SELF HELP 101 FOR HANGOVER HELL
With less than two weeks until Christmas, corporate New Zealand is well into its seemingly never-ending ritual of pre-Christmas functions, complete with soggy finger foods, limitless volumes of alcohol, and far too many self pitying "mornings after". Despite the well known mathematical equation of "too much imbibing + waking up the next morning = living hell", hangovers are a bitterly common fact of life for many in the pre Christmas social whirl.
Alcohol, and visavis hangovers have been around since prehistoric times. Archaeologists in Edinburgh last year discovered how hard drinking medieval Scots dealt with their splitting heads. After a hard days drinking, sometimes involving up to 20 pints of ale in a single day, the hardy folk partook of the 14th century equivalent of liver salts. Made from the crushed seeds of the toxic plant of dogs mercury, mixed with bittern, the liquid skimmed off the salt making equipment. A good dose of this disgusting concoction would have caused a severe two-hour detox from both ends of the digestive tract!
Although very common, hangovers have not been extensively studied. Surprisingly, even the question of whether or not hangovers affect the performance of complex mental tasks is not clear, with different studies providing conflicting results.
Hangover symptoms usually start several hours after drinking has ceased, and can continue for up to 24 hours. Common symptoms include a pounding headache, exhaustion, acute light sensitivity, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, thirst and body aches. Sleep patterns will usually be disturbed, and there may also be dizziness, anxiety and depression.
A hangover is really a severe case of dehydration, induced by the effects of ethanol in alcohol. Alcohol inhibits the formation of antidiuretic hormone, the main reason for the frequent trips to the bathroom which always accompany alcohol consumption. Despite taking in maybe huge amounts of fluid in the form of alcohol, the body is hormonally programmed to eliminate even more fluid than you’re drinking. If your tipple is especially high in caffeine (special coffees, or anything mixed with coke) or sodium (Bloody Mary’s), the diuretic effects will be even more pronounced.
Not only will ethanol cause you to dehydrate, but it will also wreak havoc on electrolyte balance and blood sugar levels, as well as irritating stomach and intestinal linings, and interrupting the internal body clock and sleep rhythms. By causing blood vessels to dilate, and altering levels of serotonin and histamine, ethanol plays a part in the infamous pounding head which accompanies every hangover.
Ironically, a hangover reaches its maximum intensity when levels of alcohol in the blood have fallen to zero, several hours after imbibing. Some researchers summise that the symptoms of hangover are actually a kind of drug withdrawal. As ethanol is broken down in the body it is transformed into a toxic and reactive substance called acetaldehyde, another suspect in the line up of possible causes for the symptoms of hangover.
Different types of alcohol have different effects in the body. Gin and Vodka contain almost pure ethanol, and produce fewer hangover symptoms than beverages containing a mixture of alcoholic compounds such as red wine, whiskey and brandy. Not everyone experiences the same effects from drinking a similar amount of alcohol. Emotional states can effect alcohol tolerance, with angry, neurotic, defensive or guilty states of mind exacerbating hangover symptoms.
How do you avoid a hangover? The simplest, most obvious and foolproof solution is to limit your alcohol intake. Admittedly, it’s not always so simple, and there may be occasions when despite your best attempts at self-control, the morning after feels like a descent into hell.
When attending functions where alcohol is likely to feature strongly, try to slow the rate at which alcohol will be absorbed into the body. Whenever possible eat at the same time as drinking. Protein and fat will take longer to digest than alcohol and sugar, so combining the two will slow down alcohol absorption. Drink as much water as you can throughout the evening, and before turning in for the night. Have at the very least one glass of water for each alcoholic beverage consumed. Try taking 1000mg of vitamin C before your first drink. Research from the infamous Linus Pauling Institute found that when guinea pigs (who are similar to humans in their inability to synthesise their own vitamin C) were given large doses of Vitamin C, they experienced accelerated alcohol metabolism and improved liver function. After a night of too much alcohol, having been driven safely home, try to stay awake as long as possible, rather than crashing into bed. While awake, the body is able to metabolise and breakdown alcohol more effectively than during sleep, when metabolism slows significantly. Remember to keep drinking water right up until sleep, and take a high potency B complex tablet last thing before turning in, to speed breakdown of alcoholic byproducts.
While a hefty platter of bacon and eggs may not be the order of the morning, a liquid breakfast may help speed recovery. Try a smoothie made from orange and pineapple juice, a whole kiwi fruit, a tablespoon of brewer’s yeast and a teaspoon of honey. Packed with B and C vitamins, this mixture will speed the breakdown of alcohol, and support excretion of toxic residues. A strong shot of caffeine rich black coffee may seem appealing, but this is one time to resist the caffeine fix. Caffeine is a vasoconstrictor and may help dull the head pounding, but it is also a potent diuretic and will add to the already problematic dehydration.
Traditional Indian Ayurvedic medicine advocates hangovers be treated with a glass of water containing 1 teaspoon of lime juice, a half teaspoon of sugar, a pinch of salt and half a teaspoon of baking soda. The same healing tradition claims that drinking cool lassi (water containing yoghurt) and a pinch of cumin powder three or four times a day will relieve nausea, headache and drowsiness.
Aromatherapy offers a fragrant cure for the nausea of hangovers. Drink a cocktail of water, lemon juice and a drop of fennel essential oil before breakfast.
When all’s said and done, by far the easiest way of dealing with a hangover is exercising a little self-control the night before, and avoiding the damn thing in the first place!