This is what actually happens to your body when you give up booze
With the booming production of non-alcoholic wine, beer and gin, a generation of ‘sober-curious’ teetotal trailblazers and research showing that even small amounts of alcohol can have health consequences, it’s fair to say that the benefits of doing Dry January are clearer than ever.
According to UK charity Alcohol Change, 175,000 Brits took part in Dry January in 2023 – which, for the uninitiated, involves avoiding all alcohol for the month – and individuals reaped many benefits, including; more energy and better concentration, better-quality sleep, weight loss and even improvements to memory.
A 2018 report in the Lancet found that by reducing your drinking, you also reduce your risk of strokes, heart disease and could increase your life expectancy.
So if this year's merriment has left you feeling more rough than refreshed, then perhaps it's time you, too, try Dry January? After all, research has shown that people who take a month off drinking will keep their newfound habits going in some form. In fact, one study found that people who took part in Dry January were still drinking less in August.
Why should I try Dry January?
Since the pandemic kicked off in the UK in March 2020, attitudes to alcohol have been somewhat polarised. According to a reader survey conducted by Women's Health, 33% of you tried to ease stress by drinking more alcohol during the lockdown 1.0. On the flip side, multiple people who wrote in said that, while their intake of the hard stuff soared at first, they later decided to dial it right down.
Research echoes this pattern. According to Drinkaware's 2023 survey, which interviewed a UK-wide sample of 10,473 adults aged 18 to 85, whilst the proportion of non-drinkers in the UK has not changed in the last year, drinkers appear to be drinking less frequently: 39% drink alcohol less often than weekly compared to 33% in 2019.
The latest stats show that there has been a significant fall in people drinking at home alone and those struggling the most financially were most likely to have changed their drinking habits over the last 12 months due to the rising cost of living.
And what are the benefits of Dry January?
Wondering what’s in it for you – and your body? What are the benefits of swerving the sauce for a full 31 days?
We've tapped up the experts – GP Richard Spence and personal trainer Matt Kendrick – for their crib sheet on how ‘livin' la vida’ sober affects your body, week by week.
Dry January: Week One benefits
1. Your sleep may improve
While alcohol might help some people get to sleep, for most, it reduces how long they for, as well as sleep quality, thus hurting energy levels. The reason is that if you drink before you go to sleep your body experiences 'micro-awakenings' during the night.
You won't realise they're happening, but they do affect your deep sleep. However, while poor for your pillow time, you're used to them. You need to get used to sleeping sober without these.
If you drank more days than not in December for the first week, you may notice that your sleeping pattern changes slightly or you struggle with insomnia, so you may be tired, but the quality of sleep you get is set to improve – and you're likely to wake feeling more refreshed the next day.
2. Your fitness levels should go up
Alcohol is a diuretic – meaning that your kidneys produce more urine – which, combined with sweat, can lead to dehydration. Think about your skin after a night getting sozzled: dry, dull and lifeless? Point proved.
If you continue drinking lots of water when you exercise, without alcohol in your system, your hydration levels will be far easier to maintain. This will result in improved blood flow, which is essential for circulating nutrients and oxygen to your muscles and all the body's organs.
Dry January: Weeks two to three benefits
By this point, you should be starting to feel the bigger positives of passing on the prosecco. With no alcohol in your system for a fortnight, you may notice that your motivation levels are higher due to your new-found willpower, and you may even have started to lose a bit of weight.
3. You'll experience increased deep sleep
'When you drink alcohol before bed you may fall into deep sleep quicker,' confirms Drink Aware. 'This is why some people find drinking alcohol helps them drop off to sleep. But as the night goes on you spend less time in this deep sleep and more time than usual in the less restful, Rapid Eye Movement (REM) stage of sleep.'
Alcohol can exacerbate certain sleep conditions, like snoring, and without it, you should be getting a better quality of sleep – making you more energetic and active.
4. You'll want to exercise more
Whether you used to drink more at the weekend or not, with this newfound energy you are now more likely to make the most of your Saturdays and Sundays, swapping a long lie-in for a long walk or gym session.
5. You should be feeling better, mentally
According to the charity Alcohol Change: 'Alcohol has been described as ‘the UK’s favourite coping mechanism and many of us do drink to try and help manage stress, anxiety, depression or other mental health problems.' The problem is, while a negroni or four might give you a sense of relaxation instantly, as you know, the next morning can feel plagued by feelings of anxiety.
Too much alcohol can change your brain's ability to stay balanced and run smoothly. The more you drink the more your brain is affected, making you nervous and low.
'Post-drinking hangovers can be particularly difficult, with the usual headache and nausea being accompanied by feelings of depression and/or anxiety,' they add.
'Overuse of alcohol can contribute to the worsening of symptoms of many mental health problems. In particular, it can lead to low mood and anxiety.' Meaning? That when you dry out, you could well feel less easily shaken, or that your moods are more steady.
6. Your skin should look healthier
Drinking alcohol can leave the skin looking tired and puffy, dull and grey, with dryness a common side effect.
With no alcohol in your system and a good amount of exercise, by now you should be noticing that any redness or blotchiness has started to fade and that your complexion is clearer and you have healthy, glowing skin.
The longer-term benefits of giving up booze
In one month of giving up alcohol, it’s likely that you will have started to feel calmer, tone up, reduce liver fat, reduce cholesterol, reduce blood sugar and gain a clearer complexion – all in a relatively short space of time.
7. Your liver should be happy
According to a systematic review on alcohol intake and blood pressure, having more than just two beers or two glasses of wine on a regular basis can put your liver at risk.
Although the liver has great regenerative powers, this is not limitless. It will be very grateful for the downtime. As Dr Spence states: 'As a GP it is always obvious to me if someone has stopped drinking.'
Furthermore, a study at University College London Medical School discovered that individuals who stopped drinking alcohol reduced their liver fat fell on average by 15 % and by almost 20% in some individuals. This is good news for helping to future-proof your body against liver damage.
8. Your focus will increase
With your sleep cycle back in balance, your body's ability to store glycogen will improve and this crucial energy source will provide you with greater endurance, and make you feel more alert.
9. You'll find it easier to hit your goals
Now that alcohol (and hangovers!) are a distant memory, your improved training regime will be in full swing, and it should be much easier than before to keep on track with any fitness goals that you have set.
Also, you can expect big improvements in both metabolism and muscle recovery, as your endurance and body's ability to convert carbohydrates to usable energy improves.
10. Your skin might glow
After an alcohol-free month, your body is able to absorb more vitamin A, increasing cell turnover and leaving your skin looking considerably healthier and younger. You will also see a returned brightness to your eyes.
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