The Lasting Benefits of Dry January

How great are the benefits of quitting alcohol for one month? Surprisingly great. One study published in 2018 in BMJ Open found that people who gave up alcohol for one month lost an average of four and a half pounds, lowered their blood pressure, and reduced cancer-related growth factors. The Washington Post reports that study participants who quit alcohol for one month continued to drink less alcohol months later, and their drinking habits improved from “hazardous” to “low risk,” as was not the case with the control group. Other studies found that dry January participants drank less alcohol than they had been drinking as far from January as August. Read more in the Washington Post and think about taking a break. It’s only for one month, at least to start.