The first day of the year is often remembered as the day of headaches, of nausea, of that general malaise due to the effects of more sustained drinking than usual. In short, the hangover day.
Of course, scientists have studied the effects that, the day after ingesting a large amount of alcohol, lead the body to react. Although with differences from person to person, the classic symptoms of drunkenness are universal and occur when the concentration of alcohol in the blood reaches 0.1 percent. It is understood that the higher the amount of alcohol in the bloodstream, the more pronounced the symptoms will be the next day.
Studies have identified four categories of suspect chemicals:
- The first and most obvious chemical is ethyl alcohol, which has a diuretic effect on the body because it lowers the level of the antidiuretic hormone vasopressin (ADH), which normally acts by increasing water retention in the kidneys, causing increased urination with a diuretic effect in the body. However, according to scientists, this is not the main factor in post-hangover symptoms.
- Another suspicious substance is acetaldehyde, a compound produced by the metabolism of ethyl alcohol. Liver enzymes, in fact, decompose alcohol into acetaldehyde, which in turn is broken down by another enzyme into acetate. Acetaldehyde is a toxic compound, and although it is decomposed into acetate (nontoxic), the enzyme of decomposing alcohol to acetaldehyde reacts faster. Therefore, by drinking several drinks in a row, acetaldehyde accumulates by not being disposed of into acetate. The toxic effect of acetaldehyde accumulation leads to the classic symptoms of nausea, sweating, increased heart rate and headache. Yet, acetaldehyde also does not seem to be the most influential factor in the severity of symptoms.
- One group of highly suspect substances are alcohols other than ethyl alcohol and, in particular, methanol, a highly dangerous alcohol in large quantities but not in the small percentages found as byproducts of distillation or beer fermentation. Why then can methanol be instrumental in hangover symptoms? Enzymes that decompose both methanol and ethyl alcohol, with a preference and therefore precedence for the latter. Decomposed methanol first forms toxic formaldehyde and then formic acid. Heavy ingestion of alcohol then leads to the accumulation of methanol with the even severe toxic effects of hangover
- Finally, studies on the subject have also looked at the very real possibility that the immune system plays a role in the after-effects of drinking too much. It appears that alcohol has an imbalancing effect on cytokines, small proteins produced by the body that work with the immune system to fight disease. Ethyl alcohol increases the concentration of cytokines causing headaches, sense of fatigue memory loss.
The conclusion is: drink less to enjoy the day after toasts, too!
ACTIVITY: Research the toxicity of acetaldehyde and formaldehyde.