About Top Supplements For Drinkers
Millions of people enjoy an alcoholic beverage on a regular basis, whether they are at home, at a party, or dining in a restaurant. There are some people who indulge in alcohol on a daily basis, or drink at a heavier level than other people.
Alcohol is damaging to your liver and can also cause damage to your other internal organs. It is important to remember that even if you only have one drink, it should be done rarely and not on a daily basis. The longer you consume alcohol on a regular basis, the more likely you are to develop serious health complications.
While it is fine to have a drink every now and then, it is important to watch your alcohol intake and make sure you are not consuming large quantities. If you think you might have a problem with alcoholism, you need to contact your doctor or a professional who can help you with any addiction you might be facing.
7 Symptoms Of A Hangover
When you drink alcohol, no matter what amount, you will likely experience some type of hangover in the morning.
Hangovers are not fun and can cause you to feel extremely sick for hours or even days after you have had alcohol. There is a lot of advice out there that says to combat a hangover with more alcohol which is simply not true as you will only do more harm than good. There are seven symptoms of a hangover and these symptoms are what lead most people to take supplements before and after they drink alcohol.
1. Increased Urination
Alcohol causes the hormone that keeps you from urinating uncontrollably to not work properly, and while you may not urinate on yourself, you will have the constant feeling of needing to use the restroom.
Everything you drink with alcohol goes right into your bladder which causes you to have frequent trips to the bathroom.
2. Dehydration
This symptom causes you to have brain fog, or lack of mental clarity. It can also cause you to see double and have blurry vision. Because you are urinating frequently, your body is losing large amounts of fluids that you are not putting back in.
3. Acetaldehyde Build Up
Enzymes in your liver will break down the alcohol in your body, but when it breaks down, it turns into Acetaldehyde. This is far more dangerous than the actual alcohol as your liver cannot completely break down the Acetaldehyde.
It stores it in your body and gives you that immensely sick feeling that comes with your hangover. In some cases, it can cause alcohol poisoning, which can be deadly if left untreated.
4. Congeners
When you drink dark liquors, cogeners are produced from the fermentation in the alcohol. These can cause your hangover to be worse and you can still feel the effects days after your hangover is gone.
5. Glutamine Rebound
Alcohol can cause you to fall asleep very quickly once it is in your system, and most people drink alcohol for this affect. However, alcohol reduces the affects that glutamine has on your body.
By reducing the natural affect that glutamine has on your body, it can cause a glutamine rebound which leads to the feelings of anxiety, fatigue, and the feeling of higher blood pressure during your hangover.
6. Stomach Issues
Most people believe that alcohol only affects the liver, but in fact it can do damage to other organs in your body as well. When alcohol is introduced to your system, it can cause an increase in stomach acid which can lead to nausea, vomiting, and severe stomach pains.
It you continue to consume large amounts of alcohol, you can end up with more serious stomach issues, as well as headaches, constant fatigue, even seizures.
7. Inflammatory Responses
Alcohol causes inflammation in your body which can lead to memory problems, blackouts, and trouble concentrating. This is why a lot of people who drink heavily do not remember what happened when they were drinking.
Top 5 Supplements for Drinkers To Combat Hangovers
While a lot of people think that hangovers are no big deal, they can be life threatening depending on the situation. Alcohol is a big deal and the affects that it has on you are monumental even when you have the smallest amount of alcohol. This is why it is very important to make sure that if you are going to drink alcohol of any amount that you take preventative measures before and after you drink.
There are many home remedies that you can try to help with any effects of alcohol. Many people suggest drinking water, eating bread, or taking over the counter medication to help combat some of the hangover effects.
However, there are actual supplements on the market today that can help you to either reverse the effects of alcohol or help prevent you from having a large hangover later on.
1. N-Acetyl Cysteine
This is an amino acid that increases the glutamine in your body. It helps to reduce the amount of alcohol toxicity in your body as long as it is taken at least 30 minutes before you drink alcohol.
NAC is also used in the ER for people who overdose on medications like Tylenol and aspirin. You want to keep the amount of glutamine in your body at a higher level when you are drinking to make sure that you are not going to have too many ill side effects from it.
The higher you keep it while drinking, the less likely you are to have those short-term side effects and also any long-term side effects. You can find NAC at a local health store or pharmacy, however you may have to ask the pharmacist for it.
2. B Vitamins
Alcohol of any kind will decrease the amount of B Vitamins in your body. B Vitamins help to remove toxins from your body so it is essential that you have this vitamin in your body. You can take a Vitamin B6 supplement before drinking alcohol to help counteract some of the effects.
You can also take Vitamin B6 the day after you drink, as well as a few days after that. This will help to rebuild the B Vitamins in your body over a longer period of time to make sure that you have enough in your body for what you need.
3. Milk Thistle
This supplement is meant to help solely with your liver. It contains antioxidants called silymarin and silybin which help to protect your liver from the damaging effects of alcohol.
Milk Thistle comes in handy when you are taking it on a daily or regular basis, especially when you have lots of special occasions coming up that involve alcohol. You definitely want to make sure you are buying a Milk Thistle product that is all natural so you are not getting any other ingredients that may counteract the effect that you are looking to achieve.
4. Vitamin C
If you are not getting enough Vitamin C from your diet alone, adding a Vitamin C supplement can help you in two different ways. Not only can it help you to boost your immune system, it can also help your liver to combat the effects of alcohol.
Vitamin C helps your liver to detoxify the alcohol that you put into your system, and it works best when you are taking it regularly. The more Vitamin C you have in your body, the less likely you are to feel the effects of alcohol, and the healthier your liver will be.
5. Magnesium
This supplement helps to reduce any inflammation in your body. When you drink alcohol, you are at risk of having inflammation all over, but especially in your brain area.
This is what causes you to feel fatigued, have headaches, and feel dizzy or light-headed. Most people are not getting the recommended amount of magnesium in their system as it is, but when you add alcohol into the mix, it makes it worse.
You will want to add a magnesium supplement to your diet, even if you eat foods that contain magnesium, as most people are not eating enough. You can find magnesium supplements almost anywhere with a pharmacy or medication section.
5 Ways To Combat A Hangover Without Supplements
There are other non-supplemental things you can do to help with a hangover or while you are actually drinking. While these things are meant to help you, they may not do as much for you as a supplement would, but they are worth mentioning.
1. Stay Hydrated
This is the number one thing that people will tell you when you are going to be drinking alcohol. You want to sip on water or drink water in between your drinks. It is also a good idea to drink a glass or two of water before you go to bed for the night as this will help you stay hydrated during the night.
2. Eating
Make sure that you eat before, during and after your drink alcohol. If you are not eating while drinking alcohol, you run the risk of having severe stomach issues.
It is recommended that you eat a regular meal before you begin drinking and have light to moderate snacks while you are drinking. You do not want to eat things that are high in fats or have too many carbs because you run the risk of making yourself sick.
3. Replace Electrolytes
Many people choose to drink Gatorade or powerade after a night of drinking to help with their hangovers in the morning. Those drinks have a large amount of electrolytes in them and they are great at getting you hydrated as well. You can also drink coconut water to help you replenish those lost electrolytes.
4. Clear Alcohol
Try to stay clear of dark colored alcohols such as whiskey, bourbon, or brandy. Clear alcohols like vodka and gin contain less congeners than dark liquors do.
5. Stop At Buzzed
Before you are completely drunk, you will experience a buzzed feeling, once you reach this point, put the alcohol down. That buzzed feeling you are getting is your body’s way of letting you know that it is being overwhelmed with the amount of alcohol in your system and it cannot handle the load.
This is the time when you should take a break from drinking or stop entirely for the night. You need to give your body time to process the alcohol that is already in your system before you begin adding more to it.
Whether you drink on a regular basis or you only drink in social situations, you need to have some kind of supplement on hand to make sure that you can help your body detox properly from the alcohol. You don’t want to continuously overload your body with large amounts of alcohol and cause serious damage.
It also doesn’t hurt to talk with your medical doctor to find out what combination of supplements would be good for you and what you need. They will also be able to help you determine if you are healthy enough for alcohol and make sure that you do not have any underlying medical conditions or unknown diseases.
Top 5 Supplements for Drinkers Review Summary
While drinking alcohol is not necessarily a bad thing, it can be if you do not take it, and the consequences from it, seriously. Supplements like the ones listed above can help you to combat any issues that may arise with drinking alcohol.
And while they cannot completely fix what alcohol does to your body, they can help you out more in the long run than other home remedies. Keeping a watch on your alcohol intake and adding supplements to your daily life will be more beneficial to you than just taking a supplement before or after drinking.
You may also find it easier to keep those supplements on hand at all times, and you might be surprised at how taking some combos of these supplements actually make you feel better even when you aren’t drinking.
