Last updated 3rd June 1999.
Friends in Melbourne still pressing the case and expounding the benefits of a high alcohol lifestyle while living in the UK. (without much success despite the highly unreliable Coke machine here.
"Hi Lox,
The wonder drug is B6 (pyridoxin). Vitamin C helps to metabolize it,
hence they are often sold in combination. Best taken before big session,
but just after and before going to bed certainly helps a lot. This is
established science as opposed to "back-bar" theorizing. The B6 system
is temporarily damaged by excessive alcohol. Water afterwards helps too,
due to diuretic effect of alcohol (which is often mistaken for "true"
hangover due to mild poisoning). A few important points re dosage at
http://www.americahealth.com/B6.html
However, I do have a "back-bar" theory of my own to contribute,
which is that sulfur dioxide and sodium sulfite sterilizing agents (found
in all cheap beer and wine) are responsible for a lot of the world's
hangovers. It is forbidden in German beer (hence the beauty of Beck's) and
generally absent in Belgian and Dutch beer. All of these give me,
personally, much less hangover. Australian and British beers are of course
hideous hangover-inducers, though in my experience this is not something to
assert too loudly in an Australian or British pub..
Skol!"
>From The Literature >------------------- > >In the liver, the majority of alcohol is oxidized to acetaldehyde by the >enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase and the co-enzyme nicotinamide adenosine >diphosphate (NAD) > > CH3CH2OH + NAD ----> CH3CHO + NADH > >The acetaldehyde (CH3CHO) is then oxidized by the enzyme acetaldehyde >dehydrogenase to acetate: > > CH3CHO + NAD ----> CH3COO- + NADH > >Finally, the acetate is released from the liver and oxidized peripherally. > >Surges of alcohol do not allow the NAD to keep up, thus leading to an >excess of acetaldehyde and acetic acid in the body. Acetaldehyde is toxic >while acetic acid leads to acidosis. Acetaldehyde also competes for the >plasma carrier of vitamin B6. > >In addition to these biochemical effects, there is also rapid water loss >(diuresis) during the first few hours of alcohol ingestion, due to >decreased secretion of anti-diuretic hormone. > >********** > >How to Spot Sulfites in food and booze. >-------------------------------------- > >Sulfites are common food additives used as preservatives and to prevent >discoloration of foods. They are most commonly encountered in dried fruits >and in wine. People with asthma, allergies, or a shortage of the liver >enzyme sulfite oxidase can suffer severe reactions. > >Sulfites have the following Food Additive Codes: > >220 Sulphur dioxide >221 Sodium sulfite >222 Sodium bisulfite >223 Sodium metabisulfite >224 Potassium metabisulfite
chemistry and biochemistry links to effects of alcohol on the human body
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