How
to avoid hangovers...
It
happens to the best of us... and is possibly one of the most miserable
experiences. The headaches, the nausea, the upset stomach, weakness,
etc - all unwelcome guests after a night of prolonged and excess
festivities. Don't worry - there's no loss in hope. There are plenty
of strategies you can use to try and outwit the common hangover.
It is possible to live in a hangover free world... or at least to
try.
1. First, let's get a grip on what exactly is happening
to your body when you ingest alcohol on a night of drinking. There's
multiple effects and thus, as you feel, multiple symptoms. Ethanol
(one of the alcohols) is a diuretic, which causes dehydration (dry
throat, anyone?). The dehydration doesn't just stop there though,
it also causes your brain to shrink slightly inside your cranium
(thus your headaches and lethargy). Alcohol hits your stomach pretty
hard as well, leading to the production of acetaldehyde and then
acetic acid, via the enzymes in your stomach. Seeing as acetaldehyde
is somewhat toxic, your stomach is often in rough shape. This process
causes a chain reaction of production of NAD+ to NADH and the divertion
of extra nutrients to create more NAD+. A little scientific jargon
later, your liver is working extra to keep you alive in the lack
of NAD+ and thus is spending less time sending glucose (vital energy)
to your tissues and brain. The result of this is decreased awareness,
weakness, fatigue and inability to concentrate, for good measure.
That's not all...
You may experience being very cold when you are drinking.
This is because alcohol opens up your blood vessels(often causing
a flushed appearance) and your body convects heat more readily.
When the hangover sets in, the blood vessels close down again and
do a number on your headache. Alcohol is a depressant, and when
as it is on it's miserable way out, it takes away some depressant
affects, leaving you extra sensitive to light and noise. Finally,
the production of NADH in your digestion system uses up Vitamin
B12, which can lead to a deficiency. That's all a little bit of
the chemical breakdown of your body's big "Thanks for last
night, a**hole" statement. Ready for another drink?
2. You should also know that there is no way to help
yourself get sober. Once that alcohol hits the stomach, you will
pay the price, somehow. Taking cold showers, drinking coffee, etc.
are all bogus steps that might wake you up, but in no way will make
you sober. The best is to prepare and help your stomach oxidize
the intruder.
3. Now, to cure it. Since the metabolism of alcohol
is so taxing on your nutrients, you want to give your body a little
help. Eating before you drink aids the battle, as the foods will
be able to absorb up some of the alcohol and mitigate its effect
on the stomach. This is why drinking on an empty stomach is dangerous.
4. Drinking water while and after drinking attacks
the dehydration problem. Good prevention is having a large glass
after your drinking and even carrying one around while you are drinking.
5. Get plenty of vitamins. Maybe your party won't
have a Bahama Mama available and nobody's got an apple on hand,
but having some good ole fashioned juice will help in the NADH production.
If you're going to drink, maybe have drinks with orange, cranberry
or grapefruit juice?
6. The way you drink. Pace yourself - not to fast,
not too much. It has been said that once you're over five drinks
in a night, you're almost certainly due for a hangover. Take sips,
take your time, and don't take too much.
7. Burnt toast? Yes, it does work. But there's no
deep science to it. The reason is simply that it is bread and bread
absorbs liquid (liquor) pretty well. This is different than Chaser
and other hangover pills, which are activated carbon. Instead of
absorbing, they actually "adsorb" the alcohol, which is
done by chemically bonding to the alcohol molecules. Their adsorbing
power is much better than a piece of burnt toast. For the record,
this pills do work quite well.
Take those steps and you should be much better prepared
against any hangover! Party on, party responsibly!
