health
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The hell of a hangover
By Megan Weltner mweltner@kansan.com
The science behind hangovers and what foods really work to ease the pain
Your head is pounding, you feel as if you're going to vomit—thinking about last night's Jager shots sends you into a complete state of agony. As you lie in bed, your mouth longs for even the smallest amount of saliva to secrete from your tongue to moisten the cottonmouth feeling.
The hangover.
More than 75 percent of alcohol consumers have experienced a hangover at least once, and 25 percent of college students feel symptoms weekly, according to a study conducted by the American Medical Association.
Now the big question: How do we cure our misery? Courtney Beck, Leawood freshman, says she turns to a heaping plate of hot pancakes."I crave the buttery goodness.After a long night out I just need something with a lot of substance," Beck says.
Sam Douthit, Wichita sophomore, agrees. "Anything big and greasy. Usually a huge pizza is what I want." Douthit says.
However, the science behind hangovers shows greasy foods are in fact a bad idea after a night out.
Consuming alcohol causes dehydration and the loss of vitamins and minerals. Drinking alcohol blocks the creation of vasopressin (the antidiuretic hormone). Without the production of vasopressin, the kidneys send water directly to the bladder instead of reabsorbing it into the body. This explains why people use the restroom more than usual when drinking alcohol. The frequent urination gets rid of salt, potassium and other vital electrolytes—causing fatigue, headaches and severe dehydration the next morning.
However, nausea is caused by what is going on in the stomach. Alcohol is absorbed directly through the stomach, causing the cells that line the stomach to become irritated. Also, alcohol increases the secretion of hydrochloric acid in the stomach, eventually causing the nerves to send a message to your brain that the stomach's contents are hurting the body and must get out of the body by vomiting.
"Basically, how you feel after a binge is you feel like shit," says Terri Rogers, program manager with the American Council on Alcoholism. "Drinking affects every part of the body."
Greasy and fatty foods
It is common for people to assume that greasy and fatty foods are the best cure for a hangover, which is a myth. Sally Berry Brown, registered dietician with Body Fuel, Inc., says these foods are more likely to make your stomach irritation worse.
However, Brown does say that eating fatty foods before drinking may prevent a hangover. Fatty foods stick to the stomach longer and help with the absorption of alcohol.
"Drinking on an empty or near empty stomach is never good. If you have some substance in there, the body has more time to process the alcohol and increase a drinker's chances of feeling decent in the morning," Brown says. So although greasy foods the morning after are not a good idea, eating these foods before drinking may in fact help you prevent or ease a hangover.
Brown and Rogers say the best way to avoid a hangover is to drink a glass of water after every alcoholic drink.The water will keep you hydrated and energized.
If you are plagued with a hangover, eating a balanced meal before or after drinking could have helped prevent or alleviate it. Although these tips may help your symptoms, no matter what you eat or drink, the body still has to soak up all of the toxins that are released by consuming alcohol—so time is the only true cure. JP
The ideal morning-after meal
A large glass of water
A multi-vitamin
Two scrambled eggs on wheat toast
A glass of orange juice
A banana
... and a couple aspirin or ibuprofen would not hurt
Hangover helpers
Sally Berry Brown, registered dietician with Body Fuel, Inc., discusses morning-after foods and drinks.
Water
Brown says people cannot drink enough water after a long night of drinking. Drinking an alcoholic beverage causes the body to lose approximately four times that amount of water. Water is one of the best cures for a hangover because most of the symptoms that make people feel badly are caused by dehydration.
Fruit juice
The vitamins in fruit juice are great for replacing lost nutrients and the sugar helps to naturally increase the body's energy. However, Brown says that a piece of fruit is better than the juice. "The sugars and vitamins that come from oranges and grapefruits are especially beneficial," Brown says, "but if a glass of orange juice is what really sounds good, then go for it."
Eggs
Eggs contain an ingredient called cysteine. Cysteine is an amino acid that helps soak up toxins in the body.Also,the protein cysteine is a great source of energy.Brown eggs are a better source of protein the morning after because they are low in fat.
Bananas
The consumption of alcohol depletes the amount of magnesium and potassium in your body, causing you to feel fatigued. These magnesium and potassium rich foods can in fact refuel some of that lost energy, and more importantly replenish the electrolytes lost the night before. Brown recommends that people who crave pancakes slice some bananas to put on top.
Photo illustrations by Tyler Waugh
Cut the fat: Greasy food may be on the mind the morning after a hard night of drinking, but greasy and fatty food can actually irritate the stomach even more. A well-rounded breakfast of fruit juice, eggs and bananas is more beneficial.
March 12,2009
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