RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Have you been thinking about giving up or reducing your alcohol intake for the new year?
‘Dry January’ is becoming a popular New Year’s resolution, where people give up drinking alcohol for the month of January — or possibly longer — after drinking during the holiday season.
Experts say many benefits come along with quitting drinking.
According to Dr. Amon Asgharpour, a gastroenterology specialist at VCU Health, taking a break from alcohol can bring some major health benefits.
“Alcohol can have a negative impact on many of the organs in your body and increase the risk of certain cancers,” Asgharpour said. “Taking a break can help decrease the negative impact on your organs and overall health. Fat buildup in the liver will occur in 90% of people drinking four or more standard drinks a day for two weeks and can reverse with 4-6 weeks of abstinence.”
Asgharpour said the fat buildup can lead to scarring in the liver and ultimately liver cirrhosis.
“There is even an acute form of alcohol-associated liver disease, alcohol-induced hepatitis, that can be life-threatening with excessive alcohol consumption,” Asgharpour said.
Participating in abstinence breaks like “Dry January” is a great way to reevaluate your relationship with alcohol, Asgharpour said. He encourages people to take breaks from alcohol whenever possible.
“People can use alcohol as a means of ‘self-medication’ for such issues as anxiety and depression, and a break from alcohol can be eye-opening and a means of obtaining the proper care for an unaddressed issue,” Asgharpour said. “Furthermore, removing the underlying cause of liver disease, if alcohol is causing liver disease, can give the liver a chance to heal itself. Also, the calories associated with alcohol intake can be avoided and help lead to weight loss.”
By taking a break, the calories that are associated with alcohol intake can be avoided. This can help with weight loss.
“We should avoid replacing alcohol with sugary drinks like sodas, as these can lead to fat build up in the liver as well,” Asgharpour said. “Two cups of regular coffee a day were shown to help prevent fat build-up, scarring and liver cancer. Please do drink coffee, but watch the sugar.”
If you are looking for a way to reevaluate your drinking, the online questionnaire Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) is a tool that can help you understand if your drinking is hazardous to your health, all from the comfort of your home.
