Ask anyone about the benefits of not drinking alcohol, and you're likely to be faced with the same old, same old. Better sleep, vibrant skin and more va-va-voom. Yada yada and so on. So, faced with the 'been-there, done that' benefits of cutting back, here are 5 lesser-known reasons to carry on with an alcohol-free lifestyle.
Booze-free benefits to amaze your mates
While we can all tick off the obvious alcohol-free benefits – from losing muffin tops to kicking hangovers to the kerb – wouldn't it be the perfect conversation starter to unveil some of the lesser-known benefits of not drinking alcohol? It's your chance to be a 'did you know' dazzler while sipping one of our simply delish alcohol-free drinks – all hand-picked by our world-famous Zerologists.
But what other benefits are there – and why haven't we heard of them before? From improving your appetite for activities beneath the sheets to boosting visual prowess, cutting back on alcohol can transform plenty of other areas of your life aside from a better night's kip.
Five little known benefits of not drinking alcohol
Food tastes better
What? Alcohol can affect your taste buds! But that kebab tasted simply amazing last night after all that beer. How is this possible?
Alcohol works in mysterious ways and can rewire how you smell, taste and even relate to your food. This is because alcohol leaves a lasting impression on your taste receptors, meaning a layer of alcoholic interference smothers food packed with unique flavours – apart from a late-night kebab, it seems.
Cutting back means your tastebuds will recover, and you'll enjoy a broader range of flavours – from sour to sweet – allowing you to fall in love with food all over again.
Hearing is heightened
Time to make the bats jealous – cutting back can boost hearing clarity.
Here's where we get a bit science-y. Too much alcohol can damage cells in the inner ear. The result? Our brain's ability to process sounds – from adoring words of praise to hearing your winning lottery numbers – is diminished.
Researchers at the University of Ulm discovered a prolonged period of over-indulging in alcohol can cause damage to the auditory cortex in the brain. Healthy Hearing reports that toxicity caused by excessive alcohol destroys hair cells in the inner ear. And once they are gone, that's it. Hair cells don't grow back, so the damage is permanent, resulting in hearing loss.
When you switch to alcohol-free, you can enjoy a night out sans that weird hum in your ears you get after drinking and keep your ear holes in tip-top condition.
Peripheral vision will sharpen
As we all know, alcohol reduces our reaction time and coordination with everything around us. That's partly because alcohol goes after all the senses – including eyesight – especially due to a binge sesh. Heavy consumption of alcohol can also leave us with impaired vision – particularly decreased peripheral vision, according to Optimax Eye Surgery.
Swapping to AF drinks helps lower the risk of damage to your eyesight, leaving you bright-eyed and bushy-tailed (see the next benefit).
Keep an eye on Zero Zilch Zip's website and check out all our fabulous AF products for a sense-filling drink sensation.
Better sex (or at least enjoy it more)
Life between the sheets – no matter who you love – is way better if you ditch the beer goggles.
Alcohol can seriously hamper your sexual experiences if you consume too much. For blokes, expect health problems such as erectile dysfunction, and, as alcohol can inhibit parts of our central nervous system, a loss of sensation – which no one wants!
Some may argue that alcohol may increase performance in the bedroom, but an over reliance on booze for sexual experiences is an unhealthy choice to make for both males and females.
With an AF lifestyle, you can improve your sex life and relationships without any alcohol included.
Your stomach will achieve zen-like calm
Alcohol can cause your stomach to feel a trifle iffy, and we don't just mean the day after drinking either. Drink too much alcohol can affect your gastrointestinal tract, liver and other fairly-vital-sounding organs at greater risk of developing health problems.
The problem is that toxins in alcohol take no prisoners, and as they pass through various bodily functions, filters and organs these can pile up and cause pain, discomfort and illness.
Need an alternative? You can get the same mouth-filling richness of flavour with our AF beer and fruity enjoyment from AF wine, while giving your stomach the chance to recover.
At Zero.Zilch.Zip we're friends with benefits
We get it. We understand. Alcohol is one of those things that can be incredibly hard to cut back on, but we're here to help. Think of us as friends with benefits, but without the morning after regrets.
If you're taking your first steps into the AF beer world, check out our alcohol-free drinks shop and try our Big Drop Brewing stouts and ales for a concoction of wonderful flavours.
New to the AF wine market? Our Ariel Cabernet Sauvignon is a flirty flavourite.
Looking to refine your taste buds? You've got to try Lyre's American Malt.
Don't feel glum about cutting back on alcohol – find out more about why alcohol-free living is, well, simply amazing.
