What happens to my liver during Dry January?

Dry January is a popular challenge that involves abstaining from alcohol for the first month of the year. Many people do it to improve their health, reset their drinking habits, or save money. But what are the effects of Dry January on your liver, the organ that processes most of the alcohol you consume?

The liver is responsible for breaking down alcohol and removing it from your bloodstream. However, when you drink more than your liver can handle, it can cause inflammation, fat accumulation, and scarring in the liver tissue.

These conditions can lead to liver diseases such as fatty liver, alcoholic hepatitis, and cirrhosis. By giving up alcohol for a month, you can reduce the inflammation and fat in your liver, allowing it to heal and function better.

According to liver specialist Jamile Wakim-Fleming, MD, quoted by Metro UK, going ‘dry’ can decrease liver inflammation brought on by drinking alcohol.

‘When people stop drinking, even if it’s a month, this alcohol-induced inflammation will have the chance to improve,’ Dr. Wakim-Fleming says.