Mannequin Needing to Pee
Health - Wellness
How Alcohol Impacts Your Bladder
By ERIN MARIE
If you've ever spent an evening socializing over drinks, then you probably know firsthand how alcohol can increase your need to pee. Alcohol acts as a diuretic, meaning it blocks the release of ADH — a hormone that tells your kidneys to retain water.
Without receiving that message to hold water, our kidneys release more liquid. In fact, even if you consumed the same amount of water as you did alcohol, the alcoholic beverage would still prompt more bathroom trips than the water.
A 2017 study involving older men determined that moderate consumption of beverages with lower concentrations of alcohol, such as beer, had less of a diuretic effect than stronger beverages like wine and liquor. To help reduce trips to the bathroom the next time you're out and about, drink in moderation and drink water throughout the night to stay hydrated.