Two glasses of champagne toasting in the nigh with lights bokeh, glitter and sparks on the ... [+] background

Its only about a week into the new decade, new year, and well, new month, and many have already lightened up on any hard core resolutions, plans, or difficult-to-reach goals. Then there are those who made more reasonable ambitions, which are much more likely to hold fast throughout the year. Or at least month. A consideration for some is not to think about a new year or new decade (if your resolution consisted of a goal to maintain until 2030, well, hats off to you), but to think about changing something for just a month. This month. This is what some have endeavored in cutting out alcoholic beverages for the month of January, also known as Dry January.

hello january text on cup and woman drinking a coffee

While the January 1 start is arbitrary (even those who engage in Dry January may be sipping their champagne after the clock strikes midnight), the notion of a month of abstinence from alcohol, especially by those who drink regularly, is interesting from a physiologic standpoint. Such abstinence challenges are difficult to study, as is the case in any clinical research involving dietary changes. But there have been some studies in this area, even if small. A 2016 study published in Health Psychology assessed 857 British adults enrolled to forego alcohol consumption for the month of January. The authors found that those that had less drunkenness in the month prior (yes, that would be December, known to be a high-consumption month, what with both holiday festivities and sorrows abounding) had a higher likelihood of reporting abstention, and that many who reported abstention over the one month were tending to drink less alcohol in the subsequent six months.

A larger study, also out of Britain, published in 2016, looked at close to 40,000 participants over a nearly two-year period, surveying amounts of alcohol, and interest in reducing consumption. They found that the month of December had the lowest percentage of attempt to reduce or stop drinking, but January had the highest by far.

people talking toasting in a pub with the beers

Certainly there can be some clear effects from abstaining from alcohol weight loss, better sleep, and having more energy during the day. But the physiology of temporary abstinence remains a bit grayer. Another research group, also in the U.K., looked at the longer term impacts of a Dry January in 2018, surveying 800 adults. They found that, on average, they drank one day less per week in the subsequent months, even into the month of August. The subjects also reported fewer instances of inebriation in the months following one month of alcohol abstinence. Dr. Aaron White, Senior Scientific Advisor to the Director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, spoke with NPR this week about how even a brief period of abstinence can help the liver. As the liver gets taxed as it metabolizes alcohol, he states that even taking a break from a...moderate level of intake leads to...some improvements in the ability of the liver to do what the liver does. This potential benefit, combined with longer term overall reduction in alcohol consumption, even without absolute abstinence, can do a liver good.

3D Illustration of Human Liver Anatomy

Over the past decade, we have learned more about potential benefits of moderate alcohol consumption, especially focused on the substance resveratrol in a daily glass of red wine. The data has been mixed on this some studies showing that it can help lower blood pressure and reduce cholesterol, while others showing no direct effects. We do know that alcohol-related deaths continue to be real, responsible for 88,000 deaths and 2.5 million years of potential life lost annually in the United States alone. According to the CDC, excess drinking is responsible for 1 in 10 deaths in adults ages 20-64 years. The costs of excess drinking are approximately $250 billion per year, or about two dollars per drink.

While Dry January may be simply a model for any lifestyle change, the concept remains interesting. Some transfer the time and money used for drinking alcohol to other endeavors hobbies, exercising, or reading, to name a few. Many have reported feeling better after a month of absence or reduction of alcohol at 100+ calories per drink, and up to 400+ calories for the sugary ones, its an easy weight loss plan, without the need for a full-on, restrictive diet. Many realize that even if they were moderate drinkers, foregoing alcohol may lead to better sleep and better daytime focus.

And when February rolls around, they may or may not want to resume prior habits, or perhaps start some new, healthier ones.

Woman with heart in hand, Valentine's day, glasses hearts and pink background

Go here to read the rest:
Will A Dry January Make You Healthier? - Forbes