When a husband shares a story on social media (with his wife) –“maybe we should try this”–about the benefits of going a month without drinking, it catches your eye. First you want to call and make sure everything’s okay in the marriage–or stay as far away as possible. Yes, maybe the latter. Then again, he’s merely suggesting a month off–January to be specific. Everybody seems to resolve to quit something as the new year rolls around. But will a month do any good? As the musician Joe Jackson once sang: “What’s the use of getting sober, if you’re gonna get drunk again?”
Well, New Scientist magazine found out that even a month without drinking alcohol can rejuvenate your liver. The dedicated editorial staff at the magazine volunteered to abstain from alcohol for five weeks. Analysis of their livers afterwards showed a drop in liver fat–which is a precursor to liver damage–of up to 20 percent in some cases. 15 percent in most. Sugar dropped too, because of all the empty calories in alcohol that weren’t consumed. There’s a big push in Britain to make ‘Dry January’ a real trend, and it’s catching on. Only problem is it can lead to disastrously boozy Februaries. Cheers.
