What is Dry January? How Does It Help Your Health?

After the excesses of alcohol in December, "Dry January" is a month when many people choose to abstain from alcohol consumption in order to begin the new year sober, lucid, refreshed, and physically well.

During the holidays, time spent with friends and family is common. Office celebrations, enjoyable nights out, and drunken nights characterize it. Even while the festivities can be great, you might find that you're drinking more frequently. And if you still don't feel comfortable with that, you might want to attempt Dry January.

More and more people have been participating in this month of fasting over the last few years.

Dry January Benefits

Studies reveal that cutting less on alcohol offers definite health advantages, such as better sleep, lower blood pressure, and a lower chance of liver disease. Our brain's neurochemical pathways are affected by alcohol, which releases feel-good endorphins.

It makes sense that so many people choose to relax with a drink because doing so might momentarily make them feel at ease and comfortable.

Here’s how Dry January helps you in many ways:

1) Better sleep

Dry January benefits include better sleep.

Although we may believe that a drink will put us to sleep quickly, drinking alcohol before bed actually lowers the quality of your sleep.

You skip the crucial stages of napping if you fall asleep instantly. Later on in the night, this may lead to lighter, less restorative sleep.

Numerous health advantages come from getting more restful sleep, including greater memory and a lower chance of heart disease.

Our brain's neurochemical pathways are affected by alcohol. (Image via Pexels/ Edward Eyer)

Even while you might not notice these advantages right away, you'll probably start to feel more awake and aware during the day.

2) Increased hydration

Alcohol is among the most dehydrating substances you can consume. You can begin to experience the advantages of staying hydrated by eliminating alcohol and following a dry January.

Check out the signs and symptoms of dehydration.

The advantages of maintaining hydration include better skin and more vitality. In addition, it's more probable that you'll select a more hydrating drink when you skip the alcoholic beverage at dinner. Your body will benefit from less alcohol-related dehydration and more ingestion of hydrating beverages.

3) Helpful for liver

Dry January benefits include reducing alcohol-induced liver inflammation. Your liver has the ability to regenerate, so giving it a lot of time to heal will benefit you in the long run.

Alcohol consumption leads to dehydration. (Image via Pexels/ Mahrael Boutros)

One month typically is not long enough to cure the scarring brought on by heavy alcohol consumption in cases involving liver diseases like fibrosis or cirrhosis. The longer you abstain from alcohol, the better it is for your liver in terms of liver disease.

4) Promotes weight loss

You might drop a few pounds over the course of dry January, depending on how much you were drinking previously. Alcoholic beverages not only include calories, but they are liquid calories, which, according to a study, do not make you feel full the way that calories from food do.

People frequently don't replenish those calories when they quit or reduce their alcohol consumption. You might discover that this one change is all you need to lose weight.

5) Lowering blood pressure

A dry January might start decreasing your blood pressure if you currently have elevated levels. According to research, abstaining from alcohol for just four weeks can start to lower your blood pressure and heart rate.

Reduced alcohol consumption also helps in lowering blood pressure. (Image via Pexels/ Ron Lach)

Conclusion

More thorough research is required to determine whether Dry January is the best strategy for people trying to reduce their alcohol consumption, even though the longer-term impact on drinking patterns after Dry January appears encouraging in the present research.