The Washington Post reports that Dry January can have some lasting benefits. Researchers found that people who abstained from alcohol for a month started drinking less the rest of the year and showed striking improvements in their health. On average they lost about four and a half pounds, their blood pressure dropped, and they had a “dramatic” reduction in their levels of insulin resistance, a marker for Type 2 diabetes risk. They also experienced sharp reductions in cancer-related growth factors. Dry January can also provide opportunities to form new habits — like turning down alcohol in social settings, which in the long run can be empowering.
– Jet Cannon
