It may surprise you to know that your body is working at its best. Your entire system has kicked in to rid itself of toxins and you only need to worry when you drink a lot but don’t have a hangover. The symptoms of a hangover are essentially the product of dehydration, which means that the kidneys are working properly.
In a healthy body, alcohol causes a decrease in antidiuretic hormone (ADH) that is produced in the pituitary gland at the base of the brain. As blood alcohol increases, less ADH is produced and more water is lost through urine. leading to dehydration.
Alcohol is absorbed through the stomach and enters the bloodstream. where it causes the pH of all body fluids to become more acidic than it should be. PH varies throughout the body. The neutral pH is 7, the blood is a slightly alkaline pH of 7.4, the fluids of the stomach are very acidic with a pH of 1 to 4, the skin has a pH of 5.5. If the pH of the blood falls below 6.9 or above 7.9, it is usually if it lasts for more than a short period of time. Acidosis causes only a fraction of gout, but it is enough to disrupt normal cellular reactions causing pain, nausea, and sweating.
Research shows that the level of metabolic acidosis is directly proportional to the severity of the hangover. The more you drink, the worse the acidosis and the worse the hangover. It takes 18-24 hours for the body to fully recover. From 2 to 4 hours after the first drink, renal production decreases dramatically, causing a state of temporary dehydration induced by alcohol.
In someone who drinks a lot, the kidneys may not work as well, so they won’t lose as much water and they won’t be as dehydrated. Despite being less effective in eliminating toxins, they feel the effects of drinking less than someone who does not drink regularly. A hangover also shows that your liver is working properly. As the liver breaks down alcohol, by-products: acetaldehyde and congeners are released into the body.
Acetaldehyde can cause migraines and vomiting. Congeners found in high concentrations in darker alcoholic beverages, such as red wine whiskey and port, cause tremors and even depression. Your liver tries to protect the body by releasing an enzyme, alcohol dehydrogenase, which breaks down alcohol into a harmless chemical, so less of it enters your bloodstream. The high levels of alcohol dehydrogenase in our liver and stomach detoxify approximately two units of alcohol per hour.
Regular drinkers have more of this enzyme and will not feel the effects of alcohol despite the damage it is causing. Recent studies have shown that alcohol dehydrogenase is more easily released in young livers, which is why hangovers get worse as we age. Enzymes produced by the liver to protect the body convert alcohol to acetaldhyde, which damages the liver. This is why heavy drinking can lead to liver failure. Alcohol also affects the level of sugar in the blood, which gives energy to the muscles; If you don’t have enough energy, your muscles won’t shake. The more often you drink alcohol, the less likely you are to give the shakes. This is not a good sign, it means that your body is becoming numb to alcohol.
