WASHINGTON — Laying off the booze for a month could have long-term health benefits, according to a researcher who studied the issue.
While the results are preliminary, Kevin Moore, a consultant in liver health services at the University College London Medical School, said eliminating alcohol for a month could lower your blood pressure and cholesterol, help you lose weight and lower your risk of developing diabetes.
A Daily Mail story claims the decreased alcohol consumption reduces the risk of cancer. A researcher said their study didn’t mention cancer risks.
To be clear our study on #alcohol in @DailyMailUK didn’t show benefits on cancer risk, but did show other benefits.. https://t.co/HKQ3ee23sj
— Gautam Mehta (@drgautammehta) October 26, 2015
Moore said the study was based on the UK’s “Dry January,” where residents stop drinking for a month following the holiday season. Moore decided to research the health benefits of said fast.
“If you stop drinking, everything improves,” he told WTOP.
Researchers studied 102 healthy men and women in their 40s taking part in the “Dry January” campaign. The women had been drinking an average of 29 units of alcohol a week, the men had 31 units — or two medium-sized glasses of wine per day.
A month later, their liver damage decreased by almost 13 percent. Insulin resistance — a measurement of diabetes risk — dropped 28 percent.
The full results of the study won’t be available for several months.
