I am sure that most of us have, at one point, experienced a
hangover. If you are lucky enough to have never experienced one,
congratulations. However, if you have, you might have tried countless different
ways that are supposedly “hangover cures.” With the search to find the “miracle
pill” to cure all symptoms of a hangover, there have been some research that
has tested multiple ideas. One, specifically, was done in 2016 by Chinese
researchers who studied 57 different
herbal and carbonated drinks and the impact they had on the enzymes that
break down acetaldehyde and acetate.
If you are unaware, when you drink alcohol, an enzyme called
alcohol dehydrogenase metabolizes the ethanol (alcohol) into acetaldehyde, which
is then metabolized into acetate by aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) in the liver.
The more acetaldehyde in the system from too much drinking causes the terrible
symptoms of “the hangover” such as nausea, dry mouth, headaches and dizziness.
The study observed how Sprite/7-up, which contains taurine
(helps metabolize fats), showed the greatest increased ALDH activity, causing
less acetaldehyde in the system. However, tea products such as green tea ended
up prohibiting the metabolism of alcohol. So if you plan on going out, try
drinking some Sprite to see if the research holds up to you.
In this study by Neil McGregor, he conducted a similar experiment to this using the Pueriaria lobata (Kudzu root) which is an active component in many hangover products, but investigated chronic usage of the Pueraria lobata and correlation to increased risk of acetaldehyde related neoplasm and pathology (pancreatitis and cirrhosis). What is interesting is that one of his experiments of Japanese men, alcohol, smoking, and green tea were associated with an increased risk for development of oesophageal neoplasm. Conversely, much like your study you found, they found that black tea was found to be protective of oesophageal neoplasms. Its strange that green tea can potentially have a negative effect when mixed with alcohol, as it is a common drink that has been associated with longevity. According to McGregor the Equol metabolite in green tea is associated with altered bowel bacterial metabolism of dietary phytoestrogen, daidzein, a ALDH2 inhibitor.
ReplyDeletefor reference to the study:
Deletehttps://www-sciencedirect-com.dml.regis.edu/science/article/pii/S0741832907001371
The response to hang-overs range from a can of Sprite in America to soup of ox blood in Asia. A study published by the Journal of Neuroscience in 2012 looked at a flavonoid from the oriental raisin trees called Dihydromyricetin (DHM), as an “Anti-Alcohol Intoxication Medication.” The study concluded that the agent counteracted acute alcohol intoxication and significantly diminished withdrawal symptoms in rat animal models. Although the study is densely populated with laboratory terminology, it determined that DHM competitively inhibits the BZ-binding sites on GABA receptors which are major targets for acute and chronic alcohol actions on the brain.
ReplyDeleteThe results of these finding caused an 8 million-dollar investment in February 2018 by the Silicon Valley’s Altos Ventures for a new and improved Korean hang-over cure called “Morning Recovery.” Morning Recovery’s main ingredient is DMH and is brewed in a recipe with other Korean herbs. This tonic has been an established and popular cure in Korea and Forbes has anticipated a 113 billion-dollar market for these types of remedies in the United States.
Alcohol is a main staple of Korean culture and is seen as a social expectation, a rite of passage in your professional careers, an obligatory way to honor ancestors, and a sign of respect to accept drinks from your elders. According to Korea’s Ministry of Health and Welfare, South Koreans lead the world in hard liquor consumption and drink twice as much liquor than Russians and four times as much as Americans. Needing cures for hang-overs has become a 20-billion-dollar industry in a country half the size of California. My mom believes it is a violation of justice ethics to allow an industry to flourish on hang-over cures. The allocation of resources for cures is unethical when a more beneficent approach would be to curb initial access to alcohol. Unfortunately for my mother, many would also argue that alcohol consumption is an established world-wide experience; therefore, providing a hang-over cure would be the ultimate act of beneficence and justice in that it would improve the situation for individuals and for others.
Don’t believe what I wrote in this crazy long response comment?
Check out this video of PSY (guy who brought you Gangnam Style) and Snoop Dogg singing about hang-overs here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkMNOlYcpHg
DHM Article:
Shen, Y., Lindemeyer, A. K., Gonzalez, C., Shao, X. M., Spigelman, I., Olsen, R. W., & Liang, J. (2012). Dihydromyricetin as a novel anti-alcohol intoxication medication. Journal of Neuroscience, 32(1), 390-401.
Aljezzera feature article on the drinking epidemic is South Korea:
https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2016/02/country-world-worst-drink-problem-160202120308308.html