Many of us use New Year's as an opportunity to ditch the boozy festive habits! If you are thinking about taking part in Dry January; here are seven reasons why you should: 

• Your health will benefit 

A month without alcohol has been shown to improve the health of your liver and also many other organs in the body, it really does give you body a break to take care from the inside out! A study also revealed that when participants did not consume any alcohol for a month, their blood showed a rapid decrease in cancer-related growth factors. In addition being alcohol-free also improved their blood-sugar control and reduced their blood pressure and body weight. 

• It will help you reassess your relationship with alcohol 

By consciously not drinking, you’ll notice all the times when you would normally reach for a drink. You may notice you’ve been drinking to relax or de-stress – or even just out of boredom. A study by the University of Sussex found that 60% of people who participated in Dry January said they had fewer drinking days per week six months later.

• You'll sleep better 

Regular drinking can affect the quality of your sleep. This is because alcohol disrupts your sleep cycle, it makes you spend less time in deep sleep and more time in the less restful Rapid Eye Movement (REM) stage of sleep. Give up for a month and you’ll soon feel more rested.

• You'll have more energy

More sleep leads to more energy and without your body having to process alcohol, you’ll find you have more get up and go. The Sussex University study found that 62% of Dry January participants reported having more energy.

• You'll save money

Alcohol can be bad for your wallet too, if you typically buy two bottles of wine in a week this can add up to around £60 a month and £720 a year and that isn't including drinks bought on a night out or at the pub. Coming straight after the expensive festive season, a little extra money is always welcome.

• You might lose weight 

Around half of the Sussex study participants lost weight. How you do on this front depends on how much you drank previously – and whether you replace the booze with something else. On giving up alcohol some people crave sugar as they’ve been used to consuming high levels in many alcoholic drinks, so it’s important not to make a straight swap for sugary drinks. Find a low-calorie drink that works for you instead or simply go for good old-fashioned water (on the rocks of course).

• You'll be very pleased with your achievement

Knowing that you can go through the ups and downs of a month without having a drink is empowering - it puts you in control of your lifestyle and ultimately your health. Once you have mastered this you can apply it to your everyday life and you may find in the long run you are less dependant on having a drink to wind down or to have fun.

So, give Dry January a try and challenge yourself to benefit your health.