Get a ride-hailing service, even call a friend before you put yourself and others in danger. Have a designated driver or a ride-hailing service ready to go if you plan on drinking enough that your judgment will be impaired. Of course, we all want a simple, achievable number for how long we should abstain from alcohol in order for our bodies to fully heal from its effects. While there are several mechanisms behind the health benefits of exercise, reduced inflammation is a key point (55, 56). Antibiotic use, poor dental hygiene, and diet quality can all alter the bacterial balance in your gut (43, 44, 45).

How Long Does It Take to Get a Drink Out of Your System?

This is important since alcohol drinks often leave you dehydrated. Alcohol-induced dehydration can cause unpleasant side effects such as drowsiness and headache. This is one of those areas where it’s easy to see how healthy habits help. Since we’re mostly water, it makes sense that we would need to continually replenish our body’s supply. Getting enough water helps your body flush waste and keeps your joints lubricated while acting as a shock absorber for your spine and helping your digestive processes.

Are there any specific foods that help metabolize alcohol quicker?

Your body absorbs alcohol more slowly when you have food in your stomach. Those who drink on an empty stomach will feel the effects of alcohol more quickly. A person who has not eaten will hit their peak blood alcohol level between 30 minutes and two hours after consumption, depending on the amount of alcohol consumed. On this page we address a common myth linked how to flush alcohol out of your system with alcohol misuse and binge drinking – that drinking water can ‘flush’ alcohol from your system. Once you consume alcohol, your body starts to break it down to eliminate it from your system, mainly through the liver. Long-term effects of alcohol consumption include alcohol withdrawal, increased body fat, liver disease, and other health complications.

Biological Sex and Body Weight

• As a result, they might either take a day off and stay asleep for the entire day or go to work and produce poor results.
• Older adults also tend to have a lower volume of total body water, which can slow down alcohol metabolism.
• The liver has to do its work of processing the alcohol in your body, and there is no way to speed things up, but there are several things you can do to help yourself recover more efficiently.
• Your body processes alcohol through your liver, breaking it down into simpler substances that can be easily eliminated.

That’s the equivalent of processing about one alcoholic beverage each hour. At that rate, you can still be over the legal limit of 0.08 to drive the next morning if you’ve had several drinks or more. As you continue drinking, you’ll still feel euphoric and relaxed, but the harmful effects of alcohol will intensify. You’ll experience further loss of memory, balance, and coordination. Moderate impairment can also make you more likely to engage in risky behaviors such as driving under the influence or becoming aggressive with others. If you do indulge over the holiday season, understanding how your body processes alcohol and how you can support it is the key to having a healthy holiday season.

How long does alcohol metabolism take?

The Power of Supportive Relationships and Social Networks in Alcohol Recovery