Happy New Year! Let’s have a toast, perhaps with a non-alcoholic beverage for a change! Many Americans enjoy imbibing in fermented beverages that get us a little tipsy, and often to excess in December as we celebrate the end of the year, which is why many people do the Dry January challenge.
So, what is Dry January? It’s where we don’t touch a drop of alcohol for a full month. Since we’re already into January, this challenge can be done for any 30 day period. Real lasting change takes more than a month, but using this as a kickstart can help as you work on overall behavior change to become healthier.
Anyone who can successfully complete Dry January benefits themselves tremendously. Some choose to make it their new lifestyle, which is certainly admirable for longterm benefits to natural wellness and even financial health. Moderation, occasional drinking, is possible for some people too after they complete the challenge, but let’s first talk about the negative effects of alcohol on the body and then the benefits of Dry January week by week and how to get started! Most people can do this safely, but you should always discuss with your healthcare provider before making big changes to your health routine.
Important: If you think you have alcohol use disorder or dependence, it’s important to discuss any changes to alcohol consumption with your doctor and come up with a harm reduction strategy to avoid dangerous withdrawal symptoms.
Negative Effects of Alcohol by System:
Just to warn you, this list is a tough read. It helps to know the problems though, so the solution is more enticing. Do your best and read on, or skip to the benefits section if you’re ready to do the Dry January challenge anyway! Get a buddy to join you and let’s go!
Brain: Alcohol directly damages multiple brain structures responsible for movement, thinking, decision making, and all intentional and automatic body system regulation. Long term, heavy, exposure (3-4 drinks per day) has plausible links to dependence (alcohol use disorder), brain degeneration, movement disorders, mood disorders, and dementia. Even occasional days of high intensity drinking (more than 4 or 5 standard drinks during a 2 hour timeframe) causes immediate brain impairment (getting drunk) starting as a depression first, then a rebound of excitotoxicity that feels like a supreme level of anxiety or heart racing.
Mental Health: As mentioned above, depression and anxiety are a direct result of the brain damage caused by excessive alcohol consumption in a short timeframe. Also, alcohol kills beneficial gut bacteria that normally help to make us more serotonin and dopamine, which we use to feel good. This combination makes continued use (7-14 drinks per week) a major mood problem long term. Notably, there is no completely safe level of alcohol intake when preventing brain aging and cognitive decline.
Digestion: The gut relies on bacteria to function properly. Ethanol (the type of alcohol we drink) is toxic to those beneficial bacteria we use to digest food, make feel-good neurotransmitters, synthesize vitamins and fatty acids, and make bathroom time a quick trip instead of a fight for survival! If you’ve ever had severe diarrhea after a night of drinking, this message is for you! Chronic heavy alcohol use is linked to stomach cancer, but even lighter exposure can lead to stomach ulcers, GERD, and overall indigestion.
Sleep & Hormones: Alcohol robs us of deep sleep by disrupting REM (rapid-eye-movement) sleep, which disrupts hormones and breaks down our decision making processes and mood even further. For example, one night of terrible sleep can drop testosterone in men to that of a man 10 years older than him. Additionally, when we get poor sleep, studies show that we eat more garbage food, which leads to metabolic dysfunction and weight gain.
Liver Function: Famously destroyed by alcohol is the mighty liver. It is a resilient organ but when it’s damaged for far too long without any help, the results are dire. The liver has a large part of the responsibility for processing alcohol using enzymes. It takes the alcohol and makes it into toxic acetyl aldehyde, which is what makes us feel absolutely horrible, and causes instant liver inflammation and cell damage. The kidneys, lungs, and skin take a detox role as well and they are all damaged by alcohol, hindering their function, even in the short term.
Immune System: White blood cells are known for their healing abilities and keeping us from getting colds and flus that knock us on our butts. Alcohol is toxic to them as well. One night of high intensity drinking can suppress immune function for a full 24 hours, making it all too easy to get sick. Lung immunity, bone marrow cell production, allergies, and gut immunity are all impaired by alcohol. There is no completely safe level for alcohol consumption when it comes to the immune system.
Skin, Body Fat, Beauty: We all like to look nice, and that’s a good thing! The skin becomes dehydrated, depleted of nutrients, inflamed, red, dull, and can even have eruptions like acne and boils from heavier use affecting the liver and hormones. Inflammatory fat accumulation in the viscera (around the organs, under abdominal muscles and ribcage) increases skin inflammation, facial puffiness, and an unsightly and uncomfortable belly (think beer belly). Overall body fat increases due to metabolic dysfunction related to alcohol use and the depression and yucky physical feelings experienced with alcohol use can lead to less motivation to exercise and take good care of our bodies. Because of toxicity, alcohol causes faster aging through oxidation.
Now that you’re thoroughly bummed out about alcohol, how about the bright side? Let’s now discuss the benefits of stopping alcohol for a a month!
Possible Benefits of Dry January Week by Week:
Pro tip: consider getting baseline labs from your healthcare provider before starting, like CMP, CBC, Fasting Insulin, HbA1c, and Lipid Panel. It’s also good to discuss your plan with your doctor first!
Week 1: Increased energy, improved concentration, better sleep quality and depth.
Week 2: Clearer thinking, reduced digestive problems like acid reflux or diarrhea, improved hydration, better function at the gym including recovery afterwards.
Week 3: Weight loss is common, better short term memory and recall, mood improvements, fewer cravings, clearer skin.
Week 4: Blood pressure improvement, normalized heart rate, improvement in immune system, lifer and kidney function, insulin, blood sugar, and cholesterol (labs mentioned above), fewer colds/flus/UTI, and lower risk for developing certain cancers.
Successfully completing a 30 day alcohol-free challenge has been shown to lead many people to continue living life without alcohol either completely or simply reducing consumption to a more safe level long term.
So, what do you say? Ready to ditch alcohol?
Here’s How to Start - Dry January Tips:
Here’s to your health in 2026!
*non-alcoholic glass clink*
References
World Health Organization. (2023). Alcohol consumption and cancer.
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/alcohol