What Are the Health Benefits of Dry January?

Summary: The health benefits of Dry January extend far beyond avoiding hangovers for a month. A month without alcohol can lead to healthier organs – including your liver, kidneys, and heart – as well as improved function of various essential physiological systems in our bodies.

Key Points:

In 2024, a report from the U.S. Surgeon General warned that even moderate levels of alcohol consumption can increase risk of several types of cancer.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) indicate that excess alcohol use is associated with 178,000 deaths each year
The 2024 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (2024 NSDUH) shows that 51.7% of adults in the U.S. report past-month alcohol use, 22% report past-month binge drinking, and 5.6% report past-month heavy drinking.
9 million adults in the U.S. – that’s 10.3% of people 18+a – have alcohol use disorder (AUD), a.k.a. alcohol addiction

The Time to Plan for a Healthier 2026 is Here

We know, we know: it’s not even Christmas yet, and we’re talking about January.

We have good reason!

We know that around this time of year, many people start thinking about New Year’s Resolutions. One resolution that’s been popular over the past few years is something called Dry January.

Dry January is what it sounds like: a break from alcohol during the month of January. Some people quit altogether, while some simply dial back their consumption to see if it makes a difference to their health, happiness, or overall wellbeing.

Disclaimer: If you’ve been drinking every day for a long time, please consult a physician before discontinuing alcohol use. We don’t want to scare anyone, but I’s important to understand that long-term, chronic alcohol use can lead to serious health problems if you quit cold turkey or without medical supervision. The problems? Some issues related to alcohol withdrawal can lead to death: that’s why we advise long-term, chronic drinkers to consult a physician before considering a Dry January.

With that important information out of the way, we have to say: if you’re thinking about a Dry January, we think it’s a great idea. There are a number of health benefits of Dry January, but it’s about more than health. If you decide to abstain from alcohol for the health benefits of Dry January, you’ll be surprised by the unexpected outcomes. You’ll learn a lot about yourself, why you use alcohol in the first place, and how you can have fun and be social without drinking.

A Month Without Alcohol: What Happens?

If you stop drinking alcohol for a month, here’s what you can expect:

Better sleep
More energy
Weight loss
Healthier heart
Healthier liver
Better looking hair
Better looking skin

Those are the direct health benefits of eliminating or cutting back on alcohol. Here are a few of the indirect benefits:

Alcohol impairs immune function. Therefore, if you quit drinking, your body may be better able to fight off colds and the flu during winter.
If you do get a cold or flu, alcohol may interact negatively with over-the-counter medication, which can impair healing.
Alcohol consumption in men is associated with high blood pressure and other cardiovascular problems
Alcohol is a depressant. Therefore, eliminating consumption may improve overall mood.

Finally, we’ll share data from a 2018 study on the health benefits of Dry January that identified several benefits unrelated to health. People who tried a month without alcohol in 2017 reported they:

Saved money
Felt sense of accomplishment
Learned they don’t have to drink to have fun and/or socialize
Understood why they use alcohol in
Felt more in control of their drinking

In addition, we’ll state something relatively obvious: if you stop or seriously decrease your alcohol consumption, you dramatically reduce your chances of developing alcohol use disorder (AUD), which is a serious chronic condition that causes significant harm to individuals, families, and communities every year.

About That Disclaimer

Overall, for most people, cutting back from alcohol for a month is a great idea. However – and we repeat – chronic, long-term, daily drinkers put their health at risk when they quite without medical supervision. If you try Dry January and begin experiencing any of these symptoms soon after your last drink, seek professional medical help immediately:

Nausea
Shaking
Vomiting
Sweating
Convulsions
Delirium tremens
Hallucinations

Really, we’re not trying to scare you, we just want you to be safe. That means understanding the benefits and the risks of Dry January, and making a good choice based on the best information available.

Dry January Resources

If you’re all in, we recommend consulting these articles to help guide your Dry January:

Harvard Health: Steps for Success for Dry January
Alcohol Change UK: The group that started the movement host this Dry January Page
VeryWellMind: Dry January
National Institute on Alcohol and Alcoholism (NIAA): Rethinking Drinking

If you’re thinking about Dry January but undecided, we recommend consulting the Alcohol Change UK Page. It’s loaded with helpful, accurate information on drinking, and safe, heathy ways to cut back, if that’s what you want to do.

If you think you need professional support for alcohol use disorder (AUD) or another type of addiction, please reach out to us: we know how to help. To learn more, please read our AUD treatment page:

Treatment for Alcohol Use Disorder

Angus Whyte

Angus Whyte has an extensive background in neuroscience, behavioral health, adolescent development, and mindfulness, including lab work in behavioral neurobiology and a decade of writing articles on mental health and mental health treatment. In addition, Angus brings twenty years of experience as a yoga teacher and experiential educator to his work for Crownview. He’s an expert at synthesizing complex concepts into accessible content that helps patients, providers, and families understand the nuances of mental health treatment, with the ultimate goal of improving outcomes and quality of life for all stakeholders.