prone (adj): likely to experience or suffer from something, especially something negative or harmful.

=> Some plants are very prone to disease.

abnormal (adj): significantly different from what is considered usual, often in a way that is concerning, unusual, incorrect, or risky.

=> My parents thought it was abnormal for a boy to be interested in ballet.

appetite (n): a natural desire or need for food.