Why Dry January could actually be bad for you

The first week of January is coming to a close and you’ve inevitably fallen into one of two camps: a (perhaps unwilling) participant in the Dry January saga or a ‘normal’ person still carrying on with their regular drinking habits.

With one in six of us taking on the challenge last year, you’re guaranteed to have plenty of conversations about the national phenomenon until 1 February hits. But is there actual proof that giving up the booze for 31 days will do you any good?

Of course, refraining from alcohol isn’t going to cause you any harm. Alcohol Concern reported a variety of benefits resulting from Dry January: 49% of people lost weight, 62% slept better and 65% kept up a reduced level of drinking six months after.

Yet there isn’t much science to back up any health benefits. A few small studies (such as this one) found that people undertaking Dry January had less fat round their liver and lower levels of both cholesterol and blood glucose at the end of the month. Other self-reported benefits including improved concentration and sleep were also noted.

Some experts feel it’s well worth the effort with liver specialist Professor Kevin Moore telling the Daily Mail: “Our research on people drinking an average of 35 units a week has shown that going dry for just one month decreases liver stiffness by 10-15% and leads to significant reductions in weight, blood pressure, cholesterol and insulin resistance.”

However, much more research needs to be done for this to be taken as concrete evidence. In fact, some doctors feel that you may be more likely to binge drink throughout February, rendering your 31 alcohol-free days completely pointless. “Dry January risks sending out a binary, all or nothing, message about alcohol – that is, either participate by abstaining or carry on as you are. Alcohol Concern’s ambition is to alter people’s relationship with alcohol by encouraging us to reduce the amount we drink, not just for a month but for life. Unfortunately, this type of campaign has had no rigorous evaluation,” lecturer Ian Hamilton wrote in the British Medical Journal last year.

If you’re a heavy drinker, suddenly quitting could leave you at risk of some serious symptoms including seizures. Any health problems you may have acquired over the years will also take a lot longer than a month to rectify. Damage to your heart, brain and pancreas can take years to be undone with liver disease developing over the course of 30 years.

Mentally, a month is too short a period to have an impact on a so-called ’addiction’. UCL’s psychology department revealed that it takes an average of 66 days to form a new habit. So if you’re serious about improving your health and cutting down the alcohol for good, you’re going to need a more effective way than simply one healthy month.

Last year, a neuroscientist kept a diary of his Dry January experience. Although he reported feeling more focused in general, he admitted that “the impact of giving up drinking is something that can’t really be generalised in any useful way as it depends on so many factors. Your regular intake, your age, body type, diet, genetics, family history, all of it.”

If you’re already feeling like the fad isn’t working for you, why not partake in a more long-term solution? Having two or three alcohol-free days every week is a healthier alternative, likely leading to a reduced alcohol intake throughout the year. After all, your liver only needs a few days to recover from a heavy session.

Are you struggling with Dry January? Let us know your stories at @YahooStyleUK.

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