Does taking a month off from drinking alcohol actually make a difference to your health?
According to GI specialist Neeral Shah, MD, the answer to "is Dry January worth it" is a resounding YES.
"That pause in your system allows your body to recover. The liver does have some regenerative properties where it can recover and rebuild some of those injured liver cells." Shah explained, during a media interview in early January. "The liver's at the root of a lot of different functions in the body, like processing sugars, lipids, or fats. Liver function can be optimized when it's not having to concentrate on processing other things such as alcohol and some of the byproducts that come out of that."
Shah also notes that some people "may not even go back to the amount of alcohol they were drinking before Dry January," a long-term win because "any sort of reduction in alcohol can be a benefit."
How to Win at Dry January
Shah lists 2 things you can do that, according to exercise research, help people have a successful Dry January:
- Don't go it alone - get an accountability partner
- Pick up other habits to do instead
More Uses for Diabetes Tech
The good news for people with Type 1 diabetes? Your providers have a better ability to help you avoid the worst impacts of diabetes, and, little did they know, they already have it.
Researchers at the University of Virginia Center for Diabetes Technology have found that continuous glucose monitors can do more than just monitor blood sugar levels. These devices can predict diabetes complications, like blindness, diabetic neuropathy, and kidney damage.
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Soldiers & Addiction
Nicotine pouches can harm your health like other tobacco products. And U.S. soldiers are more likely to use them than the average citizen.
Find out what the research discovered.
