Many often wonder how to drink and not suffer the next day. I’m not saying alcohol is healthy and certainly I don’t entertain irresponsible drinking like there was no tomorrow. However, it’s undoubtedly a significant aspect of social life and I am personally far from abstinence. Although alcohol is certainly not for everyone and tolerance is individual, there are ways how to minimise its negative effects.
Fun fact
Alcohol is a controversial subject and some consider it a deadly poison. But is it really so toxic?
All of us host numerous strains of yeasts in the gut. Some of these produce alcohol in small amounts every single day, given the right nutrition: glucose, fructose and sucrose. It means that when we eat foods containing any of these sugars, the yeasts produce ethanol. In other words, we are physiologically designed to metabolise certain amounts of alcohol. Therefore, I do not agree that even the smallest amount is bad (at least not for an average person with no major health concerns). Especially that alcohol has been used medicinally for centuries and herbal medicine hugely relies on alcoholic tinctures.
Why people get hangovers
If you feel that even a small amount of alcohol affects you, it’s most probably down to your internal environment and not necessarily alcohol itself. A nutrient dense diet, efficient liver detoxification pathways, gut microflora composition and genetic predispositions all affect alcohol metabolism.
Slow conversion: alcohol is metabolised to acetaldehyde which is the villain behind nasty hangovers. Normally, it is further converted to acetate, and ultimately to carbon and water. That conversion is catalysed by an enzyme called aldehyde oxidase (AO). When the enzyme doesn’t work efficiently, acetaldehyde poisons the body. Enzymatic reactions hugely depend on gastrointestinal health, nutrient status and genetics.
Histamine intolerance: wine and beer are high in histamine which is normally degraded by an enzyme called diamine oxidase (DAO). When there are not enough DAO producing microbes or there are too many histamine producing microbes in the gut, one can react to dietary histamine. The most common symptoms are migraines and fast heartbeat.
Blood sugar drop: sweet mixers raise blood sugar fast which then drops below optimal level. Symptoms of reactive hypoglycaemia include lightheadedness, headaches, cold sweats, irritability. Wine and beer are quite high in sugar and can induce a blood glucose drop without adding mixers.
Hydration: alcohol draws water out of cells, dehydrating us from inside out. Without sufficient hydration, the brain shrinks. As it shrinks, it pulls away from the skull, causing tension headache.
Yeast overgrowth: this will result in excessive alcoholic fermentation in the body. People who produce a lot of ethanol don’t need to drink alcohol to feel drunk and hungover. It is called ‘self brewery syndrome’.
Amount and type of alcohol: while some alcohol can be perfectly fine, large amounts and poor choices of alcoholic drinks increase the chances of a hangover tenfold.
How to avoid a hangover
Eat while you drink. The French say to only drink wine with food and never on its own. While wine has some health benefits, cracking a bottle of vino right after work before you even eat your dinner will most probably damage your health. Sometimes it’s not about ‘how much’ but rather ‘how’.
Most people crave greasy foods after a night out because the body requires three important compounds for alcohol to be detoxified, and fast foods provide all of them:
fat (stimulates bile flow, and bile is body’s master detoxifier)
protein (certain amino acids are needed for efficient detox pathways)
soluble fibre (‘soakage’, also responsible for removing used bile with impurities)
Detox is often associated with juicing and other plant based remedies but without protein and fat the process is incomplete. This is also why a green juice is the last thing on a hungover person’s mind.
2. Choose your drinks wisely. Best alcohols in the order of purity are:
potato vodka
gin
tequila
rum
whiskey
dry champagne and cider
biodynamic / organic dry wine
Saying that, these might not be the best for YOU as an individual.
My favourite going out drink that is not only tasty but keeps me hydrated:
vodka
sparkling water (San Pellegrino Essenza flavoured water works great)
2 wedges of lime, squeezed
fresh mint
ice
3. It is best not to mix different alcoholic beverages.
4. If you decide to mix, start with the lower percentage drink and move up the scale as opposed to the other way round.
5. Hydrate: have a glass of water per each alcoholic drink. And again, eat fat. Fat is metabolised to water which directly hydrates cells.
6. Do not get sweetened mixers, stick to dry options.
6. Supplements that are worth having at home if you drink on a regular basis:
1000mg of vitamin C right after drinking
N-Acetylcysteine (NAC) right after drinking
Probiotics on a regular basis
Food based multivitamin which includes all B vitamins in natural forms
Hangover remedies
Water with a good pinch of sea salt or rock salt - to increase electrolyte content
Coconut water - rich in electrolytes
San Pellegrino water - high in sulphur which is key for detoxification
Meat stock and bone broth - rich in electrolytes, protein and fat
Home made curry - rich in protein, fat, detoxifying spices
Bananas and tomato juice - both rich in potassium
Eggs - rich in cysteine and choline which support detoxification
Walk in the fresh air, leave exercise for another day