I'm often asked about hangover 'cures' - the immediate answer is not to drink 15 pints of lager or 4 bottles of red wine in one evening - this little piece of advice alone will stand you in very good stead. Yes, I hear you say but that's irrelevant when your head feels like its stuck in a vice, your tongue has two inches of hair on it and the paranoia of what you might have said last night could haunt you for the rest of your life.
The Symptoms
Excessive alcohol causes a number of all too familiar symptoms including dehydration, hypoglycemia, nausea, vomiting, flatulence, diarrhoea and other problems associated with acetaldehyde detoxification. Acetaldehyde, which is much more toxic to the body than alcohol, is produced by the oxidation of ethanol as your body tries to deal with the drink, and many of these symptoms are accentuated when the liver's ability to detoxify is exceeded.
Initially alcohol causes dehydration as ethanol has diuretic properties which increases urination and can cause lethargy and headache which can later result in irritation (and explains why some people get angry and even violent). Secondly the acidic nature of alcohol has an inflammatory effect on the gastro-intestinal tract . Alcohol is broken down in the liver by enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase which turns the ethanol content into the highly toxic acetaldehyde mentioned earlier, which is many times more poisonous than the alcohol itself! The acetaldehyde is eventually broken down into acetyl acid by the action of acetaldehyde dehydrogenase and eliminated from the body by the usual means.
Now the quicker this enzymatic activity takes place, the less harsh the symptoms of hangover will be.
NAD or Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, is a coenzyme found in all living cells and it's job is to carry electrons from one cell to another. When the acetaldehyde conversion described above is going at it hammer and tongs the NAD is affected and turns into NAD-H which in turn impacts the citric acid cycle. This results in impaired liver function and a drop in blood sugar levels. All of this also contributes to a reduction in glutathione levels. Glutathione is an important element of detoxification. The less of it there is in your system the longer it takes your body to deal with the dreaded acetaldehyde.
Besides all of that the amount of crap that's put into beverages these days also has an effect. I'm talking about sulphites and other preservatives, flavouring and colouring agents, congeners (by-products of fermentation) and all those other 'enhancements' which manufacturers hope will coax us into lining their pockets. This chemical cocktail can multiply the effects of hangover.
Another bad idea is stimulant drinks mixed with alcohol which is a depressant. Of course mixing different types of drink is not recommended either. These symptoms are lessened somewhat when purer forms of alcohol such as the clear spirits, gin or vodka, are consumed in moderation.
The Night Before
Prevention is Better than Cure. Already we can see that if we consume a nutrient dense diet in the first place many of these symptoms will be less intense, so when I talk of nutrition it is easy to join the dots. A high level of glutathione in the body (derived initially from good sources of protein or by supplementation) will be of great help due to its powerful antioxidant activity.
Drinking plenty of water between drinks and afterwards will prevent dehydration and thus mitigate many of the associated symptoms. Taking an extra multivitamin/mineral complex (including molybdenum)or extra Vitamin C if you are going out drinking might be a good precaution. Antioxidants may help while L-glutamine can help repair the digestive tract. Having a good meal beforehand with plenty of vegetables especially the brassicas (avoiding heavy foods and saturated fats which place a further burden on the liver) will also offer some protection to the gastro-intestinal tract (legend has it in parts of Ireland poteen drinkers would consume upwards of half a pound of butter before imbibing - not recommended). Avoid grapefruit which can increase the toxicity of alcohol.
The liver detoxifies best between 1-3am so it best to stop drinking before this so it can do its work more efficiently. It takes approximately 1 hour for the body to process each unit of alcohol (a pint of beer is 2 units, a small glass of wine or measure of spirits is 1 unit).
The Morning After
The next day there are a number of things that might help. The homeopathic remedy Nux Vomica (30c) is said to alleviate nausea. Honey, which contains alkaline minerals such as potassium can help to replace lost nutrients (bananas are also rich in potassium as are figs, raisins and dates). Milk Thistle is a useful liver herb which is both hepatoprotective and helps to regenerate liver cells. The Chinese herb Kudzu contains a chemical called diazadin which is useful for alcohol-related disorders.
Exercise is good, particularly vigorous exercise as it gets the body moving again while drinking plenty of water will also help to alleviate symptoms of dehydration.
Herbal teas such as Chamomile, Cat's Claw, Dandelion are useful while fruit juices such as watermelon, which is full of antioxidants, can be very comforting. Black coffee actually isn't a good idea as being a diuretic can lead to further dehydration. If someone is hungover reassurance can also help.
Alcohol can be a good servant but it is a very bad master. Moderation is always key.
And on that light note, good health for 2011!
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