Dry January means going alcohol-free for the month of January and most people who give it a try see a whole host of obvious benefits that make a great start to the New Year. The infographic below shows feedback from those signed up to do Dry January with Alcohol Change UK.
Research published the British Medical Journal in 2018, found that a month off alcohol:
Lowers blood pressure
Reduces diabetes risk
Lowers cholesterol
Reduces levels of cancer-related proteins in the blood
And the benefits can last for the rest of the year as Dry January helps people to drink more healthily year-round. How can it be that just a month off has a long-term impact? Being alcohol-free for 31 days shows us that we don’t need alcohol to have fun, to relax, or to socialise. It helps us learn the skills we need to manage our drinking. That’s good news because alcohol is linked with more than 60 health conditions, including liver disease, high blood pressure, depression and seven types of cancer. In fact, alcohol is the biggest risk factor for death, ill-health and disability for people aged 15-49 in the UK. Cutting back on alcohol long-term reduces your risk of developing these conditions.
Want to take part?
Alcohol Change have a couple of handy tools to support and motivate you. Download their free “Try Dry” app for Apple or Android or sign up for free coaching emails here. Visit www.alcoholchange.org.uk for more information on Dry January and visit www.alcoholandyouni.com for support and contact details of local services which can help you if you are concerned about your drinking or someone close to you. The Trust’s BWell website also includes useful information and tools including a unit calculator.