In this blog post, we will look at the reasons for the repeated overdrinking in drinking culture and the human instinctive desire to avoid hangovers.
As the semester and admission season approaches, there are more drinking sessions in college campuses. During this period, departmental meetings, club meetings, and social gatherings between classmates become frequent, and drinking naturally becomes frequent. In particular, new employees and freshmen often drink to socialize with seniors and juniors, which is also part of a culture that traditionally forms relationships and sets the tone. Alcohol is also an essential part of office workers’ drinking parties, and it has become an essential element of gatherings with old friends. As seen in the alcohol offered on ancestral altars and in the “Peach Garden Conference” in Romance of the Three Kingdoms, alcohol has become an important means of communication in our lives, going beyond being simply a “drink that gets you drunk.”
However, this culture does not always lead to positive results. Many people have to worry about getting rid of a hangover because drinking too much will interfere with their classes or work the next day. It is also important to be aware of the effects of alcohol on the body and to know how to deal with them. Here, we will look at the process of ethanol entering the body and breaking down and the basic principles of getting rid of a hangover.
First, let’s take a look at the process of hangover and alcohol being broken down in our bodies. Hangover is a state in which the discomfort, headache, and mental and physical fatigue that occur when you wake up after being drunk last for one or two days. When alcohol enters the body, it is mainly absorbed in the stomach and small intestine and moves to the liver through the bloodstream, and the liver is responsible for about 90% of alcohol breakdown. Here, alcohol is oxidized to acetaldehyde by an enzyme called alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), and it is this acetaldehyde that is the main cause of the hangover we feel. Acetaldehyde causes toxic reactions in the body, causing various physical reactions such as vomiting, headache, and breathing difficulties. The liver breaks down this acetaldehyde into acetic acid through another enzyme, ALDH (aldehyde dehydrogenase), and finally converts it into water and carbon dioxide to be discharged from the body. This process must be carried out smoothly to reduce the symptoms of a hangover.
Therefore, to quickly relieve a hangover, the activity of ADH and ALDH enzymes should be increased and the liver should be supplied with the energy essential for alcohol breakdown. Based on this principle, traditional hangover relief methods and various recently developed methods are widely used.
Traditional hangover remedies include bean sprout soup and honey water. The abundant asparagine acid in bean sprout soup is an amino acid that helps relieve hangovers, and it helps the activity of the enzymes ADH and ALDH to quickly break down ethanol and acetaldehyde. Next, honey water is a fast source of energy, consisting of glucose and fructose, which are simple sugars, and provides energy to the liver quickly. If the liver is likened to a factory, the aspartic acid in bean sprout soup acts as a lubricant to help the machinery run smoothly, and honey water is like the fuel that supplies the factory with power.
Recently, relatively modern hangover remedies such as hangover relief drinks, houttuynia drinks, and chocolate milk have also been attracting attention. Typical hangover relief drinks are made from the fruits and woody components of the houttuynia plant, which contains active substances called ampelopsin and hovenitis, which have the effect of protecting the liver and promoting the breakdown of alcohol. Since it was used as a traditional medicinal herb even before it was commercialized in the form of a beverage, it can be said to be a hangover cure that combines tradition and modernity. Choco Milk is made from a combination of carbohydrates and alkaline milk. The carbohydrates provide quick energy to the liver, helping to relieve hangovers, and the alkaline properties of the milk neutralize the acidic acetic acid, reducing the burden on the body.
Looking at the methods of relieving a hangover, the common point is that all processes are ultimately focused on breaking down acetaldehyde and discharging it from the body. To do this, it is more important than anything else to control the amount of alcohol you drink and avoid drinking too much. Just as the phrase “It’s been a while, let’s have a meal sometime” has more meaning than just a meal, the phrase “Let’s have a drink” also has more meaning than just a drinking session. Alcohol is not just a beverage that gets you drunk, but it also has a social role in connecting people and forming bonds. Therefore, in order to avoid excessive drinking and maintain a healthy drinking culture, it is necessary to learn in advance the principles and methods of getting rid of a hangover.
