|
By Rome Jorge, Lifestyle Editor
Toasting the arrival of 2009 should be fun—not an occasion to get
a hangover or get bogged down by it.
With the revelries, fireworks and parties of the
New Year, staying up late, gorging on food and drinking alcoholic
beverages are nearly impossible to avoid. Besides, even worse than
regretting such indulgence is regretting having missed out on all
the revelry.
But alcohol consumption need not be a surefire
way to get knocked out—if one only knows the symptoms and possible
remedies.
What to look out for
The medical term for a hangover is
veisalgia—from kveis, the Nordic word for “uneasiness after
debauchery,” and algia, the Hellenic word for “grief.” Though
first coined only in 2000 in a study published in the Annals of
Internal Medicine, the term veisalgia appears apt for this ancient
malady.
The Vikings, infamous for their wantonness with
meat, and the Greeks, storied for their orgies with wine, knew well
the effects of alcohol indulgence normally felt the day after:
splitting headaches, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, dry mouth,
sensitivity to noise and bright light, irritability and lethargy.
Other hangover symptoms can include erratic
motor functions, trouble sleeping, lack of depth perception,
revulsion to the smell or taste of alcohol and making promises never
to ever drink again—that are difficult to keep. Hangovers may last
from just a few hours to up to three days. They are most often
experienced upon waking from stupor.
Causes
During a hangover, the brain experiences
withdrawal symptoms from ethanol—a potent psychoactive depressant
drug that can cause addiction. The sensitivity to sound and light,
the aversion to the smell and taste of alcohol and erratic motor
functions are all effects of this withdrawal.
The effects of ethanol on the brain, the
intestine and the liver have been documented in a study published by
the American Academy of Family Physicians in 2004.
Ethanol is also a diuretic, making you urinate
excessively. Dehydration deprives the brain of enough fluid, hence
the headaches.
The liver is the organ responsible for
detoxifying the body of such toxins as ethanol. But binge drinking
can overwhelm and permanently damage the liver.
To breakdown toxic ethanol into harmless acetic
acid—better known as vinegar—liver enzymes first convert it to
acetaldehyde—a cancer-causing and mutagenic substance 30 times
more toxic than ethanol. This is according to a study made on lab
rats that was published in the journal Inflammation Research in
2005.
Excessive alcohol consumption can deplete the
liver of glutathione, an anti-oxidant that it needs to breakdown
toxins, such as ethanol. Though the body naturally synthesizes
glutathione from cysteine and other proteins, excessive amounts of
ethanol can cause the liver to use up available supply faster than
the body’s ability to produce it. This finding was cited by a
study made for the Department of Legal Medicine, Kyoto Prefectural
University of Medicine in 1989.
To create the enzymes needed to neutralize
toxins, like ethanol, the body needs vitamins—nutrients the body
cannot synthesize by itself and must absorb through food—like B12.
Excessive drinking can lead to vitamin deficiency. As with vitamin
B12, these nutrients are necessary not only for the liver but also
for the brain and other organs. According to the “Dietary
Supplement Fact Sheet: Vitamin B12” by the US National Institutes
of Health, symptoms of Vitamin B12 deficiency include fatigue,
depression and poor memory—the very same symptoms of a hangover.
Because excessive alcohol consumption provokes
an overproduction of liver enzymes, the metabolism of sugar is
affected and may lead to hypoglycemia or low blood pressure.
Hypoglycemia symptoms include palpitations, cold sweat, nausea,
headaches and a sensation of pins and needles—again, the same
symptoms of a hangover.
Adding to the ill effects of ethanol are
congeners—substances that give an alcoholic beverage its color,
aroma, taste and character—without which wine, brandy and whisky
would be just plain pure alcohol. Clear distilled drinks, such as
vodka, are free of congeners. But because the chief cause of
veisalgia is ethanol, strictly sticking to clear drinks can by no
means preclude a hangover. This multiplier effect by congener on
ethanol’s symptoms was cited in the same study that coined the
term veisalgia.
Hangover first aid
Experts recommend drinking water and oral
rehydration solutions, enough to cause urination to flush out
toxins.
Get proper ventilation and clean air to provide
oxygen to better metabolize toxins and avoid feelings of nausea.
Eat foods rich in Cysteine, vitamins B12, B1,
B6, C and other nutrients necessary to produce liver enzymes to
neutralize toxins. Eggs, milk, citrus fruits as well as whey protein
and multivitamin supplements are good sources.
One can take glutathione supplements to aid the
liver in processing excessive toxins.
These remedies can be taken before, during, as
well as after drinking to mitigate a hangover.
Exercise, which metabolizes toxins faster, is
another remedy for the day after partying.
One can take tolfenamic acid, an
anti-inflammation drug, for headaches. And taking sodium
bicarbonate, otherwise known as baking soda, can sooth discomfort in
the intestinal tract and counter nausea.
Drinking coffee, tea and other drinks rich in
caffeine—a stimulant whose effects are opposite to that of
depressants, such as alcohol—can help promote alertness and sooth
the body. Caffeine, also a diuretic, can lead to a faster release of
toxins through urination but can also aggravate dehydration and its
effects. Drinking enough water also helps.
But perhaps the most effective remedy is
moderation. If that is still difficult, try abstinence.
|
