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Post-Holiday Detox Does 'More Harm Than Good'

'Janopause' leads to excessive drinking afterwards: doctors

By Neal Colgrass,  Newser Staff

Posted Jan 2, 2012 5:56 PM CST

(Newser) – Planning to go cold turkey after some heavy holiday boozing? British doctors warn it may do more harm than good, the Daily Mail reports. The so-called "Janopause"—a month of forced sobriety after New Year's—often leads to excessive drinking from February onward. "You’re better off making a resolution to take a few days off alcohol a week throughout the entire year than remaining abstinent for January only," says liver expert Andrew Langford.

Periods of sobriety punctuated by heavy drinking don't help the liver, which treats alcohol as a poison and breaks it down with enzymes. True, enzymes can cause liver scarring and sometimes-fatal cirrhosis, but a month of sipping apple juice doesn't enable the liver to play catchup.

A month of post-holiday sobriety may not be the best solution.
A month of post-holiday sobriety may not be the best solution.   (Shutterstock)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 3 comments
HappyHabenero
Jan 3, 2012 3:28 AM CST
somebody should have told that idiot winehouse that, BEFORE she took the dirt nap
BCS
Jan 2, 2012 10:39 PM CST
"You’re better off making a resolution to take a few days off alcohol a week throughout the entire year than remaining abstinent for January only," Your better off having some control over yourself. sigh
flapstick
Jan 2, 2012 6:21 PM CST
*forwarding article to parents*   I'm not an alcoholic mom.. geeze doctors orders.

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