CHEERS everybody! A clinical study inspired by New Scientist staff has confirmed that “Dry January” is good for your health.

Our pilot study in 2013 with a London-based team showed that those of us who abstained for a month saw sizeable reductions in blood pressure, cholesterol, weight and diabetes risk. It led to a proper clinical trial by the same team. The results resoundingly echoed our own (see “ Doing Dry January lowers cancer-promoting proteins in your blood ”).

Ominously, the researchers found an unexpected link between drinking and levels of blood factors that can help cancer grow and …