The champagne flutes have been clinked, and the holiday festivities are behind us—enter Dry January, the challenge that invites you to ditch alcohol for a month. Is this popular start-of-the-year reset really worth the hype, or is it just another fleeting trend?
Whether you’re curious about its health benefits, looking to break some habits, or simply wondering if life without a glass of wine is bearable, we’re here to weigh the pros and cons. Let’s find out if Dry January is your ticket to a better year—or just another thing to stress about.
Dry January, a public health initiative launched in 2013, according to the Health Harvad publication, it involves millions of people abstaining from alcohol for one month.
The challenge is said to address the role alcohol plays in people’s lives and health. Additionally, the above source states that after 30 days, many people report improved sleep, increased energy, weight loss, and lower blood pressure.
According to Runner’s World, alcohol can interfere with stomach function, affecting acid production and reducing the ability to destroy harmful bacteria. Alcoholic cocktails lack protein, fibre, antioxidants, and vitamins, making them unsatisfactory for calorie intake.
“Alcohol lingers in the stomach for a while, being absorbed into both your bloodstream and small intestine. It can affect acid production, diminishing your stomach’s ability to destroy harmful bacteria that enter the stomach”
UCDavis Health publication states that a month of sobriety can lead to weight loss, better sleep, improved mood, increased physical activity, better diet, decreased growth factors, and reduced liver fat and blood sugar. It’s time to assess drinking habits as the publication claims that “Even a brief break from alcohol can produce immediate health benefits.”
This is all to say that even if the Dry challenge has been around for a while, it’s still effective and one shouldn’t hesitate hoping into it for better health.
