Every year millions of people take part in Dry January, choosing to abstain from alcohol after weeks of festivities.
And now the practice has been shown to have some significant short-term benefits, according to a study by New Scientist.
Ten of the magazine's staff members took part in a month of alcohol abstinence, while four continued to drink as normal.
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The abstainers saw their liver fat drop from an average of 15 percent, and up to 20 percent for some.
On average, the abstainers saw their blood glucose levels drop by 16 percent and their blood cholesterol dropped by almost 5 percent.
On top of these health benefits, those who abstained from alcohol lost an average of 1.5 kilograms each.
The abstainers reported higher sleep quality and better concentration but there was one universal downside - they reported having less social contact.
Dry January was started by Alcohol Research UK, and the research body works with six UK charities to promote the scheme.
According to its website, almost half of participants report losing weight while participating, 60 percent report better sleep and more energy, and 80 percent report saving money.
Newshub.
