The Science of a Hangover

Chances are if you are one of the 136.9 million current American drinkers of alcohol, one-quarter of whom binge drank in the last month, as reported by the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) of 2013, you have likely experienced a hangover at some point.

Alcohol, particularly binge drinking, cost the United States approximately $224 billion in 2006 in lost workplace production, law enforcement, health care expenses related to alcohol, motor vehicle accidents, and fatality expenses, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Much research has been done on exactly what causes a hangover’s misery, as well as how to treat or cure it. Researchers and scientists are constantly proving and then disproving theories as to how and why alcohol, which is generally speaking distilled ethanol, reacts on the brain the way it does. Scientists even have a medical term for hangovers – veisalgia.

Most researchers agree that hangovers, as well as intoxication, are caused by an imbalance of chemicals in the brain. At this point, they still disagree on which imbalance directly relates to hangover symptoms, however. Some believe that hangovers are due to the buildup of acetaldehyde, which is a byproduct created as the body processes ethanol and is 10 to 30 times more toxic than alcohol itself, as published by the Smithsonian. Others discuss the potential link between the conversion of the enzyme NAD+ to NADH that needs to happen during alcohol processing, which may interfere with the cell’s other metabolic duties and increase hangover symptoms. Both of these theories have their critics, however.

The most current research seems to support a connection between hangovers and an immune system response or, more specifically, the production of cytokines. These molecules are some of the central nervous system’s natural messengers and usually produced in an attempt to ward off an infection and as an inflammatory immune system response. Cytokines produce many of the same symptoms as a hangover itself, including cognitive as well as physical impairments. Research seems to indicate an increased level of cytokines in those suffering from a hangover, as reported in the journal Alcohol.

Hangover Cure?

Alcohol is a known central nervous system depressant, affecting the natural reward circuitry and the production of neurotransmitters such as dopamine and gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA). Dopamine is an excitatory neurotransmitter responsible for pleasure while GABA is an inhibitory neurotransmitter that causes relaxation and a sense of calm. Richard Olsen is a neuroscientist at UCLA who is studying alcohol use and the response of neural mechanism to it in relation to both intoxication levels and hangovers, as reported by Wired. His research seems to indicate that certain GABA receptors are highly sensitive to the presence of ethanol and blocking these receptors may lessen hangover symptoms. Research is still ongoing; however, Olsen and one of his postdoctoral students Jing Liang found that certain Chinese herbs and traditional medications had an ingredient, ampelopsin, that they were able to isolate. They created a pill marketed over the counter as BluCetin that seems to decrease intoxication and hangover symptoms. While this is not approved for use on hangovers by the FDA, scientists are working to discover a cure for a hangover. People have been searching for a cure for hangovers for years, and many swear by methods such as “hair of the dog” or drinking more to cure the symptoms, although this likely just leads to more intoxication and another future hangover. Prickly pear cactus extract is thought to be effective, although hard to find, and many other substances are marketed as the cures for hangovers, although most are without scientific merit. The best way to avoid hangover symptoms is to drink in moderation if you choose to drink alcohol at all. When hangovers begin to affect your quality of life and become more than just a once in a while occurrence, you may be suffering from an alcohol use disorder. Additionally, if alcohol affects your interpersonal, social, and physical well-being yet you choose to drink anyway, alcohol treatment can greatly improve your quality of life. Treatment targets both the physical and emotional components of addiction. FRN treatment centers offer the highest quality of comprehensive care. Call us to learn more about our programs.

 

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