Guest Blog entry: Toni Brayer, MD
It is my pleasure to present this week's guest blog entry from Dr. Toni Brayer (MD),which was written exclusively for MedFriendly.com. Dr. Brayer runs her own successful blog which can be accessed by clicking here. I encourage you to visit. Dr. Brayer has practiced Internal Medicine in San Francisco for over 20 years. Dr. Brayer has served as President of the San Francisco Medical Society and Chief of Staff at California Pacific Medical Center. With that, I give you Dr Toni Brayer...
Most everyone who has experienced alcohol has also experienced a hangover. A night of partying and having one too many with friends can lead to a day of misery afterward. What causes a hangover?
The physiology of a hangover is straightforward. Alcohol is turned into ethanol by the liver enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase. Another enzyme called acetaldehyde breaks ethanol down further into acetic acid. Acetaldehyde is toxic and it impairs the liver’s ability to deliver glucose to body tissue and the brain. That leads to hypoglycemia. The metabolism of alcohol also uses up the body’s supply of vitamin B12. Couple the dehydrating effect of ethanol and the toxins of acetaldehye, with glucose depletion (hypoglycemia) and low vitamin B12 and voila!! You awaken with dry mouth, headache, weakness, fatigue, inability to pay attention and crankiness. That, my friends, is a hangover.
Ready for some added hangover facts?
Certain alcohol drinks cause more hangover symptoms. That is because of “Congeners”. These are by products from the process of fermentation of alcohol that contributes to the taste, color and aroma. These congeners also contribute to hangover symptoms. Dark spirits like brandy, whiskey, and red wine have more congeners. Clear liquids like vodka have less.
Zinc or other metals are added to sweet liqueurs. These sweet drinks can make a hangover worse.
There are lots of old wives tales about hangover remedies. Here is what works:
• Time – the body must metabolize alcohol via oxidation through the liver. The breakdown of alcohol takes time and sleeping it off is the best way to spend that time.
• Rehydration- drink water, Gatorade, tomato juice and avoid caffeine (even more dehydrating).
• Take B vitamins with magnesium. Advil as an anti-inflammatory will help the headache.
• Eat something. Food neutralizes the acids in your system and replaces glucose.
posted by MedFriendly | 7:20 PM
3 Comments:
This is why I drink non alcoholic beer like O'Douls it tastes like beer but no side effects.
I found this post by way of Toni's blog by the way.
Drinking plenty of water while drinking the alcohol has been a really helpful thing to do. I've found that making sure I have a glass or two of water along with whatever I'm drinking (not quite double-fisting them or anything (that'd be silly), but like, finish an alcoholic drink and then have a glass of water) greatly reduces or eliminates the hangover I might've had.
Also, not being an idiot and drinking til I puke and/or pass out. That helps with avoiding hangovers, too.
Carbonated drinks are worst in terms of hangover effects. As to strong alcohol, vodka and gin cause less suffering than whiskey and brandy. The cheapest cure is to drink lots of pure water and have a good sleep, that is a universal hangover remedy.
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