Short answer: if you drink most weeks, yes. Test just before January and again in early February. In the best-known study of a month off alcohol, GGT fell by 29% and ALT by 15%, and insulin resistance fell by 26%. A before-and-after test shows what changed for you. It isn't a diagnosis, and anything abnormal should go to your GP.
Sources: Mehta et al., BMJ Open 2018; Lab Tests Online UK; British Liver Trust; NHS. Written by James Smillie, TrueVitals, reviewed by the TrueVitals clinical review team. October 2026.
The most-quoted study followed 94 regular drinkers who stopped for a month and 47 who carried on, at the Royal Free Hospital in London (Mehta et al., BMJ Open 2018). The abstinence group saw significant falls in liver enzymes, insulin resistance, blood pressure and weight; the group that kept drinking didn't.
| Measure | Median change after 1 month off |
|---|---|
| GGT (liver enzyme) | −28.6% |
| ALT (liver enzyme) | −14.5% |
| Insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) | −25.9% |
| Systolic blood pressure | −6.6% |
| Weight | −1.5% |
| VEGF (cancer-related growth factor) | −41.8% |
Caveats the authors note: people chose which group to join rather than being randomised, the sample was small and health-motivated, and the study only measured one month. HDL ("good") cholesterol also fell, by a median 16.7%.
Separately, a University of Sussex survey of Dry January 2018 participants found 71% slept better and 58% lost weight, and in August they were still drinking on fewer days (3.3 a week, down from 4.3).
Liver enzymes are the obvious markers, but a month off alcohol also shows up in your metabolism. Test the same markers before and after so you can compare like with like.
| Marker | What it tells you | Changes in a month? |
|---|---|---|
| GGT | The liver enzyme most linked to alcohol; raised in about 75% of long-term heavy drinkers | Yes, usually falls |
| ALT | Liver cell stress or damage, including fatty liver | Often falls |
| AST | Liver (and muscle) enzyme; needed for the FIB-4 score | Small change |
| ALP, bilirubin, albumin | Bile flow and how well the liver is working | Usually little change |
| FIB-4 score | Age, AST, ALT and platelets combined into a liver scarring risk score | Tracks risk, not a month's change |
| MCV (red cell size) | Often raised by heavy drinking | Slowly: red cells live about 120 days |
| Triglycerides | Blood fats that alcohol pushes up | Can fall |
| HbA1c, fasting insulin, HOMA-IR | Blood sugar control and insulin resistance | Insulin resistance fell in the study |
GGT figures: Lab Tests Online UK (GGT test). FIB-4: British Society of Gastroenterology guideline on abnormal liver blood tests (Newsome et al., Gut 2018). Study changes: Mehta et al., BMJ Open 2018.
Before: in the last days of December or the first days of January. Lab Tests Online UK notes that drinking in the 24 hours before a GGT test can push it up temporarily, so if you can, leave a day after your last drink.
After: in early February, after at least four weeks without alcohol. GGT can take a month or longer to return to normal, so testing sooner may understate the change.
Keep it comparable: same lab, same time of day, and fast beforehand both times if your panel includes glucose and insulin.
If you're a heavy daily drinker, don't stop suddenly without advice. The NHS says alcohol withdrawal can be dangerous, so speak to your GP before you start.
If you have symptoms, such as yellowing of the skin or eyes, dark urine, a swollen tummy or legs, or confusion, see a GP urgently or call 111; if you're vomiting blood, call 999. Don't wait for a private test.
Why testing matters at all: the British Liver Trust says three quarters of people with cirrhosis are diagnosed in hospital when it's too late for life-saving treatment, because early liver disease has vague or no symptoms.
Any decent liver panel will show ALT and GGT moving. The differences are whether AST and platelets are included (needed for a FIB-4 scarring score) and whether you get the metabolic markers that also change.
| Option | Liver markers | FIB-4 possible? | Fasting insulin / HOMA-IR | All-in price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TrueVitals Ultimate | ALT, AST, GGT, ALP, bilirubin, albumin | Yes, FIB-4 reported | Yes | £368 |
| Medichecks Ultimate Performance | ALT, GGT, ALP, bilirubin, albumin | AST not listed | Not listed | £234 |
| Lola Health Peak Insights 70 | ALT, GGT, ALP, bilirubin, albumin | AST not listed | Not listed | £235 |
| NHS GP | Liver function tests if clinically indicated | Depends on GP | Depends on GP | Free |
Biomarker lists from each provider's product page, prices with the cheapest professional blood draw, checked 16 October 2026. "Not listed" means the marker isn't in that panel's published biomarker list.
If you only want to see ALT and GGT move, a cheaper panel or your GP is enough. TrueVitals is the better fit if you want the full picture, liver plus metabolic, in one test: TrueVitals Ultimate: 140 biomarkers (139 for women), £349 + £19 clinic draw or £39 home visit, venous sample, Nationwide Pathology (UKAS-accredited), clinician-reviewed report within 4 working days, 103 partner clinics. It's not the cheapest way to repeat a liver test in February, and there's no finger-prick option.
140 biomarkers (139 for women) including a full liver panel, FIB-4 and insulin resistance. Clinician-reviewed report within 4 working days. £349 + £19 clinic draw.
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