What Are the Benefits of Dry January? A Doctor Weighs In

Here's how a month without alcohol can impact your psychological and physical health, according to Dr. Rocco Iannucci of Mass General Brigham's McLean Hospital

Cheers to Dry January!

The annual time of year when consumers opt to abstain from alcohol has been in full swing since the beginning of the month, with some even choosing to drop their drink when the clock struck midnight on New Year's Eve.

There are various reasons why people participate in Dry January, with health benefits being among the biggest incentives. Better sleep and weight management are "some of the most consistent benefits," Dr. Rocco Iannucci, MD, director of the Fernside Residential Treatment Program at Harvard-affiliated McLean Hospital, tells PEOPLE.

However, since "there's no one thing we can do that benefits everyone the same across the board," Dr. Iannucci notes that Dry January will impact people differently. This is due to certain factors like age, gender and the amount of alcohol typically consumed.

Related: A Guide to Some of the Best Non-Alcoholic Beverages

Although health benefits vary when attempting to abstain from alcohol, Dr. Iannucci — who is also an instructor in Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School — notes that many people will be positively impacted, "even if they don't feel like they made it all the way through."

Dr. Iannucci points out psychological health benefits that may result after being 31 days sober, too. If you fear that "stopping alcohol is going to be isolating," he says "you might learn things that you do or don't like about how you tend to socialize with other people if you're not drinking."

"Sometimes it's eye-opening and it makes people decide to make some other changes, even if it's not stopping the alcohol altogether," he continues. "It gives us a perspective on our drinking."

Read on for the positive and negative impacts of participating in Dry January, according to Dr. Iannucci.

Dry January benefits your liver

First and foremost, Dr. Iannucci points out that abstaining from alcohol throughout January is "helpful for your liver." He adds that abstaining for "relatively short periods of time" can have a positive impact.

"People with significant liver inflammation related to alcohol will oftentimes see their markers of inflammation go back to normal within the course of a month, and that's people who have a significant level of alcohol intake," he explains.

"Alcohol is a toxin to the liver," Dr. Iannucci continues. "The good news is the liver up to a point has a lot of capacity to heal and so giving it that chance to heal can be really helpful."

Related: This ‘I Love Not Drinking’ Song Is a Sober Anthem for Dry January

Dry January can improve sleep

"Sleep is a big one," Dr. Iannucci says of the benefits of participating in Dry January. "The thing that I think many don't realize is that even small amounts of drinking do disturb your sleep."

"Most people will notice the immediate effects of alcohol," Dr. Iannucci says, citing the ability to fall asleep earlier as an example. But while this is true for many people, he says alcohol consumption can also cause "morning awakening and fitful sleep."

"That can happen with half a drink," he explains. "It doesn't take much for alcohol to start to disturb our sleep rhythm so that our sleep isn't as restorative as it would be otherwise."

Dry January can help with weight loss

Weight loss is a top objective for those who participate in Dry January, a goal that Dr. Iannucci says is possible within the 31-day window.

"I think we can underestimate the degree to which alcohol adds calories — and they're 'empty' calories, meaning they really don't have any nutritional value," he explains of the oftentimes "quickly consumed" beverages. "Especially in the forms of sugary drinks, you don't really notice how much you're taking in."

While the amount of weight lost during Dry January differs per person — especially if the calories from alcohol are "compensated" by eating other things — Dr. Iannucci says that "many people find that they lose weight during the course of a Dry January."

Drinking aside, new activities during Dry January can aid in weight loss, especially if your weekends or weeknights usually revolved around alcohol. Dr. Iannucci suggests alternate activities, such as "more active or outdoor things depending on the weather."

Related: Eyeing the Wine? Here's How to Stay Motivated for the Rest of Dry January

Dry January can improve your sex life

While Dr. Iannucci says he hasn't seen research on Dry January's impact on a better sex life, he says "it would make sense depending on the degree of alcohol." This is because consuming alcohol "has an effect on liver," which could "have an effect on hormones including sex hormones."

Dr. Iannucci says that alcohol use in general can sometimes have "a negative effect on relationships," so when we're "healthier, sleeping better, feeling healthier, feeling better about ourselves and maybe feeling more confident in ourselves," he says that can "be helpful" for dating and love life as well.

And while "stopping alcohol" may cause "younger people or people who are dating" to fear "isolation" during Dry January, Dr. Iannucci says joining forces for the month of abstinence can make things easier.

He suggests convincing some friends to participate or finding support online. "People will do that through social media and or through apps to help support Dry January and can give you that sense of being connected a little bit more."

Dry January can lower your tolerance

Participating in Dry January can also decrease your tolerance. Therefore, you won't need as many drinks to feel its effects.

Dr. Iannucci says, "If you drink fairly regularly to the point that it affects your tolerance and then you decide to go back drinking, you want to be careful because your tolerance may not be what it once was." He adds, "Alcohol can affect you a little more when you return to drinking."

For people who are more "habitual drinkers" or people "who have an alcohol use disorder," Dr. Iannucci says it's important "to not stop drinking abruptly without some medical consultation."

"If people are drinking on a very regular basis daily throughout the day, if they have a high tolerance, if they get shaky, if they notice they're shaking in the morning when not drinking, it's important to consult with a medical provider before stopping alcohol," he continues. "It can actually be medically dangerous."

If you're "feeling worse" when you first stop drinking, Dr. Iannucci says it would be "important to consult with a physician because you might be experiencing alcohol withdrawal," which he says "can be managed pretty easily under the care of a medical professional."

Dry January can cause you to cut back on alcohol altogether

While Dry January spans the month, some participants may rethink their drinking habits even when the 31 days are over. "People don't find that they're right back in the same situation" before the start of alcohol abstinence, Dr. Iannucci says.

Whether people fully committed to Dry January or opted for a Damp January (cutting back on alcohol over the month), Dr. Iannucci says "both" attempts "offer benefits because you make a change in your behavior. Maybe it goes entirely back to where it was before, but oftentimes it doesn't."

Dr. Iannucci points out a "downside" to Dry January. "People can sometimes see themselves as having failed it," a mindset he doesn't view as helpful because the attempt is beneficial alone. "I think it's really kind of a win-win," he says.

"Whether you are able to not drink the entire month or whether you do sometimes drink in that month, you're still likely to see some benefits in terms of psychological health and physical health," Dr. Iannucci explains. "So it's worth doing."

"What we don't want to do is beat ourselves up over trying to do something good," he continues. "It's likely going to at least be beneficial."

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