New Year's Eve looms, and many of us will be brewing up for the bout of heavy drinking this night of celebration traditionally entails. Such intoxicating pleasures tend to come with some pain too, however, usually in the form of the hangover from hell. Excess alcohol has a number of undesirable effects in the body, including upping the toxic load on the system, dehydrating the body and inducing subnormal levels of blood sugar. Once the morning comes, these imbalances can show up as a barrelful of undesirable symptoms such as a thumping headache, queasiness in the stomach, and feelings of weakness and fragility. Those of us who plan to drink like fishes this New Year's Eve can probably count on feeling distinctly green around the gills the next day, too.
One way to reduce the toxic shock alcohol can induce in the body is to name our poison with care. Some alcoholic beverages such as port, brandy and cheap red wine tend to be loaded with substances called congeners that can contribute to the thick head and feelings of internal pollution brought on by a big night. Vodka is relatively pure and generally the best for those attempting to avoid a New Year's Day hangover. For those wedded to beer, it may pay to opt for German varieties such as Holsten and Becks: the lacing of these beers with potentially toxic additives is strictly verboten.
Because alcohol and congeners are detoxified in the liver, another approach to preventing hangovers is to support this organ in its house-clearing duties. The herb milk thistle (Silybum marianum) is renowned for its ability to stimulate and protect the liver, and taking 500mg of this even just a few hours before a serious session can buy some grace. Better still is to take this herb from today, as a few daily doses before a drinking binge work better than a one-off hit on the day.
Matching each alcoholic drink with a glass of water is another prime tool for reducing internal toxicity as it helps to dilute alcohol and other toxins in the system, and speed their elimination from the body. Water also combats the desiccating effects of alcohol, and can help ensure that wetting our whistle does not leave us feeling like we've been hung out to dry.
Alcohol causes a brisk release of sugar into the bloodstream, though this can bring blood-sugar levels crashing down later. Sugar lows can disrupt sleep and contribute to the pounding head and feelings of fatigue that can come with a hangover. I recommend downing a fruit smoothie or perhaps some tomato juice before collapsing into bed as this may help maintain blood-sugar levels throughout the night and aid restful sleep. More of the same in the morning may help to restore sugar levels and help with rehydration, too. These and other healthy drinking games can help make having one over the eight a much cushier number for the body.
