Why Abstaining From Alcohol Consumption in January May Benefit You All Year Long

   By SheSpeaksTeam  Jan 04, 2019
1

The first month in the new year signals a time for fresh starts, resolutions, figuring out ways to make this year better than the last. A popular trend of giving up alcohol for the month of January seems appropriate to make up for all of the indulgences the holidays bring. But a new study suggests participating in Dry January comes with even more benefits to your health than was previously thought.

Cosmopolitan UK reports about a study from the University of Sussex that suggests there are various long-term health benefits to  giving up booze for a month or even attempting that goal. Participants who took part in Dry January saw some immediate health benefits from giving up drink like having more energy, weight loss, better sleep, and clearer skin.

But the more surprising results came from the long term benefits most participants saw from abstaining from alcohol for a month. Researchers found that even eight months after January, in August, participants were drinking significantly less alcohol than those who did not give it up. They went from having roughly four drinks per week to three almost a year later.

Those that attempted Dry January but failed to abstain from alcohol the whole month also saw long-term health benefits of consuming less eight months later. University of Sussex’s Dr. Richard di Visser explains the benefits from Dry January, “The simple act of taking a month off alcohol helps people drink less in the long term: by August people are reporting one extra dry day per week. There are also considerable immediate benefits: nine in ten people save money, seven in ten sleep better and three in five lose weight.”

What was your New Year’s resolution this year?

Do you think Dry January could be beneficial?

Make a Comment

 
SHARE
Comments
monteque by monteque | N LITTLE ROCK, AR
Jan 04, 2019

I do not have a New Year's resolution. In part because I will not keep it. What I have done was start before end of the year with making lifestyle changes by prioritizing what was important and why. Then weighed what was the pros and cons and how I would complete this. For example, I wanted to eat better and live better. I simply stated that I would not eat red meat in order to help my digestion and sluggishness feeling. So far, I have been 4 weeks without red meat and am not missing it. My overall goal is to lose weight but that was not the main factor in not eating red meat. My goals are small in order to reach a larger one.