Before you toss a six-pack of beer into your grocery cart or order another drink with your dinner, you may want to stop and reconsider. If you reduce or eliminate alcohol from your diet, you could be doing yourself a favor.

WellTuned spoke with Dr. Susan Owensby, a medical director for BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, to learn about the benefits of giving up alcohol.

Health benefits of going alcohol-free

1. Reduce cancer risk. The surgeon general recently recommended that warning labels be required on alcohol products that cite alcohol’s links to cancer. Alcohol is associated with seven different kinds of cancer: mouth, throat, voice box, esophagus, breast, colon and rectum, and liver.
2. Lose weight. The phrase “beer belly” came from somewhere. Consider this sobering statistic: 1 gram of alcohol provides 7 calories — but no nutrients. If you cut out these empty calories, you may find it easier to lose weight.
3. Avoid dehydration. If you’re not eager to wake up with a mouth that feels like the desert, you might want to drink mocktails instead of cocktails. As you age, you’re more prone to dehydration Since alcohol is a diuretic, you could make it worse by drinking too many alcoholic beverages.
4. Improve sleep. Alcohol has a sedative effect — that is, it can make you sleepy. It can also disrupt your sleep pattern. In other words, you may fall asleep easily after a few drinks, but you probably won’t stay asleep or sleep well afterward. If you switch to non-alcoholic drinks, you may notice you’re getting a better night’s sleep.
5. Reduce the risk of dementia. Before you drink, think about the possible cost to your brain. You may reduce your risk of developing dementia if you reduce the amount of alcohol that you drink. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, drinking a lot of alcohol may damage the parts of your brain responsible for memory and lead to a decline in your thinking skills over time.
6. Reduce anxiety. If you’ve ever drunk alcohol and felt anxious the next day, you’re not alone. Alcohol can make you feel jittery. Plus, it tends to lower your inhibitions, so you may do or say things that will make you wince when you sober up. You can avoid the possibility of post-drink embarrassment by sticking to non-alcoholic drinks.
7. Save money. Remember when a cocktail only cost $5? Today, a premium drink at a restaurant will likely start at $12. And in some places, you might pay $20 for a drink. You can save quite a bit of cash by opting out.

“In light of the information we have about the risks of drinking alcohol, I’d encourage you to talk to your primary care provider about your own alcohol habit and how it may be affecting your health,” Dr. Owensby says. “It might be time to reduce or omit alcohol and reap the positive rewards.”

More from Dr. Owensby on WellTuned

Jennifer Larson

Jennifer Larson is Nashville-based writer and editor with nearly 20 years of experience. She specializes in health care and family issues.

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Get more information about specific health terms, topics and conditions to better manage your health on bcbst.com. BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee members can access wellness-related discounts on fitness products, gym memberships, healthy eating and more through Blue365®. BCBST members can also find tools and resources to help improve health and well-being by logging into BlueAccess and going to the Managing Your Health tab.