Festive Health Tips

The Christmas and New Year holiday season is upon us. It is a time for celebrations and partying, whether it be with family, friends or colleagues. It is perhaps inevitable that many people’s overindulgence will manifest itself in deleterious health effects. Here, I will cover the dreaded hangover!

Most of us have been there: thumping head, nausea, dizziness, palpitations, bodily pain, fatigue, disturbed sleep, and excessive urination leading to dehydration. The extent of hangover symptoms is governed by several factors including environmental and nutritional circumstances, genotype (genetics), gender, age, and the quantity and type of alcohol consumed. Because alcohol is absorbed into the bloodstream via the small intestine, the level of intoxication can be reduced by consuming alcohol on a full stomach. How does this work? Well, undigested food along with alcohol is kept in the stomach by the closure of the pyloric valve. Once food has been properly digested, the pyloric valve relaxes allowing nutrients (including alcohol) to pass into the duodenum. Therefore, when the stomach is empty, the pyloric valve is open allowing unrestricted passage of alcohol into the small intestine and bloodstream. This is when alcohol starts to exert its characteristic pleasant/unpleasant (depending on your viewpoint) chemical effects on cognition and various physiological functions. Metabolism of alcohol/ethanol initially occurs in the liver: ethanol is converted to acetaldehyde (a toxic molecule that is basically a poison) by alcohol dehydrogenase (an enzyme). Acetaldehyde is then broken down to acetate by aldehyde dehydrogenase in the second enzymatic step. Finally, acetate is degraded to carbon dioxide and water. Acetaldehyde dehydrogenase is the rate-limiting enzyme in alcohol metabolism and genetic differences among ethnicities and individuals regulate how efficiently a person can metabolise acetaldehyde. Low acetaldehyde dehydrogenase activity results in acetaldehyde migrating from the liver into the bloodstream and is a primary cause of hangover symptoms. Of course, even people with high acetaldehyde dehydrogenase activity cannot escape the inevitable consequences of excessive alcohol intake that overwhelms enzymatic metabolism capacity.

For most people, how to prevent or lessen hangover severity is more important than how they are caused. No method is foolproof, but there are several things that can be done to reduce symptoms. Firstly, it is best to consume alcohol slowly and steadily during or after eating, and not before, i.e., an empty stomach will result in faster alcohol ingestion. Secondly, choosing drinks that are low in congeners (e.g., white wine, vodka, or beer) instead of drinks typically containing higher levels of congeners (e.g., red wine, whisky, rum, or brandy) will reduce the severity of hangovers, in addition to reducing potential exposure to toxic chemicals such as methanol, acetaldehyde, and acetone. For reference, congeners are byproducts of alcohol distillation, which are deleterious to health, e.g., associated with inflammation and cancer. Thirdly, consuming high-quality proteins such as meat, fish, eggs, and dairy products as well as healthy fats such as vegetable and fish oils will increase satiety and keep the pyloric valve closed for longer than with carbohydrate-only consumption. However, “slow-burning” carbohydrates with dense molecular matrices like pasta are also beneficial when combined with healthy proteins and fats; for example, eating Italian food along with your beverage. Moreover, high-quality protein sources provide the sulphur-(thiol)-containing amino acid L-cysteine, which has been shown to bind to acetaldehyde and inhibit its toxic effects. Other thiol-containing molecules include vitamin B1 (thiamine) and glutathione (which is produced by the body), and together with L-cysteine can offset the severity of alcohol toxicity. Since these molecules function in redox reactions, it is a good idea to consume vitamin C to help keep antioxidants in their reduced (active) form. I recommend that L-cysteine, vitamin B1, and vitamin C be obtained from natural food sources and not supplements. Supplements and health-shop products (especially from online sources) are not regulated and may or may not contain what is stated on the label. In fact, they can contain anything from the stated nutrients to dangerous toxins (see "The Toxic Potential of Herbal Supplements" blog), so care must be taken when choosing a supplement manufacturer as well as the retail outlet selling the product. And last but not least, don't forget to remain well hydrated by drinking plenty of water and/or fruit juices. Alcohol inhibits anti-diuretic hormone, which alters the porosity of the collecting duct allowing more fluid to pass from the kidneys to the bladder, hence increased urine output and dehydration. 

In the end, prevention is better than cure. So, the less alcohol consumed the better. Alcohol has no therapeutic properties, and no amount of alcohol, however small, should be consumed as part of a healthy diet. Remember that alcohol is more fattening than carbohydrate or protein and contains nearly double the calories on a weight-for-weight basis. In the past, moderate alcohol consumption was purported to have medicinal or health properties, but this was based on biased studies, industry marketing, and general misinformation/misconceptions by members of the public as well as many health professionals. Science now knows better.

For more medical information and the ultimate science-based nutritional guide, please refer to the OneLife Diet Meal Plan (eBook). Take control of your health today and make it your New Year’s resolution to optimise your health through balanced nutrition.

Further reading:

OneLife Diet Meal Plan: Total Nutritional Guide. Link

L-Cysteine Containing Vitamin Supplement Which Prevents or Alleviates Alcohol-related Hangover Symptoms: Nausea, Headache, Stress and Anxiety. Link

Pharmacological treatments and strategies for reducing oral and intestinal acetaldehyde. Link

Aldehydes and Ketones: Thioacetal. Organic Chemistry (2014). Link