Fight Hangover

A study shows that vegetarians suffer worse from hangover than consuming meat appetizers. Nicotinic acid and zinc are necessary for the degradation of ethanol.

Journal of Clinical, Dutch researchers at the University of Utrecht conducted an experiment on 13 drinkers at a company.

Participants from all groups were analysed for the presence of 23 hangover-related symptoms, first in a control setting where they abstained from drinking at night.

Then subjects went out to have fun drinking alcohol and were observed the following day for such side effects as headache, palpitations, nausea, sweating, dizziness, thirst, sensitivity to light and sounds.

Participants were asked to write down everything they ate and drank during their evenings. Subsequently, their food was analysed for its nutritional value. The trend showed that who have consumed foods low in zinc and vitamin B3 have the worst symptoms in terms of test parameters.

Zinc deficiency was clearly associated with vomiting and low Vitamin B3 levels, also known as nicotinic acid, have led to an increase and exacerbation of hangover symptoms.

Doctors note that both zinc and vitamin B3 are found mainly in foods of animal origin and meat. In conclusion we can say that vegetarians are low on these two factors are more vulnerable than severe hangovers.

Of course, the safest way to avoid a hangover during the holidays is not to overdo it.

Working overtime to clear out the booze

Hangovers are virtually guaranteed when you drink too much. That amount varies from person to person based on genetic factors as well as whether there are other compounds that formed along with ethanol in the fermentation process.

Over the course of a night of heavy drinking, your blood alcohol level continues to rise. Your body labors to break down the alcohol — consumed as ethanol in beer, wine or spirits — forming damaging oxygen free radicals and acetaldehyde, itself a harmful compound.

The longer ethanol and acetaldehyde stick around, the more damage they can do to your cellular membranes, proteins and DNA, so your body’s enzymes work quickly to metabolize acetaldehyde to a less toxic compound, acetate.

Over time, your ethanol levels drop through this natural metabolic process. Depending on how much you consumed, you’re likely to experience a hangover as the level of ethanol in your blood slowly returns to zero.

Your body is withdrawing from high levels of circulating alcohol, while at the same time trying to protect itself from the effects of alcohol.

Scientists have limited knowledge of the leading causes of the hangover. But they do know that the body’s responses include changes in hormone levels to reduce dehydration and cellular stress.

Alcohol consumption also affects a variety of neurotransmitter systems in the brain, including glutamate, dopamine and serotonin. Inflammation increases in the body’s tissues, and the healthy gut bacteria in your digestive system take a hit too, promoting leaky gut.

Altogether, the combination of all these reactions and protective mechanisms activated by your system gives rise to the experience of a hangover, which can last up to 48 hours.