Claimed health benefits for drinkers taking a month off hit the headlines in response to new UCL research, despite the research yet to be concluded. The story hit the Daily Mail's front page and was welcomed by organisations promoting 'month off' approaches.
Alcohol Concern's Dry January campaign has been rising in popularity and received backing from Public Health England, whilst Cancer Research UK's Dryathlon challenge also runs in January. Both reported over 50,000 signs ups each this year, whilst MacMillan's current 'Go Sober for October' has so far raised the cancer support charity over £1.8 million.
The rising popularity of 'month off' campaigns have inevitably brought attention to the claimed benefits. Whilst the charities have tended to promote general wellbeing improvements such as better sleep, improved mood or cutting calories, many drinkers might be further motivated by the idea of 'giving their liver a break'.
Month off benefits: 'feeling better' or reducing disease risk?
The UCL study looked at Dry January participants and found after four weeks the participant's ‘liver stiffness’ had reduced by 12.5%, and insulin resistance – a measurement of diabetes risk – had come down by 28%. The study involved 103 people in their 40's - the women had been drinking an average of 29 units of alcohol a week, while the men were averaging 31 units prior to the month off.
Professor Kevin Moore, a lead author of the study told the Press Association: "There was certainly substantial improvement in various parameters of the liver. The other parameters, blood pressure, cholesterol, how well the subjects slept were also substantial."
The results appear broadly consistent with a small New Scientist study in 2014 which reported results showing five weeks abstinence reduced liver fat, cholesterol and blood sugar, and helped lose weight amongst 'normal' drinkers, although less social contact was a negative outcome.
However Gautam Mehta, a liver specialist involved in the UCL research told the Daily Mail "It's an important study which shows the benefit from a month's abstinence. What we can't say is how long those benefits are, how durable those benefits are."
Earlier this year Alcohol Concern said research had shown many drinkers attempting a 'Dry January' made lasting changes to their drinking, even those who do not complete the whole month off. The research, undertaken by University of Sussex, reported 72% of participants had sustained reduced levels of harmful drinking six months after completing Dry January, whilst 4% of participants were still dry six months on.
Certainly the promotion of 'month off' approaches look likely to remain a key fixture in years to come. To what extent further research confirms sustained benefits - or indeed the lasting popularity of the campaigns themselves - will of course remain to be seen.
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