No matter how many home remedies you try to get alcohol out of your system quickly, for instance, detox drinks for drugs, chances are, it will leave your body after completing its metabolic pathway. There are 3 common ways to help your body process alcohol faster. But, it does not guarantee that your body will be free of alcohol after a set duration. We have highlighted some ways that might work, but in reality, a complete, painless, and rapid detox is the best way to sober up.
Do not let a momentary high lead to a lifetime of despair! Call ChoicePoint today at 844.445.2565 to break free of alcohol addiction and start your journey to alcohol rehab in New Jersey.
Table of Contents
Understanding Alcohol Metabolism
According to NIAAA, National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, more than 14 million adults have alcohol use disorder. What may start as a casual drink may soon turn into an addiction. If you are looking for ways to get alcohol out of your body, please look at the bigger picture and consider sustainable recovery rather than quick hacks that probably wouldn’t work.
Before we address your concern about how to flush alcohol out of your system, it is essential to understand how alcohol is eliminated from the body.
- Alcohol is metabolized in the liver.
- In the liver, two enzymes, alcohol dehydrogenase, and aldehyde dehydrogenase, break down alcohol.
- Alcohol is broken down into small metabolites (acetaldehyde) and then excreted out through urine.
- If you drink greater amounts of alcohol, the metabolites, such as acetaldehyde, start to accumulate and cause damage to cells.
Some metabolites not excreted through urine are eliminated through breath and sweat. That is how breathalyzers can detect alcohol.
How Long Does It Take To Metabolize Alcohol
Usually, one standard drink is metabolized in one hour. A standard drink contains 14 grams or 0.6 fluid ounces of pure alcohol. Standard drinks in popular beverages are:
Beverage |
Standard Drink |
Beer 12 oz. can | 1 |
Malt Liquor 12 oz can or bottle | 1.4 |
Table wine 5 oz. glass | 1 |
Table wine 25 oz. bottle | 5 |
Hard liquor 12 oz. | 8 |
Hard liquor 25 oz. bottle | 27 |
This means that if you consume a 5-ounce table wine glass, it will take around 1 hour for the body to metalize it. But, if you consume a whole bottle, it will take around 5 hours.

What Happens to Your Body Day by Day When You Stop Drinking?
3 Common Ways How To Get Alcohol Out Of Your System?
Medical detox for drug tests or detox drinks? You might be looking for a quick fix to get alcohol out of your system. You must understand that the body metabolizes alcohol through certain pathways. Unfortunately, you can not speed up the metabolism overnight to get rid of alcohol. But some tips may help you sober up fast and flush out alcohol:
- Speeding up your metabolism by staying hydrated, exercising, and getting rest.
- Eating nutritious foods rich in iron, zinc, and Vitamin B
- Opting for a medical detox to completely flush alcohol out.
Scientifically, only alcohol detox is an effective way to achieve a sober lifestyle.
1. Improve Your Body’s Metabolism to Flush Out Alcohol
You can try the following tips to speed up your metabolic system. These tips may not decrease your blood alcohol levels, but will help you sober up fast:
- Stay Hydrated: Drink plenty of water. Replenish electrolytes and stay hydrated.
- Exercise: Exercise will kick-start your system and help you feel more alert.
- Give Your Body Time To Recover: Get plenty of rest and sleep to restore the body’s ability to metabolize alcohol.
- Eat Balanced Meals: Eat nutritious foods to avoid the side effects of alcohol intoxication.
Drinking more water or exercising may make alcohol tests invalid, but it can not help you pass it.

Executive Clinical Director at ChoicePoint
The truth is, there is no magic fix to get alcohol out of your system faster. Your liver does the work, and it takes time. Staying hydrated, resting, and eating a balanced meal can help you feel better, but they don’t speed up the process.
2. Improve Your Digestive Health to Get Alcohol Out of Your System Fast
Whenever you are recovering from a hangover, it is recommended to avoid sugar-rich and greasy food. Eating junk and oily food will stress your digestive system, and you will have to work hard to eliminate alcohol from your system.
Here are some foods that can help your digestive system to metabolize alcohol faster:
- Research shows that eating zinc-rich foods can help the body metabolize alcohol faster.
- Eat nutritious bone broths and soups to replenish minerals and hydrate your body.
- Eating vitamin B and folic acid-rich food can reduce alcohol toxicity.
- Dietary and supplemental vitamin B can break down alcohol faster
- Eating citrus food moves alcohol out of your system at a faster rate. It is also great for hydration, alcohol metabolism, and hangover symptoms.

Executive Clinical Director at ChoicePoint
Lots of people look for quick fixes to cure a hangover, but it’s worth asking yourself: Is this a one-time thing, or is binge drinking becoming a habit? If these hangovers are happening more often, it might be time to chat with an addiction counselor. Catching it early can make recovery a whole lot easier.
3. Painless and Rapid Detox Can Help You Pass A Urine Test and Get Rid Of Alcohol
While there is tons of information available for a natural or at-home detox claiming to help you get rid of alcohol, a medical detox is a safe way to go. Why? Because abstaining from alcohol produces intense withdrawal symptoms, which include:
Mild Alcohol Withdrawal
- Anxiety
- Shaky hands
- Nausea
- Insomnia
- Sweating
Severe Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms
- Hallucinations
- Tremors
- Delusions
- Confusion
- High blood pressure
- Rapid heart rate
These withdrawal symptoms cause the person to relapse and indulge in heavy drinking. A medical detox helps to ease the withdrawal symptoms to set you on a path of easier and more comfortable recovery.
Treatments To Expect At Alcohol Detox Center In New Jersey
Many people think that programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous or 28-day inpatient rehab are the only options available for addiction recovery. The truth is the opposite. Alcohol addiction treatment has now evolved to take a more personalized approach. Here are some detox levels of care best suited to our needs:
- Inpatient Treatment
- Partial Care/ Partial Hospitalization Program
- Intensive Outpatient Detox
- Outpatient Alcohol Detox Program
Detox is the first step to get alcohol out of your system. During detox, you will be provided support and guidance along with a recovery plan to assist in a smoother transition to an addiction-free life. Your recovery plan may include medication-assisted treatment to ease withdrawal symptoms. Some of the FDA-approved medications include:
Research is also being carried out on other medications that have shown potential in alcohol addiction treatment:
- Varenicline
- Gabapentin
- Anti-epileptic medication
After detox, your body will be free of all the traces of alcohol. You will then be recommended for recovery maintenance and aftercare plans. ChoicePoint is offering 30 day drug rehab near you in NJ and 7 days program (available on weekends as well).
Do not Undermine the Importance of Therapy for Sustainable Recovery From Alcohol Addiction
Therapy is relevant to getting rid of alcohol addiction. There, it is how most people resort to drinking because of some underlying mental health issues. For example, you might be drinking to cope with depression or anxiety. Or, you might have experienced a traumatic event, and now you are drinking to calm your nerves.
Alcohol therapists in NJ can help you identify and address all these issues by offering Online DBT therapy or involving you in CBT group activities essential for substance abuse recovery. A therapist will work with you to:
- Identify addiction triggers
- Teach you coping skills to navigate through triggers
- Help you process your emotions
- Help you understand your feelings
- Allow you to see and become the best version of yourself
- Help you process the traumatic event
No time to attend in-person therapy sessions? Enroll in an online therapy program, covered by government and commercial insurance plans, accessible at any location through any phone or laptop.
How Long Does Alcohol Stay In Your System?
Now that we have covered how to recover from drinking problems, the next query we get is how long does it take to detox from alcohol. Well, one alcoholic drink is usually metabolized in one hour. It can be detected in the system for:
- Blood test: Can be detected in the blood test for up to 12 hours
- Urine test: 3-5 days in ethyl glucuronide test and 10-12 hours in traditional urine testing
- Hair: Up to 90 days
- Breathalyzer: Up to 12-24 hours
How long alcohol stays in your system depends on:
- Liver health: Better liver health means faster alcohol metabolism. Hence, faster elimination from the body
- Age: In older people, alcohol metabolism in the liver takes longer. This also increases the chances of liver damage.
- Individual metabolism: Some people have a genetically faster metabolism and may process the drink faster.
- Amount of alcohol consumed: Binge drinking leads to more accumulation of alcohol than the body can metabolize, and hence, it stays longer in the system.
- Mixing alcohol with medication: Mixing alcohol with drugs or medications affects how alcohol is processed. Some medications that interact with alcohol include:

Did you know? Alcohol reaches a higher blood alcohol level in women than in men, even if both are drinking the same amount. This is because women’s bodies generally have less water than men’s.

Did you know? Alcohol reaches a higher blood alcohol level in women than in men, even if both are drinking the same amount. This is because women’s bodies generally have less water than men’s.
Wrapping Up How To Get Alcohol Out Of Your System
Getting admitted to an alcohol detox program in NJ is the best way to get rid of all traces of alcohol from your body. Look no further because ChoicePoint offers inpatient and outpatient alcohol detox programs in NJ and is also in-network with major insurance plans to cover the financial aspects of the treatment process;
New Jersey Optum Health Insurance
New Jersey Aetna alcohol rehab
Bcbs of NJ
Medicaid alcohol rehab programs
and other insurance coverage for alcohol and drug addiction. Verify your insurance today and start your recovery journey with us as we adopt a transparent approach in all our addiction treatment programs. To help our patients achieve long-term sobriety.
Important Questions Related To How To Get Alcohol Out Of Your System?
More questions on how to get alcohol out of your system are answered below:
How Much Water Should I Drink to Get Rid of Alcohol?
You can drink water to stay hydrated, but it will not help you flush out alcohol faster. There is no way of speeding up alcohol metabolism in the body overnight.
Does Water and Exercise Flush Out Alcohol?
Contrary to popular belief, water and exercise can not help you flush out alcohol. It can help you to sober up and stay alert, but it does not affect alcohol concentration in your blood.
What Removes Alcohol from the Body?
No food or drink can help you get rid of alcohol. A medical detox can remove all the traces of alcohol in a safe environment. Doctors will prescribe you medications such as Vivitrol, disulfiram, or acamprosate to reduce alcohol cravings and maintain sobriety.
Can Water Dilute Alcohol in Urine?
No dilution is effective for making an alcohol test negative. Drinking water does not cause any significant changes in alcohol levels in urine.
How To Get Alcohol Out of Your Breath?
Alcohol is mostly excreted through urine. However, about 10% of unmetabolized alcohol is excreted through breath, which is detected by breath analyzers. So, until alcohol is completely metabolized, it can be detected in your breath. However, you can try these things to get rid of the alcohol smell on your breath:
- Have sugar-free mins or gums
- Drink more water
- Gargle with a good mouthwash
Does Lemon Reduce the Alcohol Effect?
While lemons can not reduce blood alcohol levels, they may help with a hangover by:
- Helps in digesting alcohol and boosting your liver function.
- Hydrating your body through lemon drinks
- Neutralizing the pH of your body.
How to Immediately Get Rid of Alcohol in Your Body?
Time is the best medicine when recovering from alcohol addiction. Alcohol is eliminated from the body after it is metabolized in the liver. But here are a few ways to sober up fast:
- Drink water
- Use over-the-counter medication for headaches, etc.
- Drink coffee to feel alert
- Have spicy food to awaken your senses.
How Long Does It Take for Your Body to Flush Alcohol Out?
It usually takes 12-24 hours for alcohol to be excreted out of your body via urine.
Additional Resources
- The Stages of Recovery at Inpatient Alcohol Rehab NJ
- IOP Alcohol Treatment in NJ
- 24/7 Virtual care and Alcohol Recovery Near You In MT
- How Long Does Alcohol Stay In Your System
- 3 Month Rehab Programs Near Me in New Jersey
- How Long After Taking Fluconazole Can You Drink Alcohol
- Does Alcohol Increase Yeast Infections?
- Can You Take Melatonin With Alcohol
- IOP Addiction Treatment Near Me
- Online Alcohol Assessment Near You In New Jersey
- Outpatient Detox NJ
- 3-day Cleanse While Pregnant
- IOP Rehab in New Jersey
- Drug Rehab in Kearny NJ
- Alcohol Rehab Somerset NJ
- BCBS IOP Request Form
- Blue Cross Blue Shield Therapists Near me In NJ
- Blue Cross Blue Shield Drug Rehab Coverage in NJ
- BCBS of NJ
- BCBS Alcohol Rehab in NJ
Medical Disclaimer:
ChoicePoint aims to improve the quality of life for people struggling with substance use disorder and mental health issues. Our team of licensed medical professionals research, edit and review the content before publishing. However, this information is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. For medical advice please consult your physicians or ChoicePoint's qualified staff.