'Dry January': a challenge with long-standing health benefits for drinkers

"Dry January" may seem like a seasonal gimmick, but ditching alcohol for a month can lead to long-standing benefits, experts say.

The movement started more than 10 years ago, as people looked for a way to recuperate after a food-and-drink-filled holiday season. A recent review of studies by researchers at Brown University showed people who participated in Dry January saw both physical and psychological improvements.

"Dry January is a fantastic opportunity to reexamine your relationship with alcohol — especially if your drinking increased during the holidays or you're looking for better health in the new year," said Jeffrey Reynolds, CEO of the Family & Children’s Association of Long Island.

"You'll likely lose some weight, your immune system functioning will improve, you'll get better sleep, your skin will be clearer, your moods will level out," Reynolds said. "You’ll save a bunch of money. Booze is expensive; water is not."

But not everyone is able to complete the challenge.

Just over halfway through January 2025, about 18% of adults in the United States who drink were participating in Dry January, while another 12% who started had dropped out, according to data from CivicScience, a Pittsburgh-based organization that describes itself on its website as "an opinion-analytics platform."

Dr. Jonathan Grecco, a primary care physician at Northwell Health, Long Island Jewish Forest Hills, whose practice emphasizes preventive care and wellness, said alcohol has been associated with health problems ranging from cardiovascular disease to certain types of gastrointestinal cancers.

"There’s a lot of emphasis right now on the microbiome of the gut," Grecco said, referring to the microorganisms that keep a person’s digestive tract healthy.

"Alcohol consumption can cause dysbiosis," he added, "a negative impact on the microbiota in the gut." 

Dysbiosis is a condition in which microorganisms in the human body are out of balance and can lead to increased vulnerability for infections and other health issues.

Grecco said when alcohol is metabolized in the body, it is broken down into acetaldehyde, a known carcinogen that will disrupt the balance of the digestive system.

"When you consume alcohol, your body treats it as a harmful substance, so the body prioritizes eliminating it first," he said. "During the time alcohol is being cleared, fat burning slows, which causes the dietary fat to be stored rather than being used as energy."

Grecco added: "Alcohol can reduce your physical performance, not only the day after but multiple days after that ... so we know that from a heart health standpoint, from a cancer risk standpoint, from a liver disease standpoint, zero alcohol is the best alcohol."

Reynolds said it is also vital to take stock of the process during Dry January to find out how challenging it is for the person to stay sober, how they felt the first few weeks without alcohol and for making a plan for February.

He said people can use different strategies to stay sober, such as ramping up an exercise routine and avoiding triggers like people, places and things that may lead them to drink.

"What happens if you drink two weeks in? You get back on track," Reynolds said. "We don’t trash an entire diet plan because we snuck a cookie. This is the same. If you drink, you’ll likely regret it, but spend some time thinking about what set the stage for the slip."

Reynolds also said participating in Dry January comes with one big warning.

"Most people have a pretty distorted sense as to what light-to-moderate use looks like, and consumers consistently underestimate their alcohol intake," he said. "If you are drinking regularly and think you may be physically or psychologically dependent on alcohol, you should absolutely seek advice from a health professional before committing to Dry January, as you may experience withdrawal symptoms that could be life-threatening."

By Lisa L. Colangelo

lisa.colangelo@newsday.com@lisalcolangelo

Lisa joined Newsday as a staff writer in 2019. She previously worked at amNewYork, the New York Daily News and the Asbury Park Press covering politics, government and general assignment.