Over the past ten years, this British phenomenon has spread to France. The challenge ? Do not drink a drop of alcohol in January. But what are the benefits for our body?
After end-of-year celebrations often well stocked with alcohol, the Dry January campaign has already started in France. Like every year, from the first of January until the end of the month, the challenge is not to drink a drop of alcohol. As champagne sales hit record highs in 2022 as reported Le Figarothis campaign organized by the Alcohol Change UK association has been well established in France for the past ten years.
The aim of this campaign from England is for participants to reassess their relationship with alcohol. the official site of the challenge indicates that it is possible thanks to this challenge to enjoy “without associating alcohol” but also to “identify the glasses which do not correspond to a deliberate choice but rather to a routine”. In addition to a reassessment of its relationship to alcoholic beverages, this challenge has many positive effects.
According to Mickael Naassila, neurobiologist of alcohol addiction at Inserm, even short-term abstinence has many health benefits. In an interview with the World, the professor boasted benefits “on a physiological level” including a reduction in blood pressure but also cholesterol. Are also highlighted by the expert “better insulin resistance” and a decrease in “growth markers associated with cancer in the blood”. In addition to these significant benefits, the official campaign of the “month without alcohol” highlights the effects of improving the quality of sleep, weight loss, clearer skin.
According to a study conducted by Professor Richard de Visser for the University of sussex, it is revealed that 71% of the approximately 800 participants had felt an improvement in the quality of their sleep and that 58% of the participants had lost weight, that is to say more than one out of two people. In this study Richard Piper also recalled the negative effects of excessive alcohol consumption including “seven forms of cancer, liver disease, mental health problems”.
Thus, if abstinence presents legion of arguments on health, the economic aspect is also put forward. The British study revealed a significant figure, almost nine out of ten people had saved money by taking part in Dry January.