{"id":51168,"date":"2026-10-09T13:02:48","date_gmt":"2026-10-09T17:02:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/?p=51168"},"modified":"2026-10-09T14:46:06","modified_gmt":"2026-10-09T18:46:06","slug":"how-to-stop-drinking-beer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/en\/how-to-stop-drinking-beer\/","title":{"rendered":"How Do You Stop Drinking Beer? What Science Says Works and the Mistake That Can Be Dangerous"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"thebe-3745215848\" class=\"thebe-fuente-preferida-2 thebe-entity-placement\" style=\"margin-bottom: 30px;margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=thebeertimes.com\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"A\u00f1adir como fuente preferida en google\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Anadir-como-fuente-preferida-en-google-1.jpg\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Anadir-como-fuente-preferida-en-google-1.jpg 638w, https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Anadir-como-fuente-preferida-en-google-1-300x60.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 638px) 100vw, 638px\" width=\"175\" height=\"127\"  style=\"display: inline-block;\" \/><\/a><\/div><p>Quitting beer starts with knowing how much alcohol you really drink and whether there is dependence, because in that case stopping suddenly can be dangerous and it is best done with a doctor. Beer addiction has no diagnosis of its own. It is treated as alcohol use disorder (AUD), and there are screening tests, therapies, and medications with proven effectiveness for it.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_51159\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-51159\" style=\"width: 600px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-51159 size-full\" title=\"Quitting beer\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/dejar-de-beber-cerveza.jpg\" alt=\"Glass of beer on a bar counter, the starting point for quitting beer\" width=\"600\" height=\"315\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/dejar-de-beber-cerveza.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/dejar-de-beber-cerveza-300x158.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-51159\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Quitting beer<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>This guide brings together what the World Health Organization, the US National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), the UK&#8217;s National Health Service (NHS), Spain&#8217;s Ministry of Health, and Mexico&#8217;s Secretariat of Health say. It is not a substitute for consulting a health professional.<\/p><div id=\"thebe-1382986344\" class=\"thebe-maridaje-sin-rodes thebe-entity-placement\" style=\"margin-bottom: 40px;margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;text-align: center;\"><div style=\"background-color: #ffffff; border: 1px solid #ccc; border-radius: 12px; padding: 16px; max-width: 320px; margin: 20px auto; text-align: center; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-45353\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/71vKJFxJDRL._SL1500_-187x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"125\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/71vKJFxJDRL._SL1500_-187x300.jpg 187w, https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/71vKJFxJDRL._SL1500_.jpg 312w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 125px) 100vw, 125px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #0000ff; font-weight: bold; margin: 8px 0; line-height: 1.2;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/B0GF4CFJBL\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\">Maridaje de cerveza y marihuana. La ciencia sensorial para el sommelier moderno<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a class=\"fasc-button fasc-size-medium fasc-type-flat fasc-rounded-medium fasc-ico-before dashicons-cart\" style=\"background-color: #ffd100; color: #000000;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/B0GF4CFJBL\">Comprar en Amazon<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"thebe-1514202627\" style=\"margin-bottom: 30px;\"><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-9395258998211551\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-9395258998211551\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"8775458773\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n\n<h2>Is there such a thing as beer addiction?<\/h2>\n<p>Beer does not have a diagnosis separate from wine or spirits. What causes dependence is ethanol, and the clinical condition is called alcohol use disorder, regardless of the drink.<\/p>\n<p>The NIAAA summarizes the 11 criteria from the DSM-5 manual that doctors use to diagnose it, always referring to the past year. They include drinking more or for longer than intended, having tried to cut down without success, feeling a strong craving to drink, needing more to feel the effect, and having withdrawal symptoms when stopping (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.niaaa.nih.gov\/publications\/brochures-and-fact-sheets\/understanding-alcohol-use-disorder\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">NIAAA<\/a>, 2025).<\/p>\n<p>With 2 or 3 criteria, the disorder is considered mild; with 4 or 5, moderate; and with 6 or more, severe. You do not have to drink every day or get drunk to meet them.<\/p>\n<p>The World Health Organization estimates that about 400 million people worldwide had an alcohol use disorder in 2019, and 209 million of them had alcohol dependence (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.who.int\/news\/item\/25-06-2024-over-3-million-annual-deaths-due-to-alcohol-and-drug-use-majority-among-men\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">WHO<\/a>, 2024).<\/p>\n<p>In its database, the latest figure by country is from 2016 and puts prevalence at 1.5% of people over 15 in Spain and 2.3% in Mexico.<\/p>\n<h2>How much alcohol is in a beer?<\/h2>\n<p>To know how much you drink, you need to go from glasses to grams of alcohol. The grams are obtained by multiplying the volume by the alcohol content and by the density of ethanol, which is 0.789 g\/ml.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">[math]\\text{grams} = \\text{ml} \\times \\dfrac{\\text{ABV}}{100} \\times 0.789[\/math]<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">[math]330 \\times 0.05 \\times 0.789 \\approx 13.0\\ \\text{g}[\/math]<\/p>\n<p>A 330 ml bottle at 5% contains about 13 g of alcohol. In Spain, the standard drink unit (UBE) equals 10 g, and a 250 ml ca\u00f1a, the small glass of draft beer typical of Spanish bars, at 5% counts as one UBE, according to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sanidad.gob.es\/areas\/promocionPrevencion\/alcohol\/documentosTecnicos\/docs\/ConsumoAlcohol_cuantoconsumo.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Ministry of Health<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>In Mexico, a standard drink contains about 13 g of alcohol and is equivalent to a 330 ml beer at 5%, according to the <a href=\"https:\/\/dof.gob.mx\/nota_detalle.php?codigo=5386313&amp;fecha=23\/03\/2015\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">NOM-142-SSA1\/SCFI-2014<\/a> standard.<\/p>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th style=\"text-align: center;\">Serving (5% ABV)<\/th>\n<th style=\"text-align: center;\">Alcohol (g)<\/th>\n<th style=\"text-align: center;\">UBE in Spain (10 g)<\/th>\n<th style=\"text-align: center;\">Standard drinks in Mexico (13 g)<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\">250 ml ca\u00f1a<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\">9.9<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\">1.0<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\">0.8<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\">330 ml bottle<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\">13.0<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\">1.3<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\">1.0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\">355 ml can<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\">14.0<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\">1.4<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\">1.1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\">568 ml pint<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\">22.4<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\">2.2<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\">1.7<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>Calculation by The Beer Times using an ethanol density of 0.789 g\/ml. A stronger beer increases the grams in the same proportion.<\/p>\n<p>Spain&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sanidad.gob.es\/gabinete\/notasPrensa.do?id=5559\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Ministry of Health<\/a> sets the low-risk drinking limits at 20 g a day for men and 10 g for women, and its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sanidad.gob.es\/areas\/promocionPrevencion\/alcohol\/documentosTecnicos\/docs\/ConsumoAlcohol_cuantoconsumo.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">drinking guide<\/a> stresses that the less, the better. Two 330 ml bottles a day exceed the limit for men, and a single one already exceeds the limit for women.<\/p>\n<h2>How can you tell if you have a problem with beer?<\/h2>\n<p>One of the benchmark tests is the WHO&#8217;s AUDIT, a questionnaire of 10 questions scored from 0 to 4 that add up to a maximum of 40. It asks about how often and how much you drink, about symptoms of dependence, and about the problems alcohol has caused.<\/p>\n<p>In the study that validated it in six countries, a score of 8 or more detected about 92% of hazardous or harmful drinkers (Saunders et al., 1993, <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1111\/j.1360-0443.1993.tb02093.x\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Addiction<\/a>). In Spain, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sanidad.gob.es\/gabinete\/notasPrensa.do?id=5559\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Ministry of Health<\/a> uses 8 or more for men and 6 or more for women (2021).<\/p>\n<p>The Ministry publishes the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sanidad.gob.es\/areas\/promocionPrevencion\/alcohol\/internacional\/oms\/docs\/AUDIT.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Spanish version of the AUDIT<\/a>. A high score is not a diagnosis, and it is a good reason to talk to your doctor.<\/p>\n<div id=\"thebe-3870904166\" style=\"margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;text-align: center;\"><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-9395258998211551\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-9395258998211551\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"3350594014\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Is it dangerous to quit beer suddenly?<\/h2>\n<p>It can be if there is dependence. The NHS puts it this way on its page about alcohol use disorder.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>It can be very dangerous to stop drinking suddenly if you&#8217;re dependent on alcohol.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Withdrawal symptoms usually begin 6 to 12 hours after the last drink (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/conditions\/alcohol-use-disorder\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">NHS<\/a>, 2026) and peak between 24 and 72 hours (<a href=\"https:\/\/medlineplus.gov\/spanish\/ency\/article\/000764.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">MedlinePlus<\/a>, 2025). The most common are anxiety, tremors, sweating, insomnia, nausea, and a rapid heartbeat.<\/p>\n<p>In severe cases, seizures occur, more than 90% of them within the first 48 hours, as well as delirium tremens, which usually appears one to four days after withdrawal begins (Trevisan et al., 1998, <a href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC6761825\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Alcohol Health and Research World<\/a>). Delirium tremens involves confusion, fever, and hallucinations, according to MedlinePlus, and it is a medical emergency.<\/p>\n<p>If you drink every day, if you have ever had tremors, sweats, seizures, or delirium when stopping, or if you meet several of the criteria described above, talk to your doctor before quitting or cutting down. Supervised detox makes the process safer.<\/p>\n<h2>Strategies to quit or cut down on beer<\/h2>\n<p>If there is no physical dependence, the NIAAA&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/rethinkingdrinking.niaaa.nih.gov\/thinking-about-change\/tips-try\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Rethinking Drinking<\/a> program suggests starting by keeping a record of every drink and measuring them in standard drinks. The guide warns that it is easy to drink more alcohol than you think.<\/p>\n<p>The next step is to set a specific goal that includes alcohol-free days each week. It helps to keep little or no beer at home and to recognize which situations, people, or times of day trigger the urge to drink.<\/p>\n<p>For moments of intense craving, the guide suggests reminding yourself of your reasons for changing, talking to someone you trust, finding a distraction, and waiting for the urge to pass, because it rises and fades like a wave. It also recommends having a polite but firm way of saying no ready.<\/p><div id=\"thebe-3103280769\" class=\"thebe-libros-amazon thebe-entity-placement\" style=\"margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;text-align: center;\"><div style=\"background-color: #ffffff; border: 1px solid #ccc; border-radius: 12px; padding: 16px; max-width: 320px; margin: 20px auto; text-align: center; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-43340 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Catar-cerveza-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"Gu\u00eda Pr\u00e1ctica Catar Cerveza Amazon\" width=\"200\" height=\"199\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Catar-cerveza-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Catar-cerveza-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Catar-cerveza-370x370.jpg 370w, https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Catar-cerveza.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #0000ff; font-weight: bold; margin: 8px 0; line-height: 1.2;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3LddZmQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\">Gu\u00eda pr\u00e1ctica para catar cerveza: C\u00f3mo apreciar correctamente todas las cervezas del mundo<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a class=\"fasc-button fasc-size-medium fasc-type-flat fasc-rounded-medium fasc-ico-before dashicons-cart\" style=\"background-color: #ffd100; color: #000000;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3LddZmQ\">Comprar en Amazon<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The NHS adds choosing smaller servings and lower-strength drinks, eating before drinking, alternating with water, and telling friends and family about your plan (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/live-well\/alcohol-advice\/tips-on-cutting-down-alcohol\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">NHS<\/a>, 2026). The NIAAA advises trying two or three strategies for one or two weeks and, if there is no progress after two or three months, considering quitting altogether or seeking professional help.<\/p>\n<h2>Treatments with proven effectiveness<\/h2>\n<p>A brief intervention is a structured conversation with a health professional, of up to five sessions and less than an hour in total. The main analysis of a Cochrane review, with 34 trials and 15,197 participants, found that it reduces drinking by about 20 g of alcohol a week after one year (Kaner et al., 2018, <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/14651858.CD004148.pub4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Cochrane<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>The behavioral therapies listed by the NIAAA include cognitive behavioral therapy and motivational enhancement therapy (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.niaaa.nih.gov\/publications\/brochures-and-fact-sheets\/treatment-alcohol-problems-finding-and-getting-help\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">NIAAA<\/a>, 2025). In another Cochrane review, structured programs that facilitate participation in Alcoholics Anonymous achieved more continuous abstinence at 12 months than other therapies, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (Kelly et al., 2020, <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/14651858.CD012880.pub2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Cochrane<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>There are approved medications for alcohol use disorder, such as naltrexone, acamprosate, and disulfiram, and none of them is addictive. In the European Union, nalmefene has also been authorized since 2013 to reduce drinking, together with psychosocial support, in adults with dependence and high-risk drinking who have no physical withdrawal symptoms and do not need immediate detox (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ema.europa.eu\/en\/medicines\/human\/EPAR\/selincro\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">EMA<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>A meta-analysis of 123 studies published in JAMA calculated that 12 people need to be treated with acamprosate, or 20 with naltrexone, to prevent one return to drinking (Jonas et al., 2014, <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1001\/jama.2014.3628\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">JAMA<\/a>). All of them require a prescription and medical follow-up.<\/p>\n<div id=\"thebe-2139999563\" style=\"margin-bottom: 20px;margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;text-align: center;\"><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-9395258998211551\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block; text-align:center;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-9395258998211551\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"1179889612\" \ndata-ad-layout=\"in-article\"\ndata-ad-format=\"fluid\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Does non-alcoholic beer help you stop drinking?<\/h2>\n<p>The evidence is scarce and points toward caution in people with dependence. A systematic review by the Hospital Cl\u00ednic de Barcelona pooled 10 studies and found that, in people with alcohol use disorder, these drinks can increase the desire to drink, more so the more severe the dependence (Caballeria et al., 2022, <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/nu14193925\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Nutrients<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>The authors conclude that the precautionary principle should prevail, while respecting each patient&#8217;s decision. Some people say it helped them with cravings, and a British survey cited in the review indicates that heavy drinkers tend to add these drinks to their consumption rather than use them as a substitute.<\/p>\n<p>A Japanese study followed 198 men with alcohol dependence for one year after hospital discharge. Of those who did not drink non-alcoholic beer, 51.2% were still not drinking, compared with 15.3% of those who did (Yokoyama et al., 2026, <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1111\/acer.70227\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Alcohol, Clinical and Experimental Research<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>It is an observational study, so it shows an association and does not prove that non-alcoholic beer causes relapse. There are no trials proving a benefit in drinkers without dependence who only want to cut down, and for them <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/en\/is-non-alcoholic-beer-technically-beer\/\">non-alcoholic beer<\/a> may be an option worth discussing with a doctor.<\/p>\n<h2>Do home remedies to stop drinking beer work?<\/h2>\n<p>Kudzu, a plant used in traditional Chinese medicine, is one of the few natural remedies tested in clinical trials.<\/p>\n<p>In a four-week placebo-controlled trial, 17 young men with alcohol abuse or dependence who were not seeking treatment reduced their weekly drinks by 34 to 57% (Lukas et al., 2013, <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/s00213-012-2884-9\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Psychopharmacology<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>Two of the authors of that trial disclosed holding a patent on the extract, which is sold under license.<\/p>\n<p>In adults with alcohol use disorder who were in treatment, another eight-week trial found no advantage of kudzu over placebo (Keith et al., 2026, <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.dadr.2026.100473\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Drug and Alcohol Dependence Reports<\/a>). We have not found any published studies supporting valerian, chamomile, lemon, or other infusions that circulate as remedies.<\/p>\n<h2>What changes in your body when you quit beer?<\/h2>\n<p>A British study compared 94 moderate or heavy drinkers without dependence who gave up alcohol for a month with 47 who kept drinking. In the group that quit, insulin resistance fell by 25.9%, systolic blood pressure by 6.6%, and weight by 1.5% (Mehta et al., 2018, <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1136\/bmjopen-2017-020673\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">BMJ Open<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>In people who have six or more drinks a day, cutting consumption in half lowered systolic blood pressure by 5.5 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure by 4.0 mmHg, according to a meta-analysis of 36 trials (Roerecke et al., 2017, <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/S2468-2667(17)30003-8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">The Lancet Public Health<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>Alcohol-related fatty liver usually recovers if you stop drinking, while cirrhosis usually does not reverse (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/conditions\/alcohol-related-liver-disease-arld\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">NHS<\/a>, 2026). In its guide to cutting down, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/live-well\/alcohol-advice\/tips-on-cutting-down-alcohol\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">NHS<\/a> also cites better sleep, more energy, and a better mood, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/que-es-y-como-se-puede-evitar-la-resaca\/\">hangovers<\/a> go away.<\/p>\n<h2>Where to get help in Spain and Mexico<\/h2>\n<p>In Mexico, the Secretariat of Health&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gob.mx\/conasama\/articulos\/linea-de-la-vida-800-911-2000\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">L\u00ednea de la Vida<\/a> answers at 800 911 2000, free of charge, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. It handles questions about alcohol and other substances, and family members can call too.<\/p>\n<p>In Spain, the entry point is the primary care doctor, who refers patients to the specialized addiction services of each autonomous community. The Ministry of Health compiles the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sanidad.gob.es\/areas\/promocionPrevencion\/alcohol\/enlacesDeInteres\/CCAA.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">links from the autonomous communities on preventing alcohol use<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>If you have severe tremors, confusion, hallucinations, or seizures after you stop drinking, call 112 in Spain or 911 in Mexico.<\/p>\n<h2>Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)<\/h2>\n<h3>1. How do you stop drinking beer every day?<\/h3>\n<p>If you drink every day, meet several criteria for the disorder, or have ever had tremors, sweats, or seizures when stopping, see your doctor before quitting or cutting down, because withdrawal can be dangerous. If that is not your case, start by tracking how much you drink, set alcohol-free days, and prepare a plan for moments of craving.<\/p>\n<h3>2. Is beer addiction alcoholism?<\/h3>\n<p>Yes. Dependence is caused by alcohol, not by the type of drink, and doctors diagnose it as alcohol use disorder using the 11 DSM-5 criteria, mild with 2 or 3, moderate with 4 or 5, and severe with 6 or more.<\/p>\n<h3>3. How many beers a day are too many?<\/h3>\n<p>Spain&#8217;s Ministry of Health sets the low-risk limit at 20 g of alcohol a day for men and 10 g for women, and points out that the less, the better. A 330 ml bottle at 5% has about 13 g, so two bottles exceed the limit for men and a single one already exceeds the limit for women.<\/p>\n<h3>4. Does non-alcoholic beer help you stop drinking?<\/h3>\n<p>For people with dependence, the available studies advise caution, because it can increase craving and has been associated with more relapses. In drinkers without dependence the evidence is scarce, and a British survey indicates that moderate and heavy drinkers tend to add it to their drinking, so it is best to decide with your doctor.<\/p>\n<h3>5. What happens to your body when you quit beer?<\/h3>\n<p>In drinkers without dependence, a month without alcohol lowered insulin resistance, blood pressure, and weight in a 2018 British study. Fatty liver usually recovers, and the NHS cites better sleep, more energy, and a better mood.<\/p>\n<p><script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"FAQPage\",\"mainEntity\":[{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"1. How do you stop drinking beer every day?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"If you drink every day, meet several criteria for the disorder, or have ever had tremors, sweats, or seizures when stopping, see your doctor before quitting or cutting down, because withdrawal can be dangerous. If that is not your case, start by tracking how much you drink, set alcohol-free days, and prepare a plan for moments of craving.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"2. Is beer addiction alcoholism?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Yes. Dependence is caused by alcohol, not by the type of drink, and doctors diagnose it as alcohol use disorder using the 11 DSM-5 criteria, mild with 2 or 3, moderate with 4 or 5, and severe with 6 or more.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"3. How many beers a day are too many?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Spain's Ministry of Health sets the low-risk limit at 20 g of alcohol a day for men and 10 g for women, and points out that the less, the better. A 330 ml bottle at 5% has about 13 g, so two bottles exceed the limit for men and a single one already exceeds the limit for women.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"4. Does non-alcoholic beer help you stop drinking?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"For people with dependence, the available studies advise caution, because it can increase craving and has been associated with more relapses. In drinkers without dependence the evidence is scarce, and a British survey indicates that moderate and heavy drinkers tend to add it to their drinking, so it is best to decide with your doctor.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"5. What happens to your body when you quit beer?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"In drinkers without dependence, a month without alcohol lowered insulin resistance, blood pressure, and weight in a 2018 British study. Fatty liver usually recovers, and the NHS cites better sleep, more energy, and a better mood.\"}}]}<\/script><\/p>\n<div id=\"thebe-4086989882\" class=\"thebe-maridaje-cerveza-marihuana thebe-entity-placement\"><div style=\"background-color: #ffffff; border: 1px solid #ccc; border-radius: 12px; padding: 16px; max-width: 320px; margin: 20px auto; text-align: center; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-49643\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Maridaje-de-Cerveza-y-queso-profesional-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Maridaje-de-Cerveza-y-queso-profesional-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Maridaje-de-Cerveza-y-queso-profesional-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Maridaje-de-Cerveza-y-queso-profesional-370x370.jpg 370w, https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Maridaje-de-Cerveza-y-queso-profesional.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #0000ff; font-weight: bold; margin: 8px 0; line-height: 1.2;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/4qHemVH\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\">Maridaje de cerveza y queso profesional. Ciencia, t\u00e9cnica y sinergia sensorial<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a class=\"fasc-button fasc-size-medium fasc-type-flat fasc-rounded-medium fasc-ico-before dashicons-cart\" style=\"background-color: #ffd100; color: #000000;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"\">Comprar en Amazon<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><h2>Recommended<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/en\/how-many-calories-in-beer-and-how-to-calculate-them\/\">Does Beer Make You Fat? How Many Calories Does Beer Have and How to Calculate Them?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/en\/roland-berger-consultancy-predicts-alcohol-consumption-will-halve-by-2050\/\">Roland Berger Consultancy Predicts Alcohol Consumption Will Halve by 2050<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div id=\"thebe-3940176029\" class=\"thebe-adskeeper-fin-articulo thebe-entity-placement\" style=\"margin-top: 20px;margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;text-align: center;\"><div data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1705281\">\r\n<\/div>\r\n<script>(function(w,q){w[q]=w[q]||[];w[q].push([\"_mgc.load\"])})(window,\"_mgq\");\r\n<\/script><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Beer addiction has no diagnosis of its own. It is treated as alcohol use disorder, and there are screening tests, therapies, and medications with proven effectiveness for it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":51159,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wpai_generated_summary":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[21156],"tags":[21467,21191,22519,21295],"class_list":["post-51168","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-health","tag-alcohol-consumption","tag-health","tag-mental-health","tag-non-alcoholic-beer"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51168","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=51168"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51168\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":51170,"href":"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51168\/revisions\/51170"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/51159"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=51168"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=51168"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=51168"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}