Summary
A study by researchers at Brown University and Warren Alpert Medical School found that giving up alcohol for January, a practice known as Dry January, improves sleep, mood, liver function, blood pressure, concentration, and energy levels. Participants of the program tend to drink less alcohol even after January ends, and the challenge becomes more popular each year. However, some people who cannot abstain for the full month end up drinking more afterward.
Key Facts
- Dry January is a challenge where people stop drinking alcohol for the entire month.
- Brown University researchers reviewed 16 studies with over 150,000 participants about this challenge.
- Benefits of cutting alcohol for a month include better sleep, improved mood, healthier liver and blood pressure, and weight loss.
- Participants said they could focus better and had more energy when they stopped drinking.
- People who signed up for the official Dry January program were more likely to stop drinking for the whole month.
- Most participants drank less alcohol after January, even if they didn't quit drinking entirely.
- Some who couldn't complete the challenge drank more afterward.
- Dry January helps people think about how alcohol affects their lives, making it socially normal to explore an alcohol-free lifestyle.
