Holidays mean more parties, more alcohol consumption and more hangovers. How can you help your liver cope? by juliet koeman
The morning after. It’s probably the time that more resolutions are made than on New Year’s Eve and they all have the same topic: “I will never drink again.” It’s not a bad resolution to make – alcohol wreaks havoc on your body, can cause fatal liver disease, not to mention being the cause of social strife and road deaths. But if your intention is to drink again, then now is the time to arm yourself with all the hangover knowledge you can.
Why does it hurt so much?
The word ‘intoxication’ is a good one, coming from the word toxic, meaning poisonous. Alcohol is a poison, in a sense. Drink enough of it and you can die. So it’s understandable that it can make you feel so awful the next day. Research shows that a chemical by-product of alcohol, called acetaldehyde may be responsible for hangovers. Alcohol is a diuretic, and you lose far more water in your urine than you are taking in the drink itself. Dehydration causes the brain to shrink away from the skull slightly. This triggers pain sensors on the outside surface of your brain, leaving you with that splitting headache. Vital electrolytes such as magnesium and potassium are excreted from the body with the urine. These minerals help keep the heart beating and dangerous cardiac arrhythmias can occur after heavy drinking. Alcohol also lowers your blood sugar levels as glucose is excreted in the urine. Along with the late night, this contributes to extensive yawning the following day. Though alcohol affects every organ of the body, it’s most dramatic impact is upon the liver. The liver is able to metabolize about ½ ounce of ethanol per hour (approximately one drink, depending on a person’s body size, food intake, etc.). If more alcohol arrives in the liver than the enzymes can handle, the excess travels to all parts of the body, circulating until the liver enzymes are finally able to process it.
Before you drink
Take some precautions before you drink:
While you’re drinking
You can drink and prevent or lessen the severity of a hangover:
- Because the liver can only metabolise one drink per hour, it’s not a good idea to drink more than this
- Stay away from alcohol that’s very high in fat or sugar, like beer and drinks with sweet sugary mixes. A drink that can be mixed with water is best
- A carbonated drink will hasten alcohol absorption so stay away from fizzy mixers
- Drink a glass of water for every alcoholic drink you have. It will enable your liver to flush out the toxins better
- Dark alcohol will cause a worse hangover than light alcohol as it contains more cogeners (partly responsible for hangovers), so stay away from red wine, dark rum,
sherry and brandy. Stick to lighter-coloured beer
- Try to eat something, preferably something that is high in sugar, to replace the sugar your body is losing.
The next day
The truth of the matter is that there is no miracle hangover cure, but there are a number of things you can do to make yourself feel a little better:
- Your body needs rest so if you can, stay in bed a little longer and try to get some sleep
- Take paracetamol if your head hurts, like Dis-Chem Paracetemol. Try and avoid aspirin in case it upsets your stomach. Take anti-hangover preparations like KGB
- Re-hydrate your body. You need to drink plenty of fluids, like water and fruit juice (to replace lost vitamins). Sports drinks that contain electrolytes, like Energade, will also help, or something like Guronsan C
- Try an aromatherapy cocktail – mix 4oz water, the juice of half of a lemon and a drop of fennel oil and drink before breakfast to help stop any queasiness
- You should try to eat and if you can manage it fruit is a good place to start. An ancient remedy from China is 10 strawberries and a glass of orange juice, and tomatoes are said to be especially good for hangovers. Some people swear by a full greasy meal like bacon and eggs, but listen to what your stomach says
- If you feel queasy, take some Cyclizine HCL (your Dis-Chem health professional can advise you) to treat nausea and vomiting. It also has the effect of making you drowsy, so it may help you to sleep
- Remember this moment and be better advised next time you drink!
Article added 2005/11/21
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