Blog article

7 good reasons to drink less alcohol

By HBF
4 minutes
16 November 2021
Two young women laughing and having fun at a party.
Feel better and improve your health – a dietitian explains a few of the benefits of limiting your alcohol.

Whether it’s a celebration, a Friday night social catch-up, or a beer at the footy, alcohol is undeniably part of Australian culture.

But while enjoying the occasional drink can be part of a healthy and balanced lifestyle, drinking outside of the national guidelines can impact your physical and mental health.1

One in four Australians aged 14 and over drink at a ‘risky level’ (more than four standard drinks on one occasion) at least monthly.2

 

"Cutting back on alcohol can have some substantial benefits for your health and wellbeing," says HBF dietitian Mary du Heaume

 

“This can range from sleeping better and managing your weight, right through to reducing your risk of serious health problems like heart disease and cancer.”

Let’s take a closer look at some of the benefits you may experience from drinking less.


In this article


1. Work towards or maintain a healthy weight

Alcoholic drinks contain a lot of kilojoules (and very little nutritional value), so it’s not surprising this can contribute to weight gain.3

But that’s not the only way drinking can impact your weight.

 

“Alcohol can stimulate your appetite and reduce your inhibitions for energy dense food choices,” du Heaume explains. 

 

“Studies have shown we can eat up to 30% more energy when we drink alcohol with meals. Cravings for high energy foods can also occur when ‘hungover’ the next day.”

Cutting back on alcohol can be a key part of optimising your diet, helping you feel more nourished and energised and helping you manage your weight.

2. Reduce your risk of long-term health conditions

Over time, drinking alcohol increases your risk of many different health problems, du Heaume says.

Drinking alcohol can be a risk factor for health conditions including:4

“The more you drink over your lifetime, the greater the health risk,” du Heaume says.

3. Support your mental health 

The connection between alcohol and mental health can go both ways. Many people drink because they hope it will help them relax, feel happier and combat anxiety.5

But alcohol can actually contribute to increased stress, anxiety and depression.5

 

“Alcohol is a depressant drug that can affect your mental health and wellbeing,” du Heaume says 

 

“It slows down your central nervous system and can affect the way you think, feel and behave, and can contribute to symptoms of mental illness.”

If you think you might be using alcohol as a coping strategy to deal with stress or difficult emotions, it may be worth seeking mental health support.

4. Sleep better

While a ‘nightcap’ may initially help you get to sleep faster, it can also disrupt your sleep later, during the second half of the night.6

Drinking alcohol before sleep is associated with frequent awakenings, nightmares, night sweats, headaches, and generally much less restful sleep – so cutting back can be a great step towards getting some more rejuvenating rest.6 

Which of these 6 reasons is behind your bad night’s sleep?

5. Feel more energised, clear and focused

If you’ve ever experienced a hangover, you’ll know what a struggle it can be to feel fatigued and foggy after drinking – especially when you have things to do, like work.7

“Reducing your alcohol consumption can help improve your mood, energy levels and concentration, which may help you perform better at work and in other daily activities,” du Heaume says.  

6. Improve your digestion

Alcohol can also impact your digestive system.8

“The World Health Organization (WHO) defines alcohol as a toxin, so your body works hard to process and eliminate it ahead of other nutrients,” du Heaume explains.

“Alcohol can damage any part of your digestive system it passes through. This can increase cancer risk, but also interferes with the process of breaking down and absorbing nutrients from food.

“If you’re drinking at high risk levels, it can increase the risk of nutrient deficiencies.” 

7. Save money

It’s not just your health that will thank you for limiting your alcohol – your bank account may benefit too.

Those $12 glasses of wine can add up quickly, and it’s easy to lose track of how much you’re spending on a night out, especially if alcohol is affecting your judgement.1

Try adding up how much you’d normally spend on alcohol over a month. If you decide you’d like to bring that expense down, focusing on that benefit can be a good motivator for changing your drinking habits.

8. Tips for drinking less

Ready to try cutting back on alcohol? Here are a few tips that may help:9

How can HBF help?

For support in changing your drinking habits as part of a healthier lifestyle, HBF extras cover can give you benefits towards visits with:

HBF Gold Hospital Elevate cover also includes hospital psychiatric services, which can help treat alcohol addiction.

If you need more support with your alcohol use, talking to your GP is a good first step. You can also call the National Alcohol and Other Drugs Hotline on 1800 250 015 or check out the Australian Government’s list of alcohol support contacts


1 healthdirect – How alcohol affects your health (2020)

2 Australian Institute of Health and Welfare – Alcohol, tobacco and other drugs in Australia - Alcohol - Single occasion risk (2021)

3 Eat for Health (Australian Dietary Guidelines) – Alcohol (2020)

4 Australian Government Department of Health – What are the effects of alcohol? (2020)

5 Alcohol.Think Again (Government of Western Australia Mental Health Commission) – Alcohol and mental health (2020)

6 Sleep Health Foundation – Caffeine, food, alcohol, smoking and sleep

7 Better Health Channel – How alcohol affects your body – hangover

8 Alcohol.Think Again (Government of Western Australia Mental Health Commission) – Alcohol and the digestive system

9 healthdirect – Managing your alcohol intake (2020)



This article contains general information only and does not take into account the health, personal situation or needs of any person. In conjunction with your GP or treating health care professional, please consider whether the information is suitable for you and your personal circumstances.

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