Giving up alcohol after festive excesses could be a bad idea

File photo / NZ Herald

Like millions of others, you might well be considering giving up alcohol for January to give your body a rest after the festive excesses.

But surprisingly, doctors are advising against it.

They believe the so-called Janopause is 'medically futile' and can do more harm than good.

The British Liver Trust claims such abstinence for the short term can create a false sense of security. Some people drink more in February and beyond, and therefore do more harm to their health over the year.

And doctors stress a break of one month does not heal damage already caused.

Trust chief executive Andrew Langford said: 'You're better off making a resolution to take a few days off alcohol a week throughout the entire year.'

Dr Mark Wright, consultant hepatologist at Southampton General Hospital, said: 'Detoxing for just a month is medically futile. It feeds the idea that you can abuse your liver as much as you like and then sort everything out with a quick fix.

'The liver is fantastic at detoxing - that's what it does. But if you think giving it a rest will help, you're wrong.'

- THE DAILY MAIL