Gisele Bündchen says she hasn't had a drink in 2 years. What are the health benefits of cutting back on alcohol?
Gisele Bündchen is skipping happy hour.
The Brazilian supermodel, 43, recently appeared on a panel for herbal supplement brand Gaia Herbs and discussed how her pivot to natural wellness remedies has served her much more than drinking, sharing that she "hasn't drank alcohol in over two years and it's amazing how much more clear I feel."
“I meditate everyday, I exercise every day,” Bündchen shared, People reported. "I wasn’t so good in my 20s or my teens — I realized my body is my temple and I really want to enjoy it. So for me, moving my body is huge.”
The Victoria's Secret icon is not the only celebrity to discuss their journey with cutting back on alcohol lately. Back in April, Jennifer Garner told Harper's BAZAAR that she was "re-examining her own relationship with alcohol” as a means to "protect her brain" following more intensive research about alcohol's effects. Chrissy Teigen, who quit drinking in 2021, said on social media that she "now has endless energy" and "way less anxiety" without alcohol, and is "happier and more present than ever."
Why might people feel better when cutting back — or cutting out — alcohol? Here's what experts say.
What are some of the physical benefits of lowering your alcohol intake?
The long-term effects of alcohol have been reported extensively, and include everything from alcoholic liver disease and stroke to diabetes and cognitive decline, according to Verywell Health. But for people who would like to improve their overall health, cutting back on alcohol could have positive effects.
Dr. Sarah Andrews, assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, previously told Yahoo Life that abstaining from alcohol for even a month can highlight the benefits of sobriety, which can include "weight loss, more energy and improvement in mood and anxiety."
Cutting back on booze can also help people who struggle to sleep well, Andrews noted. Since alcohol can cause you to wake up in the middle of the night as your body metabolizes it, it breaks apart your quality of sleep. As a result, it can lead to physical health issues like higher blood pressure, as well as a lower ability to concentrate, and a negative impact on mood.
The impact isn't only for those who are drinking to excess. A study conducted at Imperial College London and published in 2021 found that consuming any alcohol – even within the guidelines of 14 units over a week – may harm the body, Yahoo Life previously reported. Even just a couple of drinks a day could adversely impact one's health, increasing their risk for Alzheimer’s, cardiovascular and liver disease.
What are some tips for cutting back on alcohol?
If you are considering cutting back on alcohol, think about keeping track of what actually goes into your body. Dr. Ross Perry, a general practitioner and medical director at Cosmedics, recommends logging your alcoholic beverages in a journal.
"The first step is to keep a diary of how much alcohol you’re actually consuming," Perry previously told Yahoo Life. "Many of us may not realize our real booze intake, especially during the pandemic." He advised planning ahead for alcohol-free days, as well as slowly reducing the frequency of your drinking to see how it affects you.
"If you drink daily, start by drinking every other – and then slowly reduce this down, first to every few days, then perhaps just a weekend," he said. Just be careful not to binge on the days that you do permit yourself to drink, he advises.
"While in the short-term you can risk things like alcohol poisoning, in the long-term it may boost the likelihood you'll develop liver disease, high blood pressure, stroke, certain cancers, and heart disease," he added.
