Living without Hangovers

Alcohol is everywhere within Western culture. Since the dawn of history, the art of fermenting fruit and grains into wine and beer has been a much-prized skill. As technology advanced, distillation of alcoholic beverages into refined spirits became popular.

Along with fermentation technology can drunkenness, hangovers and alcoholism. Drunkenness is caused by alcohol's pharmacological effect on the central nervous system. This effect causes lack of coordination, slowed reaction time, muscle relaxation, disinhibition, and impaired judgement, all of which last for several hours after alcohol is consumed. There is no simple and effective way to prevent drunkenness other than to avoid alcohol consumption in the first place.

Hangovers

Hangovers are the result of alcohol's toxicity. Hangover symptoms include headaches, dehydration, irritability, sleep disturbances, liver toxicity, nerve and tissue hypersensitivity, lethargy, thirst and loss of appetite.

These symptoms can be prevented or significantly reduced by simple interventions that involve the body's natural detoxification mechanisms, that would otherwise be overwhelmed by the sheer volume of alcohol intake.

Acetaldehyde

Alcohol's effects are not limited to those of alcohol alone. Alcohol is metabolised in a multi-step process into various metabolites that have unique biochemical effects of their own. The first step in this process is the conversion of alcohol to acetaldehyde. Because acetaldehyde is approximately thirty times more toxic than alcohol itself, acetaldehyde is a major cause of alcohol-associated side effects including hangovers. Acetaldehyde exerts most of its toxicity via powerful cross-linking actions. A good example of cross-linking is the "tanning" of leather. Cross-linking is largely responsible for age-related changes in the body's tissues, for example, wrinkled, dry skin. If acetaldehyde is not efficiently converted into acetic acid (the second step in the metabolism of alcohol), severe toxicity can result. This is a common problem among people of Asian descent, who have a genetic weakness in their production of acetaldehyde dehydrogenase, the enzyme that converts acetaldehyde to acetic acid. Even in people who do not have this genetic trait, acetaldehyde dehydrogenase is often unable to fully keep up with the production of acetaldehyde during alcohol drinking.

Reducing Alcohol's Acetaldehyde Toxicity with Cysteine and Vitamin C The primary detoxification mechanism for scavenging unmetabolised acetaldehyde is sulphur-containing antioxidants, the two most important of which are cysteine (an amino acid) and glutathione (a tripeptide). Cysteine and glutathione are active against acetaldehyde because they contain what is known as a sulfhydryl group. Sulfhydryl groups interact with aldehydes thus rendering them unable to form crosslinks. They mop up any stray acetaldehyde that is not properly metabolised into acetic acid.

A scientific study found that pre-treatment with cysteine, vitamin C and vitamin B1 blocked the ability of acetaldehyde to kill animals. The N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC) form of cysteine was almost as effective as regular cysteine for blocking acetaldehyde toxicity.

In another experiment, alcohol's ability to impair swimming ability after alcohol's conversion to hangover-causing acetaldehyde was blocked by vitamin C.

What these studies suggest is that intoxication (drunkenness) is not inhibited by cysteine or vitamin C, but that the toxic effects (hangover, irritability, swimming difficulty) are inhibited. This suggests that, with alcohol, you can "have your cake and eat it too", or drink alcohol without experiencing a hangover the next day.

Typical doses of cysteine that are sufficient to block a major portion of the toxic effect of alcohol/acetaldehyde are about 200 mg of cysteine per ounce of alcohol consumed. However, the rapid absorption of alcohol requires both prior and concurrent dosing of cysteine in order to maintain protection. An excess of vitamin C is required to keep cysteine in its reduced (activated) state "on the job" against acetaldehyde. Many drinkers report that an effective strategy against hangovers is to take 200 mg of cysteine plus 600 mg of vitamin C taken before the consumption of alcohol followed by this same dose with each additional drink and once again when finished drinking.

Other Anti-Hangover Nutrients There are several other nutrients that may synergise with cysteine and vitamin C. Vitamin B1 and lipoic acid are key sulphur-containing nutrients that may be depleted by alcohol and which may help with acetaldehyde detoxification. Vitamin B1 has been proven to further enhance the ability of the cysteine plus vitamin C combination to prevent hangovers.

Many of the symptoms of hangovers are believed to be attributable to the depletion of magnesium that occurs from alcohol ingestion. Supplementing with additional magnesium helps to counteract hangover symptoms that stem from lack of magnesium.

A clinical study found that a derivative of choline named dimethylaminoethanol (DMAE), when taken for at least six weeks, resulted in subjects being free of the headaches and irritability that normally occur with hangovers.

Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) is a good source of sulphur, which may counteract the ability of acetaldehyde to initiate hangovers. This therapy has not yet been tested in clinical trials but many people claim that it rapidly (within twenty minutes) alleviates the symptoms of hangovers.

As mentioned above, the enzyme acetaldehyde dehydrogenase stimulates the conversion of hangover-causing acetaldehyde (derived from alcohol drinks) into acetic acid (used for energy production). Ensuring that you obtain plenty of zinc should theoretically maximise the availability of this enzyme to divert acetaldehyde towards energy production rather than permitting acetaldehyde to exert its toxic effects that result in hangovers.

The Take-Home Message

Before Drinking

• Long-term use of DMAE supplements (300 - 900 mg per day of DMAE bitartrate providing approximately 100 - 300 mg per day of elemental DMAE) eliminates many of the symptoms of hangovers. DMAE is most effective when taken in the morning on an empty stomach.
• 25 - 50 mg of zinc per day ensures that the enzyme that detoxifies hangover-causing acetaldehyde is at optimal levels.
• Before and During Drinking
• People who want to drink alcohol without suffering from hangovers the next day should consider taking cysteine (200 mg) plus vitamin C (600 mg) prior to drinking, with each drink, and once again straight after finishing drinking. Many drinkers find that this strategy results in a hangover-free day after drinking.
• The addition of vitamin B1 (25 - 50 mg) to this regime further enhances its effectiveness for preventing hangovers.
• Some people substitute regular cysteine in this combination with N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC), although this form may be slightly less effective.
• After Drinking Drink plenty of water when you get home after a night of drinking before you go to bed. This prevents the dehydration that accompanies most hangovers.
• Morning-after Drinking
• Approximately 400 mg of magnesium can be taken the "morning after" as a rescue remedy.
• 1,500 - 6,000 mg of MSM is claimed to eliminate hangovers when taken the "morning after".

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