Is “Dry January” Worth The Savings

This is news to me: apparently some people make a tradition of giving up drinking for a month post-holidays. Dry out, detox, lose weight, and save money.

Dr. Rajiv Jalan, a liver specialist at the Institute for Liver and Digestive Health at University College London, analyzed the findings. They revealed that among those in the study who gave up drinking, liver fat, a precursor to liver damage, fell by at least 15 percent. For some, it fell almost 20 percent.

Abstainers also saw their blood glucose levels — a key factor in determining diabetes risk — fall by an average of 16 percent. It was the first study to show such an immediate drop from going dry.

What could be bad?

Well, for one thing, if you’re trying to lose weight, this cream-and-bacon diet sounds like it might be more fun. Not to mention more exciting to tell people about.

Every day for about a month, I slammed as much bacon or heavy whipping cream as I could stomach. I lost weight (about seven pounds). My cholesterol dropped 10 points. My afternoon drowsiness faded and, overall, I felt pretty good.

You could also go basically vegan, but no one likes hearing about that. Or here, Vox has prepared a New Year’s diet for you that’s not restrictive and is frugal-friendly to boot.

The week-long menu requires you to shop only once in a regular grocery store, and costs no more than $10 per day (unless you need to buy all the spices and tools we list, though, again they are very basic so hopefully most of you have them on hand).

But giving up drinking? I’ve done it. It becomes harder to socialize. The drunker people are, the more shit they give you about not indulging yourself. And in this grim, punishing weather, don’t we need all the community support — not to mention liquid warmth — we can get?

Some experts also worry about the rebound effect, where abstaining for awhile makes you more likely to binge later. Besides, beer has real health benefits, apparently, including fiber (?!) and B vitamins, which can be hard to get. It’s even good for your kidneys. (In moderation. EVERYTHING in moderation.) And on the most recent Slate parenting podcast, co-host Allison Benedikt acknowledges that a drink when she gets home from work makes her a more mellow and patient parent.

I’m already out, since I had an inch of whiskey with ice last night after the kid fell asleep. But what would you save by trying the Dry January thing? Would it be worth it?

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