Attempting ‘dry January’? These are the benefits to your body…

Many of you may be attempting 'dry January', when you try to avoid alcohol for a month to make a healthy start to the new year and save a bit of cash.

And it seems that it might not be a bad idea given the findings of a new study in the journal Health Psychology, which reveal why a few weeks away from drink can be good for you. The researchers asked 857 British men and women to stay sober for 31 days and while some of the positive effects might seem obvious, the results make for interesting reading. To begin with, only 64% of the participants actually managed to go an entire month without drinking, which may not be much of a surprise. As for those with stronger will power, the research shows that after the study, those who abstained from drinking have continued to drink less often, avoid getting drunk, and have fewer drinks in one sitting six months later. Essentially this means that by adhering to a strict no drinking policy, they found it easier to stay away from drinking more often in the future. As you can imagine, better liver function, lower blood pressure and a reduced risk of liver disease and diabetes were also listed among the main benefits of staying away from alcohol for a few weeks. So it looks like it's more than just your wallet that can benefit from a month off the sauce.