The annual tradition of Dry January has seen a surge in popularity, with a whopping 8.8 million UK residents reportedly participating in 2023, all in the name of bettering their physical and mental health following the festive season’s indulgences.
Not only does Dry January offer a chance to kickstart your health, but it also provides an invaluable opportunity to reassess your drinking habits and experience the advantages of abstaining from alcohol for a month.
Health experts Trevor Connor and Griffin McMath from The Paleo Diet have delved into how even a brief hiatus from alcohol can have significant benefits. They’ve also highlighted that the immediate effects of alcohol on the body are not to be underestimated.
READ MORE: Doctor says there’s one superfood people have been eating ‘wrong’
The experts have shed light on the detrimental impact alcohol can have on our bodies, emphasising the importance of taking a break to create healthier, long-lasting attitudes towards alcohol consumption, reports the Mirror.
While long-term alcohol use can lead to permanent issues such as fatty liver deposits, other effects can manifest much more rapidly, according to the experts.
They point out that alcohol acts as a major instigator of inflammation within the body, potentially paving the way to chronic illnesses like diabetes and cancer.
Griffin specifically noted: “Your first hangover, that’s a cause of inflammation right there. You can even see it in people whose bodies have a hard time processing alcohol – you can see the flush in their faces.
“You can see the harmful effects of alcohol after one drink.”
Trevor explained: “Your body wants to stay in balance – alcohol gets you out of balance, but your body finds a way to say “I can deal with this. ” So as Griffin said, the effects are immediate.
“You’re going to have some sort of inflammatory effect after your first night of drinking. But your body’s going to be able to address that, and prevent the more severe, long-term consequences.
“The question is – how long does that have to sustain, where your body is trying to manage it, before your ability to manage it breaks down and you start seeing chronic diseases. That’s going to be individual, but anybody – even if you’re past that point – if you reduce alcohol and get that inflammation down, you can reverse some of the negative consequences.”
However, it’s important to note that this isn’t a one-size-fits all approach. Griffin highlighted that decades of heavy drinking can have irreversible effects – but ditching alcohol is ‘always worth it’.
Dry January may just be one month of no drinking, but even a short-term break can have some positive impacts on your health.
Trevor said: “Overall, yes you’re going to be heathier doing this. I think you’ll see some benefits in the short run, but if it’s really just one month, I think mostly what you’re going to experience by the end of that month is hopefully how much better you can feel without the alcohol in your system.”
The experts have thrown a spotlight on the risks associated with Dry January, highlighting the potential rebound effects when the month wraps up.
Trevor commented: “If you just do it for a month and then get back to the way you used to drink, I don’t think you’re going to see any long-term benefits.”
He went on to say: “I think if you maintain it, that’s where you’re really going to see long term benefits such as reduction of inflammation. Getting inflammation down in our bodies is really important for us – that has an impact on almost every chronic disease.”
He also highlighted you could see an improvement in your gut microbiome, but since this can change rapidly, drinking habitually again can reverse this.