“Dry January”: this is what happens to the body after a month without alcohol

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The “Dry January” challenge is actually based on the awareness campaign of the Alcohol Change UK organisation. “Dry January” began in 2012 to address the dangers of alcohol and addictive behavior. Originally 4,000 people took up the challenge, today there are millions of people who quit alcohol in January, either for a good cause or for themselves.

What is “Dry January”?

In January, you regularly come across “Dry January”, also known as “Drynuary”, on social media. Blick wine expert Shirley Amberg explains what it’s all about.

What happens in the body when you quit alcohol?

In a study on the benefits of short-term abstinence from alcohol, researchers confirm that abstinence from alcohol for even a month can make a big difference. The following health changes have been observed in people who normally drink moderate to heavy drinks:

• Participants lost an average of two kilos
• After one month, blood pressure dropped five percent
• Diabetes risk increased by 30 percent
• The immune system is strengthened

• The liver managed to recover

It’s unclear how long the benefits will last.

The study results have one caveat: They can’t make a concrete statement about the long-term effects of this experiment, especially if you drink as much after your alcohol break as you did before.

Participants who already consume large amounts of alcohol will not notice the benefits to the same extent. Moreover, it is difficult to tell whether people actually feel better after this challenge simply because they quit drinking. In January, people tend to pay more attention to their health, such as eating healthier and exercising.

Because abstinence only relaxes the body for a short time, health experts recommend keeping alcohol consumption to a minimum even after “Dry January.”

Changing consumer behavior

Although the long-term health benefits are unclear, one month may be enough to make a permanent change in drinking behavior. The study suggests that the proportion of people who engaged in hazardous drinking behavior before abstinence fell by nearly 50 percent in the six to eight months after “Dry January.”

Although researchers suspect that this short alcohol break might make you think and affect drinking behavior in the long run, this study isn’t enough to confirm this definitively. Additionally, after a month-long “detox” process, participants may feel like they have done enough good for their bodies and that they are falling back into old patterns.

Recognize the problem and get help

Therefore, it is important that alcohol consumption remains a problem even after the challenge. “Dry January” is an opportunity to carefully examine your relationship with alcohol and thus eliminate addictive behaviors and find alternatives.

If you notice that alcohol is missing from daily life, this may be a sign of addictive behavior; In this case, it is recommended that you seek professional help. (chj)

Source : Blick