The science behind drinking, hangovers

By Catherine Zende
zendec@mytjnow.com

Notorious for headaches and hangovers, alcohol is common on college campuses. Many students don’t realize the science behind drinking, or which rumors are myth versus fact. Photo illustration by John Rhodes • rhodesj@mytjnow.comAs the weekend approaches, you may take a note from Rihanna and say “cheers to the freakin’ weekend.” But before you pick up an alcoholic beverage of any kind, take a moment to consider the science behind it all—particularly all the positive and negative effects of alcohol consumption. 

Like anything you put in your body, alcohol has physiological effects on your internal system. So what is the exact biology behind being “drunk”? 

According to the Center for Disease Control, alcohol is a central nervous system depressant that is rapidly absorbed from the stomach and small intestine into the bloodstream. The alcohol is then metabolized by enzymes in the liver.    

However, because the liver can only process so much alcohol at a time, the excess amounts continue to circulate through the bloodstream.

That is the mechanics of it, but what is the effect of this alcohol intake?

Heather Evans-Anderson, assistant professor of biology, teaches human physiology and often discusses the effects of alcohol in her classes. Alcohol helps nervous system “chill out” so you feel more relaxed, according to Evans-Anderson.  

“The actual firing of the neurons will slow down. With that, your reflexes slow down and your motor control slows down too,” Evans-Anderson said. 

According to Evans-Anderson, alcohol targets two primary systems: the nervous system and the kidneys. While alcohol causes the nervous system to “chill out,” it can have a negative impact on the regular function of the kidneys. 

“The alcohol actually inhibits a step in the kidneys’ regulatory system that causes the kidneys to excrete more water than they normally would,” Evans-Anderson said. 

Because the alcohol hinders the kidneys’ regular functions, alcohol has a dehydrating effect, according to Evans-Anderson. “The next day you feel like crap because you’re hung over, you’re dehydrated,” Evans-Anderson said. 

So what can you do to prevent this harmful dehydration? Gatorade is the best option because the electrolytes help prevent the dehydration that leads to that hangover, Evans-Anderson said. “If you drank the Gatorade before you went to bed you’d feel a lot better in the morning,” Evans-Anderson said. 

In addition to the dangers of dehydration, Evans-Anderson warns about taking aspirin or ibuprofen to prevent any hangover effects. 

 “Those drugs have to be metabolized just like the alcohol does,” Evans-Anderson said. And because the liver is already detoxifying the alcohol, adding the pain medication can be a bad combination. 

Evans-Anderson also warns about the dangers of excessive drinking to the point of passing out. “Kids die from alcohol,” Evans-Anderson said. 

She emphasizes the need to look out for people who have been drinking a lot by monitoring their breathing and watch for choking hazards caused by vomiting. “The problem comes when everybody who is there is not in the right state to help someone,” Evans-Anderson said.

So how much is too much? According to Evans-Anderson, the potency of the drink and the timing are important factors. “In a normal party period (3-4 hours), if you had three drinks in that time period your body has time to process that alcohol,” Evans-Anderson said. 

“Your liver is detoxifying that alcohol as it goes through and it is able to keep up.” However, if more drinks are consumed during this time, “the body can’t keep up and is more likely to shut down,” Evans-Anderson said. 

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, moderate alcohol consumption is defined as no more than one drink a day for women and no more than two a day for men. 

Drinking in moderation can have positive health effects, according to Evans-Anderson. “Red wine can have lots of benefits with antioxidants and polyphenols,” Evans-Anderson said. 

Even beer can have positive health effects if limited. “It’s all about moderation,” Evans-Anderson said. 

While Evans-Anderson recognizes the potentially dangerous physiological effects of alcohol on the human body, she understands that people will drink in social situations. 

Her advice to Winthrop students is to have self-control. “There’s the drinking that happens for fun and the drinking that goes too far.”