Alcohol misuse can cause long-term health problems. Each year more and more people in the UK vow to give up alcohol for a whole month as part of the Dry January campaign.
Although medical guidelines suggest we limit our alcohol intake to 14 units per week, many will have overindulged during the festive season – and if you continue to drink too much you will be risking long-term health problems.
As a result, many decide to take a break from booze in the New Year, especially as it can help us with resolutions like being fitter, happier, and more productive.
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Dr Sally Roxburgh, a GP at The Fleet Street Clinic, explains opting for a Dry January has multiple benefits including lower blood pressure, better skin, and weight loss. It could also improve your immune system - no bad thing in the middle of a pandemic.
Other benefits are mental as well as physical – as ditching the drink can result in improved sleep, it being easier to wake up in the mornings, better timekeeping, improved concentration, as well as reduced anxiety and depression.
A happier, healthier you will also find yourself more able to deal with stress, be less angry and have more emotional control, as well as having improved relationships with friends, partners, and family.
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Ruth Kander, a dietician at the clinic, added: "If done correctly, this one-month booze-free challenge can have a significantly positive impact on your health. Alcohol has proven to increase the risk of developing a range of health problems (including cancers of the mouth, throat and breast) and that risk increases the more you drink on a regular basis."
Dry January can also help those who drink too much break the cycle, and return to healthier drinking habits after the month is over – so participating could be a great way to improve your health, even if the idea of giving up alcohol altogether is not for you.
(Cover Media/Reuters)
