How will you wake up on January 1?

How will you wake up on January 1? Fresh and fruity or with a pounding head and a dry mouth? Either way, it’s a good idea to join the ‘Dry January’ challenge. Not drinking a drop of alcohol for a month will not only save you a few hangovers, but it is also good for your wallet. In this article, we’ll tell you what the effect of alcohol is on your body and why you should avoid it. Not only in January, but also the rest of the year.

Dry January: why your body will be eternally grateful if you leave alcohol behind

It takes at least 21 days to form a new habit. So you come a long way with good intentions if you at least get through the month of January. Exactly the reason why more people participate in the ‘Dry January’ challenge, or not drink a drop of alcohol for a whole month. This challenge is originally from England. In 2013, the first Dry January campaign was launched at the initiative of the organization Alcohol Concern. In January 2016, more than 16% of all Britons took up the challenge! Not surprising because you do your body a huge favor with it.

DNA and immune system

Yet many people find it difficult to give up alcohol. It’s such a big part of culture that we’d rather not dwell on the effects it has on our bodies. According to Professor Kahn, professor of psychiatry at Utrecht University, it is time that we really started doing it. He delved into the subject and wrote a book about it: On your health, about the effects of alcohol. His writing does not lie. In the long term, drinking alcohol can damage your DNA and inhibit the repair of your body cells. In addition, alcohol disimproves the functioning of your immune system. This system is extremely important for clearing out foreign and abnormal cells. Data on viruses and bacteria, but also cancer cells. It is striking that alcohol has a specific effect on the occurrence of breast cancer. Drinking alcohol increases estrogen in the body that makes breast cancer possible.

The influence of alcohol on your brain and liver

Your brain and lever also get a big blow from alcohol. Alcohol disrupts the formation of new brain cells, your memory can deteriorate and you are less able to absorb new information. Your liver cells can also be damaged and react by becoming inflamed. If you stop drinking, the liver cells can recover. If you continue to drink, the inflammation and fatty liver cells worsen. Over time, inflamed cells form connective tissue, resulting in scarring. These scars close the blood vessels that run through the liver. This can result in fatal bleeding.

Want to learn more? Read on via the Urban Care Clinic portal.