The regular consumption of alcoholic beverages has been a deeply ingrained cultural habit for a very long time. Historically, fermentation was a way of preserving food products without requiring refrigeration. Before modern filtration and sanitation for beverages was available, alcohol fermentation served the purpose of purifying drinks that may otherwise contain harmful bacteria, rendering them safer to drink in a bacterial context. Alcohol also concentrates sugars in drinks, becoming a quick, concentrated calorie source when calories may have been more scarce.
For all of these reasons, alcohol consumption may be seen as a kind of survival strategy in times when calories were more scarce, sanitation wasn’t as easily attained, and food preservation through refrigeration and freezing wasn’t widely available. Additionally, since alcohol consumption alters our state of consciousness, it was used for ceremonial and social purposes in many past cultures. One important consideration is that historical drinking environments were profoundly different than today’s industrial production of alcoholic beverages, and the near-constant availability of alcoholic drinks we have today.
Many drinkers believe, as they are sipping their drinks, that light to moderate drinking is healthy. Unfortunately, both ancient traditions on healthful living and modern science say otherwise, and alcohol was classified as a Group 1 carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) way back in 1988.
Group 1 refers to substances with sufficient evidence of cancer causation, and includes known carcinogenic substances such as asbestos, formaldehyde, arsenic, ionizing radiation, and cigarette smoke. Ethanol, the main component of alcohol, as well as acetaldehyde, a metabolite of ethanol, are each considered carcinogenic independently, increasing the risk of drinking even more.
Although consumption of alcohol has been causally linked to at least seven types of cancer – including cancers of the oral cavity, colon, liver, rectum, larynx, esophagus, and breast – why is it that only 10-20% of people surveyed know that alcohol is linked to breast cancer, and only 40% know that it’s linked to liver cancer, when at this point almost everyone is aware of the link between cigarette smoking and cancer? Although the risk increases the more one drinks, even “light” to “moderate” alcohol consumption has been linked to over 50% of cancers, especially breast cancer in women.
Let’s break down the physiology of alcohol metabolism and what it really does in the body, including which bodily systems are negatively affected (hint: it’s pretty much all of them), why younger generations are giving up alcohol in record numbers, and how to restore your health after quitting drinking.
What actually happens in the body when you drink alcohol
When alcohol is consumed, the ethanol is rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream through the stomach and small intestine. The liver is then tasked with the job of converting ethanol into acetaldehyde and then acetate. The ethanol metabolite acetaldehyde is toxic and chemically reactive, and because of this, the body tries to remove it as quickly as possible, prioritizing processing and removal over many other bodily functions.
Acetaldehyde, the first metabolite of ethanol, is considerably more reactive and toxic than ethanol itself. It can bind to DNA and proteins, interfere with DNA repair, promote oxidative stress, and contribute to DNA mutation. As part of the body’s conversion from ethanol to acetaldehyde, reactive oxygen species (ROS) are produced, resulting in oxidative stress. ROS can damage mitochondrial membranes and DNA, proteins, cellular lipids, and antioxidant systems. The body works hard to convert toxic acetaldehyde to the less reactive compound acetate.
Genetic variations can alter how well and how quickly acetaldehyde is converted to acetate, and slow or weak metabolism of this substance can result in toxicity symptoms, including flushing, rapid heartbeat, nausea and headache. Repeated acetaldehyde exposure in vulnerable groups with genetic variants like ALDH2*2 (common in East Asian populations) is linked to alcohol-associated esophageal cancer risk.
The processing of alcohol by the liver increases its use of NAD+ (an essential electron carrier), and produces NADH (the used/loaded form of NAD+), altering the metabolic state of the liver. Less available stores of NAD+ suppresses fatty acid oxidation and gluconeogenesis (conversion of non-carbohydrate substances like protein into glucose for fuel), while increasing triglyceride synthesis and fat accumulation.
Alcohol as an inferior calorie source, and ‘oxidative priority’
Alcohol can’t be stored in the body like carbohydrates (as glycogen) or fat (in bodily fat stores), so its immediate removal becomes the body’s highest priority after consumption. Even though alcohol is considered a macronutrient because it contains calories (7 calories per gram), it is generally devoid of nutrients, so can be considered a source of “empty calories” that do not contribute to the needs of the body.
When alcohol is consumed with a meal, alcohol is oxidized first due to its toxicity, prioritized over the digestion and assimilation of nutrient-rich protein, carbohydrates and fat. The urgent need to process alcohol and its byproducts acts as a burden on the digestive system and liver, leaving it with less energy and resources for the utilization of dietary nutrients.
Only once the body burns off all the fuel from the alcohol will it begin burning other fuels. This means whenever you have a drink while eating, your body stores most of the food while dealing with the alcohol, which is one reason alcohol can be so detrimental to fat loss.
Alcohol can also compromise the body’s use of protein during post-workout recovery. Protein eaten after a meal or workout is digested into amino acids, but alcohol can interfere with muscle protein synthesis, the process through which those amino acids are incorporated into repairing and rebuilding muscle tissue. This matters most after resistance exercise, when the body is primed for recovery. In a controlled study using a very high alcohol dose, alcohol blunted post-exercise muscle protein synthesis by 24% even when participants consumed whey protein, and by 37% when whey protein was not consumed in the recovery window.
This is one reason many bodybuilders and serious athletes choose to abstain, particularly around training: not because a single drink erases progress, but because repeated drinking can compete with the consistent nourishment, sleep, hydration, glycogen restoration, and muscle repair that performance and physique goals require.
Drinking can also increase appetite and decrease food choice discernment, making one more likely to overeat nutrient-devoid foods.
The liver pays a disproportionate price
Since the liver is the body’s primary site for alcohol metabolism, this organ is usually the most detrimentally affected by long term alcohol use. Alcohol metabolism depletes NAD+ that is used to oxidize fatty acids, so the liver is not able to burn as much fat, and the fat accumulates in the liver over time. This is commonly called fatty liver, or hepatic steatosis, an abnormal accumulation of fat inside liver cells.
Fatty acids need to be metabolized by the liver, so if someone is trying to lose weight, the fatty acids liberated from fat cells need to be oxidized by the liver to be burned as fuel. If alcohol is consumed during a weight loss regimen, the risk of free fatty acid buildup in the liver is real, preventing weight loss and simultaneously accelerating fatty liver related diseases. This can eventually lead to fibrosis, cirrhosis and even hepatitis, where the liver cells become injured and then become chronically inflamed, causing damage to the organ.
Also, since the liver is responsible for detoxification of many harmful substances we are exposed to – including environmental toxins, food toxins, pharmaceutical drugs, and even our own metabolic waste products – liver impairment from regular alcohol consumption can allow toxins to build up in our tissues, since our liver is no longer strong and efficient enough to remove these toxins as quickly as they’re being consumed or produced.
The alcohol-breast cancer connection
The exact mechanism of the carcinogenicity of alcohol hasn’t been definitively determined, but there are several plausible theories. With breast cancer in particular, which has been clearly linked to alcohol consumption (among other causes), this is thought to primarily relate to how the liver processes estrogen and its byproducts.
Estrogen produced by the female body has many important functions, but when it’s been used up, it needs to be metabolized by the liver and removed from the body. If the liver is not functioning optimally, normal steroid hormone metabolism and clearance is impaired. Regular consumption of alcohol can result in estrogen excess by allowing old, used up estrogen to recirculate in the body, which alters the estrogen/progesterone ratio and causes symptoms of “estrogen dominance”, or relative progesterone deficiency. This can result in anxiety, sleep issues, mood swings, inflammation, and more. While estrogen is an important hormone for women’s health, it is also a hormone that drives growth, and needs to be in balance with progesterone for long term health and disease prevention. Too much estrogen lingering in the body, inefficiently metabolized, drives up this growth-promoting hormone in relation to growth-limiting and stabilizing progesterone, potentially influencing the growth of malignant cells, especially in the breast.
The liver is so vital to hormone metabolism and detoxification that many health educated doctors will not prescribe HRT (even bioidentical forms) to women who regularly consume alcohol, since it so greatly impairs liver function. With estrogen in particular, phase 1 liver detoxification is called hydroxylation, and converts estradiol and estrone into one of three intermediary metabolites, each with quite different effects on the body. It’s important to have a balance between these three types, since some are considered weak or relatively harmless metabolites, while others are potentially carcinogenic in excess.
Phase 2 of hormone detoxification through the liver is done via methylation, sulfation and glucoronidation. Methylation is the most important because it reduces the potency of the potentially carcinogenic estrogen metabolites, neutralizing and making them water soluble in preparation for exiting the body. This whole process is completely dependent on the health of the liver, and what’s more, the methylation process is dependent on adequate levels of B vitamins in the body, and alcohol is known to deplete B vitamins.
For men, impaired liver function can increase aromatization of testosterone into estrogen, lowering testosterone levels. Advanced alcoholic liver disease can produce signs of estrogen excess in men, including gynecomastia and testicular atrophy.
Alcohol changes the gut microbiome
Chronic alcohol consumption is associated with bacterial overgrowth in the gut, as well as substantial detrimental changes to the microbiome. When the gut microbiome is altered so that beneficial bacteria species decline and opportunistic “bad” bacteria begin to flourish, this is called dysbiosis. Bacterial imbalance in the gut is linked to nutrient deficiencies, asthma, cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, diabetes, eczema, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), liver disease, obesity, rheumatoid arthritis, and even mood and mental health disorders.
Ethanol and acetaldehyde can compromise intestinal barrier integrity, which can increase intestinal permeability (aka “leaky gut”) and allow microbial byproducts such as endotoxins into blood circulation, which can amplify systemic (full body) inflammation.
Liver health also affects the gut and microbiome, as the liver is tasked with sending bile into the small intestine to digest fats from food, as well as free fatty acids released from body fat tissue. Insufficient bile production alters the gut environment, as fats aren’t digested efficiently and tend to remain in the digestive tract for too long. Gut bacteria and bile production also affect bowel regularity, which is closely tied to overall health. Regular, well-formed stools are a result of a healthy diet, a gut microbiome that’s populated with healthy bacterial strains, and a well functioning liver.
Alcohol depletes essential nutrients
Micronutrients, such as the B complex vitamins and minerals like magnesium and zinc, are absolutely essential for robust health. Alcohol consumption can interfere with nutrient absorption, storage and metabolism, and directly depletes circulating B vitamins, which are considered essential vitamins that the body cannot make on its own, and needs to source from the diet (or from supplements). In particular, thiamine (vitamin B1), folate and vitamin B6 are depleted by alcohol consumption, as well as others.
Adequate levels of B vitamins are essential for mitochondrial energy production, as well as continually converting homocysteine, a toxic protein that can build up in the blood, into the inert amino acid methionine. Elevated homocysteine levels, most often caused by a chronic B vitamin deficiency, increase the risk of cardiac events like heart attack and stroke. Thiamine is necessary for neurological health, and a severe deficiency can cause neurological damage.
Magnesium is responsible for over 300 essential enzymatic reactions in the body, including regulation of neurotransmitters for a stable mood, stress reduction, and the production of sex hormones like testosterone. Magnesium deficiency is widespread in the overall population, and is especially common with alcohol use disorders. Zinc can also be depleted, which is also necessary for sex hormone production, as well as the absorption of iron and other minerals.
Not only is alcohol a source of empty calories that is devoid of essential nutrients, but it actively depletes essential nutrients from the body.
Brain function and structure is negatively affected by drinking
Unfortunately, alcohol also has negative effects on brain health, memory and focus. Alcohol in the system acutely impairs reaction time, executive function, memory formation and coordination.
Many of us have had the experience of a “blackout”, where we drank too much and didn’t remember exactly what happened the next day. This is not simply “forgetting” – high alcohol exposure can actually interfere with the brain’s formation of new memories, so we may have no actual internal record of what happened during the window of time when our blood alcohol level was high.
Effects on coordination and reaction time significantly affect the safety of driving a vehicle, and there is no supplement, coffee, cold shower or other trick that can rapidly restore normal function. Alcohol in the bloodstream affects risk-taking behavior and decision making ability, regardless of the individual’s self-perception of their abilities in the moment.
Drinking impairs judgement and reduces inhibitions, increasing the incidence of accidents, injuries, falls, drowning, and making social and sexual decisions that someone may not otherwise make. It can dangerously interact with many different medications, as well.
Beyond the acute effects, long term alcohol consumption is associated with structural and functional changes in the brain. Regular drinking produces neuroadaptation that increases dependence, and explains withdrawal symptoms when someone stops drinking.
Alcohol doesn’t help you sleep
Many people believe that a drink before bed improves their sleep quality, but this is objectively false. As a central nervous system depressant, it may cause tangible feelings of stress reduction, and make someone fall asleep faster, but overall sleep quality suffers. Later in the night, as alcohol is metabolized, sleep becomes more fragmented and less restorative, since the liver cannot perform its normal nighttime functions (including autophagy, repair, and mitochondrial maintenance throughout the body) due to the burden of needing to process alcohol first.
Alcohol can also worsen snoring and obstructive sleep apnea, which considerably affects sleep quality. Snoring and sleep apnea increase night wakings from lack of steady oxygen availability, which causes cortisol to spike when it should be at its lowest level.
It is also a diuretic, which can contribute to bathroom trips at night, and dehydration.
Even though it may seem to help you feel less stressed and fall asleep faster, the reduction in overall sleep quality ultimately worsens stress the next day, increases appetite (especially for high calorie processed foods), and lowers insulin sensitivity and mood, which often results in cravings for more alcohol.
Is red wine really healthy for the heart?
Why are some alcoholic drinks, especially red wine, marketed as “heart healthy”? Red grapes used to make wine are naturally high in polyphenols such as resveratrol, anthocyanins and flavonoids. These healthful substances are available without ethanol, through the consumption of colorful plant foods like fresh or dried grapes, berries, pomegranates, cocoa, green tea, and many others. You don’t need to consume a carcinogen to obtain plant antioxidants.
There were also earlier observational studies that suggested that moderate drinkers had better cardiovascular outcomes, but observational studies have major confounding factors that may affect the results of the study, such as the study subjects’ diet, exercise, smoking, and socioeconomic status. We also don’t know whether the non-drinkers in the study were consuming polyphenol-rich plant foods, or had an otherwise nutrient-devoid diet.
The old “moderate alcohol is heart-protective” story has weakened considerably, while the evidence for harm at higher intake is much stronger and more consistent. At low alcohol intake, the cardiovascular picture is still somewhat mixed, rather than conclusively harmful.
When all evidence is considered, the cardiovascular risks of alcohol seem to outweigh the small benefits, and most of these benefits can be acquired from other food sources without the consumption of ethanol.
As stated previously, the liver burden of alcohol shifts its function towards accumulating higher triglyceride levels, and the depletion of B vitamins can increase homocysteine levels in the blood, both of which are cardiac risk factors. It can also raise blood pressure, and is associated with atrial fibrillation.
At this time, the American Heart Association states that it remains unknown whether alcohol should be considered as part of a healthy lifestyle. On the other hand, the World Health Organization explicitly says that available evidence hasn’t established that purported cardiovascular benefits of light/moderate drinking outweighs its cancer risk, which brings us to our next topic.
Alcohol has been classified as a Group 1 carcinogen for almost 40 years
As mentioned already in the introduction, alcohol consumption has been linked to at least seven types of cancers. It is important to note that the risk isn’t confined to alcoholism or binge drinking, and that even relatively low consumption increases risk, although absolute risk increases with dose.
Mechanisms are thought to include acetaldehyde-induced DNA damage, oxidative stress, hormonal effects, and changes in folate metabolism, which were all covered earlier in this article. Another interesting proposed mechanism is when alcohol and cigarettes are taken together, the alcohol acts as a solvent for the carcinogenic components of cigarette smoke, making the body even more vulnerable to the effects of cigarette smoking.
The European region has some of the highest alcohol consumption in the world, and the highest percentage of drinkers in the population. In this region, over 200 million people are considered to be at risk of developing alcohol-attributable cancer.
The latest available data indicates that half of all alcohol-attributable cancers in Europe are caused by “light” and “moderate” alcohol consumption, which is considered no more than 1 to 2 alcoholic beverages per day. This is especially the case for female breast cancers.
Skin health and appearance, immune function and inflammation
As the body is all one system, and not parts that function separately from each other, the primary impacts of alcohol ripple into other aspects of health, as well. This includes overall immune function, systemic inflammation, and the health and appearance of the skin.
As mentioned earlier, alcohol disrupts the gut barrier and increases oxidative stress, both of which contribute to systemic inflammation. Systemic inflammation can be measured by certain blood markers like hs-CRP (high sensitivity c-reactive protein), which is linked to overall increased disease risk. Heavy alcohol use can also impair the immune system’s innate and adaptive functions, and increase susceptibility to infections. These effects are compounded by alcohol-induced poor sleep and nutritional deficiencies.
The skin is the largest organ in the body, and its health is intimately tied into the health of the liver. Acute effects on the skin from drinking alcohol include changes in skin appearance like vasodilation, flushing, rosacea exacerbation, potential hormonal effects, and inflammation. The dehydration and poor sleep caused by drinking can make it harder for the skin to recover and renew itself, resulting in a more aged appearance over time. Nutrient deficiencies related to alcohol also affect the skin’s ability to regenerate.
Drinking, stress and mental health
Throughout the recorded history of humanity, the urge to drink is associated with the need to relax and lessen the burden of perceived and actual stress. It has also been called a “social lubricant” – one of its most sought-after effects is the lowering of social inhibitions, allowing one to feel more free and open, especially those with shy, tense and reserved personalities.
From a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) perspective, small amounts of alcohol can temporarily warm the body, move Qi and Blood, disperse constraint and promote social and emotional openness. For someone with substantial Liver Qi stagnation, this may feel remarkably effective as an immediate remedy to tension that is chronically held in the body. However, that temporary stimulus doesn’t correct the underlying imbalance, and repeated drinking can introduce Heat and Dampness (TCM terminology), making the person’s overall pattern worse. Heat/Dampness can contribute to liver stagnation, sluggish digestion, bloating, loose stools, brain fog, fatigue, systemic inflammation, and reduced hormone metabolism and clearance.
Also, excess alcohol can disturb the Shen, a concept connected to the wisdom of the Heart/mind/spirit in TCM. This can result in restless sleep, anxiety, agitation, and impaired mental and emotional clarity and stability.
This can result in someone repeatedly using alcohol not to feel good, but to avoid feeling bad. Alcohol temporarily dampens anxiety through its central nervous system depressant effects, but anxiety rebounds as the alcohol wears off. Also, within the first half hour of drinking alcohol, the brain releases a lot of dopamine, causing an instant feel-good effect. This depletes baseline dopamine levels and makes the person feel worse afterward, creating the impulse to drink more the next day to experience temporary relief from this depleted state. This is the type of “vicious cycle” that can cause addiction.
When used as a quick fix for stress reduction and emotional regulation, drinking can prevent the development of healthier coping mechanisms, as well as the impetus to address deeper imbalances causing the stress, such as liver stagnation, nutrient deficiencies, emotional issues and traumas, and hormone imbalances. It can also decrease the motivation to address lifestyle factors that are responsible for the excess chronic stress, such as overworking, lack of exercise, or taking on too many responsibilities that may not be yours to carry.
Why younger generations are drinking less
Amazingly, drinking among Americans under 35 has dropped substantially over the past two decades, and this decline appears to be continuing. In a 2026 survey, only 54% of American adults reported drinking alcohol, which is the lowest level in 90 years of reporting. 17% of those surveyed reported substituting alcohol with non-alcoholic beverages.
There are likely several reasons why younger people are choosing to abstain. The culture has become more health aware overall, as social media accounts promote information on the dangers of even so-called “moderate” drinking. “Sober curious” and fitness/wellness culture has become much more widespread. Many young adults grew up in alcoholic homes, and are rejecting the dysfunction they experienced growing up, desiring to create a healthier experience for their own families.
As social media shares embarrassing video clips centered on the antics of drinkers, and these clips go viral, people become more aware of how they are perceived while under the influence. These clips create a lasting collective memory of behavior that alcohol on its own tends to erase (through forgetfulness) from each individual drinker’s consciousness.
Young women and girls, especially, can be influenced by skin care health routines promoted on social media, which mention lifestyle habits to avoid to maintain clear and healthy skin, and a youthful glow. Drinking alcohol often affects skin quality, so many young people with aesthetic concerns shy away from choosing to drink.
What happens when you stop drinking
When an alcoholic chooses to stop drinking, there is a fairly consistent recovery timeline that can be expected, which can be supported nutritionally and emotionally. On the first day of abstaining from alcohol, blood alcohol levels clear, and hydration and glucose regulation begin to normalize. In the first several days to several weeks, sleep may be initially unsettled, but can also improve. Blood pressure and resting heart rate may improve in some people, as well as gastrointestinal symptoms. If chronic drinking has caused fatty liver, this can improve substantially in the first few weeks to months of abstaining, if the damage hasn’t progressed too far. Metabolic markers may improve, and sleep, cognition, mood and energy generally improve slowly and steadily over time.
In the longer term, reduced exposure lowers future risk of liver disease, cardiovascular issues, and several cancers. WHO specifically notes that reducing or stopping alcohol lowers cancer risk.
There are ways you can support your body if you choose to transition away from drinking alcohol. The body already has sophisticated detoxification systems, which can be supported by consuming nutrient dense whole foods, adequate protein, and optimal hydration with electrolyte minerals. Consuming enough fiber daily is important for healthy bowel function and blood sugar regulation, and specific vitamins and minerals may need to be supplemented, which may have become depleted from alcohol use. Especially important nutrients to focus on are B vitamins, especially vitamin B1 (thiamine), as well as magnesium. Fruits and vegetables rich in polyphenols reduce the oxidative stress that alcohol can produce in the body.
Sleep and exercise are also important, as well as psychological therapy or support in cases where alcohol served as a coping mechanism for emotional issues and trauma.
Because of the harmful effects alcohol consumption has on the liver, some types of colon and liver cleansing can be helpful to reset the system. Some people find colon hydrotherapy to be especially useful, and former drinkers have reported bright yellow liquid being released in colon hydrotherapy sessions, which is associated with excess buildup of toxins in the bile.
Since alcohol also affects the microbiome so significantly over time, restoring healthy gut bacteria with fermented foods like miso can be helpful. Aloe vera can help to soothe the digestive tract during recovery.
Here are several products we carry that can be particularly useful during recovery from alcoholism, by supporting the body’s natural processes of transformation, elimination and restoration:
- Aged Miso - Traditionally Prepared to nourish beneficial bacteria levels in the gut
- Aloe Gel Inner Flakes to support and soothe the gut and digestive tract
- Biocean Marine Plasma Minerals to replenish mineral deficiencies
- Green Elements Full Spectrum Nutrient Formula for food-based minerals and antioxidants
- Freeze-dried Schizandra to support phase 1 and 2 liver detoxification and skin health
- Impact Gut & Immune Formula to restore optimal gut and immune system function
- Midnight Minerals to help restore sleep quality and nourish the Shen
- Presence Seishen Reishi Mushroom Syrup and Extract to nourish and stabilize Shen
- Wood Formula and Wood Protect for liver-focused herbal support
Chronic consumption of alcohol can ultimately deplete the body’s deeper reserves, associated with the foundational concept of Jing in TCM, which is linked to the Kidney system. Jing depletion accelerates the aging process, resulting in long-term exhaustion, diminished resilience, and decreased reproductive and bone health. We have created some Jing-supportive herbal formulas to assist in recovery and rejuvenation:
- He Shou Wu Formula for deep Kidney/Jing replenishment
- Rewind Longevity Tonic to support longevity, hormones and anti-aging
- Beauty Jing Internal/External Herbal Formula to support the body’s deep reserves, skin health and rejuvenation
A note on our living sake-based medicinal tinctures:
You may notice that our medicinal tinctures contain living sake extract, which is a form of alcohol. This is a specific use for certain types of high grade alcohol that is not relevant to the conversation on alcoholic beverages, as they are carefully curated for a specific purpose and consumed in extremely small amounts. None of our sake extract tinctures exceed 22% alcohol, whereas most medicinal tinctures on the market are between 40-55% ethanol, which can be noticed by the burning sensation felt in the mouth. Our tinctures are gentle, and designed to be held in the mouth for 1-2 minutes, so that the herbs are absorbed directly into the mucosal tissue, bypassing liver metabolism. The small quantity of sake acts as a solvent to drive the herbs into the body, and 22% is enough to preserve the botanical, but not so much that the herbal substance becomes damaged.
For those who choose to avoid alcohol completely, even in amounts by the drop instead of by the ounce, you can evaporate the alcohol from our herbal tinctures by adding your dose to boiled water, and letting it sit for 10 minutes or so. The small amount of alcohol will evaporate in this time, leaving the herbal substance behind. You can then drink it as an herbal tea.
Conclusion: the choice is yours
The alcohol topic is a loaded one, significantly woven into our culture and habits. It is up to you to consider all aspects of this subject that may be deeply personal to you, and make a choice for yourself, depending on your priorities and goals for your life.
We personally believe that the risks and downsides of alcohol outweigh its benefits, and that there are other ways we can fulfill the same desires that have driven us to choose alcohol. Alcohol can create a false version of something the body and mind genuinely need: relaxation, freer emotional expression, warmth, social connection, relief from constraint, and the quieting of an overactive mind. The goal of quitting isn’t merely removing alcohol – it’s finding healthier ways of satisfying whatever need alcohol had been temporarily (and unsustainably) meeting.
Many have found fulfillment in exploring healthy self-expression, deep emotional work, nourishing the body, meditation and spiritual pursuits, finding ways to remove unnecessary burdens from one’s life while adding in what brings us joy, and surrounding ourselves with healthy social circles that encourage authentic relating.
References:
- World Health Organization: Alcohol and Cancer – https://www.who.int/europe/news-room/fact-sheets/item/alcohol-and-cancer
- World Health Organization: “No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health” – https://www.who.int/europe/news/item/04-01-2023-no-level-of-alcohol-consumption-is-safe-for-our-health
- International Agency for Research on Cancer: Alcohol and Cancer – https://www.iarc.who.int/reference/alcohol-and-cancer