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Is Dry January good for you? The evidence, and the downsides

The case for it, the caveats and who it isn’t for, drawn from the published research and NHS guidance, with every source linked.

By Rich, founder of Unhopped · Published 3 November 2026 · Sources checked 3 November 2026

The short answer

For people who drink more than the guidelines, the evidence mostly says yes. In one clinic study, people who stopped for a month had lower insulin resistance, blood pressure and weight at the end of it,[1] and people who take part in Dry January tend to drink less six to nine months later.[2][3]

But there are caveats. The studies are mostly uncontrolled, with no comparison group, and their volunteers chose to take part.[4] The Chief Medical Officers’ guidance is about how you drink every week, not one month off.[5] And for anyone physically dependent on alcohol, the NHS says stopping suddenly “can be very dangerous”.[6]

How we wrote this. We read the studies ourselves: in full where the paper is open, and from the published abstract where it isn’t. Every figure has a numbered source, listed at the bottom. This page summarises published research and NHS guidance; it isn’t medical advice. Unhopped is an alcohol-free beer site. Some links at the end are affiliate links: if you buy through them we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you, and it never changes what we say about the evidence (how we make money).

This page weighs up whether a month off is good for you. For the practical side, start with how to do Dry January, and for the month day by day, the planner and calendar. For what to drink, see the best alcohol-free beers for Dry January.

The case for Dry January

Measurable changes in a month. In a BMJ Open study of 94 moderate-to-heavy drinkers who stopped for a month, insulin resistance fell by a median 25.9%, blood pressure by about 6% and weight by 1.5%, while 47 who kept drinking showed no significant change.[1] The detail is in the benefits of Dry January, and what happens when in Dry January week by week.

Less drinking, months later. UK participants were drinking less six months on,[2] French participants nine months on,[3] and in a Dutch January challenge the share drinking on four or more days a week fell from 68.7% to 55.6% over eight months.[7]

What happened to drinking afterwards, in three studiesShare of participants, before the month off and months later. Each study measured something slightly different, so compare the direction rather than the heights.

BMJ Open volunteers (UK)

Drinking at harmful levels (AUDIT score above 8)

0%20%40%60%80%61.0%Before28.5%6–8 months

IkPas challenge (Netherlands)

Drinking on four or more days a week

0%20%40%60%80%68.7%Before55.6%8 months

Tournée Minérale (Belgium)

Drinking at higher-risk levels

0%20%40%60%80%35.6%Before19.7%1 month26.8%6 months

The Belgian panel shows a partial rebound, which we come back to below. None of the three studies randomly assigned people to stop or carry on.

Sources: Mehta et al. 2018[1]; Kools et al. 2025[7]; Thienpondt et al. 2025[8].

Show as a table
What happened to drinking afterwards, in three studies
StudyMeasureShare of participants
BMJ Open volunteers (UK)Drinking at harmful levels (AUDIT score above 8)Before: 61.0% → 6–8 months: 28.5%
IkPas challenge (Netherlands)Drinking on four or more days a weekBefore: 68.7% → 8 months: 55.6%
Tournée Minérale (Belgium)Drinking at higher-risk levelsBefore: 35.6% → 1 month: 19.7% → 6 months: 26.8%

More confidence to say no. Registrants’ confidence in turning down a drink rose more than in a comparison group of drinkers who wanted to cut down but hadn’t signed up,[9] and wellbeing rose among people who completed the month.[10]

Better sleep, more energy, money saved. That’s what participants report, though it’s self-reported: depending on the survey, between 56% and 72% said they slept better. The figures are in the benefits of Dry January.

Even a partial month seems to help. A 2025 review of the research found that people who didn’t abstain for the whole month “still tended to report substantial benefits one month later”.[4] In a UK study, drinking was lower six months on across all participants, though the change was more likely among those who completed the month,[2] and in a French study, sleep improved among people who didn’t complete the month as well as those who did.[11]

It reaches heavier drinkers. The same wellbeing study found that “Dry January appears to attract people who are heavier drinkers than the general population”.[10]

The downsides and the caveats

The evidence is weaker than the headlines suggest

A 2025 review of 16 Dry January studies found that they “tended to be uncontrolled” and “lacked longer-term follow-ups beyond six months”, and that “most samples were self-selected”.[4] The only randomised trial we found was a feasibility study of 25 women, a small test of whether a full trial would work.[12] And the most-quoted benefit figures come from an evaluation report and press releases rather than peer-reviewed papers.[13]

Some people drink more afterwards

The worry that a dry month ends in a February binge is mostly not borne out: the review found rebound “occurred in a small subset of participants”. In one UK study, 15% of people who didn’t complete the month said they were getting drunk more often six months later, against 8% of those who did.[4] In Belgium’s February challenge, drinking rose again between the end of the month and six months later, though it stayed below where it started.[8]

Little sign of it in the nation’s drinking

A study of England’s monthly drinking survey found that the growth of Dry January between 2015 and 2018 “was not associated with large corresponding changes” in how much people drank.[14] That doesn’t rule out benefits for the people who do it: the survey couldn’t tell who took part.

A month off isn’t the guideline

The Chief Medical Officers’ advice is “not to drink more than 14 units a week on a regular basis”, spread over three or more days if you drink that much, with “several drink-free days each week” as a good way to cut down.[5] The British Liver Trust (now Liver UK) put it more bluntly in 2017: “stopping for a month and then bingeing on alcohol is not the answer”.[15]

A month can’t undo everything

The NHS says that with fatty liver, the first stage of alcohol-related liver disease, “the liver can usually recover if you stop drinking”, but that with cirrhosis “this damage cannot usually be reversed”.[16] And the Chief Medical Officers say “there is no level of regular drinking that can be considered as completely safe in relation to some cancers”.[5] We found no study showing that a month off changes cancer risk.

Not every number moves the right way

In the BMJ Open study, HDL, the ‘good’ cholesterol, fell by 16.7% alongside the improvements, and the authors say the durability of the changes “remains to be established”.[1]

So, is Dry January worth it?

Our reading of the evidence: if you regularly drink more than 14 units a week, a month off is worth trying. The people in the BMJ Open study were moderate-to-heavy drinkers, and the clearest lasting effect in the research is on drinking itself.

Finishing seems to matter. Benefits were larger among people who managed the whole month, and using Dry January’s email support was linked to completing it.[17] Signing up may help too: in 2019, 69.8% of people who registered for Dry January completed the month, against 36.2% of drinkers who tried without registering, though people chose for themselves whether to register.[10] And a plan helps: how to do Dry January has ours, and the planner’s calendar lays out all 31 days.

If you mostly drink a few beers at the weekend, the case is weaker. The people studied mostly drank more than that: the BMJ Open volunteers who stopped averaged 258 g of alcohol a week beforehand, about 32 UK units at 8 g a unit,[1][18] and Dry January tends to attract heavier-than-average drinkers.[10] If you already drink within the guidelines, a month off matters less than staying there. If alcohol-free beer would fill your drink-free days, here’s how to switch without missing a thing.

Who it isn’t for

Alcohol Change UK also says that people who are clinically alcohol dependent “can die if they suddenly, completely stop drinking”, and to talk to a GP or a local community alcohol service instead.[21]

If the month turns out much harder than you expected, take that seriously rather than gritting your teeth. The NHS’s alcohol support page lists where to get help.[20]

Alcohol-free beer for the month

If you’re doing it, the month is easier with a stocked fridge. Alcohol Change UK says drinks at 0.5% or 0.05% are fine for the month[22] (more in can you drink alcohol-free beer during Dry January?). These three score well in our directory and were in stock when we checked:

Lucky Saint Unfiltered Lager · 0.5% ABV · Unhopped score 8.7 out of 10 · from £2.93 a can at Dry Drinker (1 November 2026)

Buy at The Alcohol Free Co →Also at Dry Drinker →Our page on it →

Athletic Brewing Run Wild IPA · <0.5% ABV · Unhopped score 8.8 out of 10 · from £2.52 a can at The Alcohol Free Co (1 November 2026)

Buy at The Alcohol Free Co →Also at Dry Drinker →Our page on it →

Guinness 0.0 · 0.0% ABV · Unhopped score 8.1 out of 10 · from £2.06 a can at The Alcohol Free Co (1 November 2026)

Buy at The Alcohol Free Co →Also at Dry Drinker →Our page on it →

Want the whole month sorted? Our twelve best beers for Dry January has the price per can at three shops, the best 0.0% beers covers the fully alcohol-free end, the Dry January kit compares the monthly boxes (our pick, The Alcohol Free Co’s 12 Beers Every Month, was £25.61 on 3 November 2026), and the planner and calendar lays out all 31 days.

Questions people ask

Is Dry January good for you?

For people who drink more than the guidelines, the evidence mostly says yes: in one clinic study, people who stopped for a month had measurably lower insulin resistance, blood pressure and weight, and participants tend to drink less months later. The studies have limits, and Dry January isn’t suitable for people who are dependent on alcohol.

Is Dry January bad for you?

We found no evidence that it harms people who aren’t dependent on alcohol. The exception is anyone physically dependent, for whom the NHS says stopping suddenly can be very dangerous. A small share of participants drink more afterwards, though a 2025 review says that “cannot be causally attributed” to the challenge.

Does Dry January actually work?

For the people who do it, it seems to: studies in the UK, France and the Netherlands found participants drinking less months later. Across England as a whole, a 2021 study found the campaign’s growth wasn’t linked to large changes in how much people drank.

Is Dry January worth it?

Our reading: if you regularly drink more than 14 units a week, yes, it’s worth trying, and finishing the month seems to matter. If you already drink within the guidelines, a month off matters less than staying within them.

Is it better to do Dry January or cut down all year?

The UK’s Chief Medical Officers say it is safest not to drink more than 14 units a week on a regular basis. If you drink that much, they say to spread it over three or more days, and if you want to cut down, several drink-free days a week is a good way to do it. A month off can be a good start on that, not a substitute for it.

What is the success rate of Dry January?

In a study of the 2019 challenge, 69.8% of people who registered completed the month, against 36.2% of drinkers who tried without registering. An earlier study found 62% of registrants said they had completed it. Both rely on what participants reported.

What if I don’t manage the whole month?

You may still get something out of it. A 2025 review of the research found that people who didn’t abstain for the whole month still tended to report substantial benefits a month later. But in one UK study they were also more likely to say they were getting drunk more often six months on: 15%, against 8% of those who completed the month.

Can you drink alcohol-free beer during Dry January?

Alcohol Change UK says drinks at 0.5% or 0.05% are “perfectly acceptable to drink during the Dry January® challenge”, and that it’s up to you to make your own rules. More in can you drink alcohol-free beer during Dry January?

The verdict

On the evidence, Dry January is worth doing for most people who drink more than the guidelines: real measurements in one study, and lasting changes in drinking across several. It isn’t a fix for a year of heavy drinking, it isn’t for anyone dependent on alcohol, and the headline benefit figures are softer than they look. Do it, finish it, and use it to set up how you’ll drink for the rest of the year.

More on Dry January and your health

More for an alcohol-free January

Sources

Opened and checked on 3 November 2026. Journal articles first, then reports, charity pages and official guidance.

  1. Mehta G, Macdonald S, Cronberg A, et al. Short-term abstinence from alcohol and changes in cardiovascular risk factors, liver function tests and cancer-related growth factors: a prospective observational study. BMJ Open. 2018;8(5):e020673. BMJ Open (open access)
  2. de Visser RO, Robinson E, Bond R. Voluntary temporary abstinence from alcohol during “Dry January” and subsequent alcohol use. Health Psychology. 2016;35(3):281–289. doi:10.1037/hea0000297
  3. Rolland B, François D, Haesebaert J, et al. Change in alcohol consumption among French adults participating in Dry January: a 9-month prospective cohort study. International Journal of Drug Policy. 2026;156:105436. doi:10.1016/j.drugpo.2026.105436
  4. Strowger M, Meisel MK, Uriarte S, Colby SM. A scoping review of Dry January: evidence and future directions. Alcohol and Alcoholism. 2025;60(5):agaf057. Alcohol and Alcoholism
  5. UK Chief Medical Officers. UK Chief Medical Officers’ Low Risk Drinking Guidelines. Department of Health; August 2016. GOV.UK (PDF)
  6. NHS. Alcohol-use disorder. Page last reviewed 24 April 2026. nhs.uk
  7. Kools N, et al. The predictive value of participant subgroups in a temporary alcohol abstinence challenge: compliance with abstinence and changes in drinking behaviour. Alcohol and Alcoholism. 2025;60(4):agaf026. Alcohol and Alcoholism
  8. Thienpondt A, Van Cauwenberg J, et al. Changes in alcohol consumption among Belgian adults participating in the internet-based one-month-abstinence campaign ‘Tournée Minérale’. Archives of Public Health. 2025;83:29. Archives of Public Health (open access)
  9. de Visser RO, Robinson E, Smith T, Cass G, Walmsley M. The growth of ‘Dry January’: promoting participation and the benefits of participation. European Journal of Public Health. 2017;27(5):929–931. European Journal of Public Health
  10. de Visser RO, Piper R. Short- and longer-term benefits of temporary alcohol abstinence during ‘Dry January’ are not also observed among adult drinkers in the general population: prospective cohort study. Alcohol and Alcoholism. 2020;55(4):433–438 (corrigendum 2022;57(2):272). Alcohol and Alcoholism
  11. Lespine L-F, et al. Determinants of successful completion and short-term benefits associated with temporary alcohol abstinence during Dry January in France: a prospective cohort study. Preventive Medicine. 2026;202:108428. Preventive Medicine (open access)
  12. Field M, Puddephatt J-A, Goodwin L, et al. Benefits of temporary alcohol restriction: a feasibility randomized trial. Pilot and Feasibility Studies. 2020;6:9. Pilot and Feasibility Studies (open access)
  13. de Visser R. Evaluation of Dry January 2019. School of Psychology, University of Sussex; December 2019. An evaluation report, not a peer-reviewed paper. PDF
  14. Case P, Angus C, De Vocht F, Holmes J, Michie S, Brown J. Has the increased participation in the national campaign ‘Dry January’ been associated with cutting down alcohol consumption in England? Drug and Alcohol Dependence. 2021;227:108938. PubMed Central (open access)
  15. British Liver Trust (now Liver UK). Office party revellers urged to do Dry January. 15 December 2017. British Liver Trust
  16. NHS. Alcohol-related liver disease. Page last reviewed 15 July 2026. nhs.uk
  17. de Visser RO, Nicholls J. Temporary abstinence during Dry January: predictors of success; impact on well-being and self-efficacy. Psychology & Health. 2020;35(11):1293–1305. doi:10.1080/08870446.2020.1743840
  18. NHS. Alcohol units. Page last reviewed 27 August 2024. nhs.uk
  19. Alcohol Change UK. The Dry January® challenge: frequently asked questions. Undated; checked 3 November 2026. Alcohol Change UK
  20. NHS. Alcohol support. Page last reviewed 17 August 2026. nhs.uk
  21. Alcohol Change UK. Dry January®. Undated; checked 3 November 2026. Alcohol Change UK
  22. Alcohol Change UK. Top alcohol-free and low alcohol drinks for the Dry January® challenge and beyond. Blog, January 2026. Alcohol Change UK