Heading out at all on the weekend for a few drinks? Here’s some tips to avoid a hangover, and the negative effects alcohol has on the brain, and feel good the next day so you can hit the gym!
Firstly let’s start at the basics- don’t drink to much lol, if you do, keep hydrated. Drink water throughout the night ( this won’t effect your buzz) and water before bed.
Clear coloring is better! Straight vodka is best, then your lighter colour beverages :
- Vodka – best option
- Gin
- Rum
- Dry cider
- Dry white wine
- Tequila
- Whiskey
- Regular white wine
- Red wine
- Cider with lots of sugar
- Gluten-free beer
- Regular beer – worst option
Highly filtered and distilled liquor such as vodka, gin and rum are your best options. And it’s best to drink them straight. Carbonation increases the absorption of alcohol, which may increase the chance of you experiencing a hangover the next day.
I recommend you completely avoid or significantly limit sugary drinks and beer. Refined sugar and wheat in beer can activate the immune system and trigger inflammation, which can negatively affect your brain and make you feel mentally unstable and foggy.
Take Liposomal Glutathione.
Your body breaks down alcohol into acetaldehyde, a highly-reactive compound that is actually much more toxic to your brain than alcohol itself. You can help your liver detoxify it by supporting your body’s natural detoxification pathways.
One way to do this is by increasing glutathione, your body’s master antioxidant. Take one tablet before drinking and one in morning.
Take Vit C
Vitamin C plays a key role in the production of glutathione. Research shows that it also helps soak up acetaldehyde, and it is depleted by alcohol consumption.
Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA)
is an antioxidant that could possibly be even more protective than Vitamin C. It is fat soluble and can easily cross the blood-brain barrier to protect your brain (53, 54, 55).
ALA enhances the antioxidant power of glutathione, NAC and vitamin C and helps them clear acetaldehyde from your body
Take Vit B1amd B3 and B6
It is an essential water-soluble vitamin.
Alcohol depletes Vitamin B1, and deficiency is common in regular drinkers. A lack of Vitamin B1 has been shown to damage brain cells and cause a variety of mental symptoms including lethargy, fatigue, apathy, impaired awareness, loss of equilibrium, disorientation, memory loss and anorexia.
B3 ( Niacin) is very beneficial for the brain of regular drinkers. Niacin deficiency often leads to a desire to drink alcohol, and drinking alcohol further depletes niacin in the body and brain. Bill Wilson, the
co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), took niacin to remain sober and manage his cravings for alcohol.
Alcohol has also been shown to deplete the body of folate and vitamin B6, which are critical nutrients involved in the production of GABA and serotonin. Vitamin B6 can easily cross the blood-brain barrier and support the brain. Taking it before, during and after alcohol consumption has been shown to reduce hangover symptoms by more than 50%
Minerals – potassium, magnesium and zinc.
Take before bed and in morning. Alcohol depletes a number of minerals, particularly zinc, potassium and magnesium.
Zinc and magnesium are especially important for brain and mental health, so you don’t want to be deficient in either of them.Magnesium is especially helpful, as it’s been shown to prevent and relieve headaches and improve sleep! It’s also been shown that alcoholics are often deficient in zinc.
Zinc deficiency may explain why alcoholics drink in the first place. Zinc deficiency can contribute to social anxiety and generalized anxiety. Chronic drinkers often drink to manage their anxiety and stress.
Take Theanine
A relaxing amino acid found in tea that has a number of health benefits.It’s been shown to protect your brain from alcohol, as it blocks free radicals, counteracts the loss of glutathione, improves sleep, and accelerates the breakdown acetaldehyde – all of which contribute to the development of a hangover. It’s also block effects of alcohol so if your looking to do that – this is the one.
Take taurine
Taurine is another amino acid that reduces the bad effects of alcohol on your brain. It’s been shown to prevent brain cell death, reduce lack of coordination, and decrease the urinary loss of certain minerals during alcohol use.
Omega -3
When people are exposed to both alcohol and the omega-3 fatty acid DHA, they experience less brain inflammation and brain cell death than people who simply drink alcohol alone. It appears that DHA mitigates oxidative damage in the brain that results from binge drinking.
Ciurcumin
It’s great for chronic depression and anxiety. It’s one of the best supplements you can take for your brain and mental health. Here’s another reason you might want to consider taking it – it can increase glutathione and prevent brain damage caused by alcohol.
It’s also been shown to prevent brain inflammation, and reverse the negative biochemical and behavioural changes that result from previous alcohol consumption.
Silymarin
Is the active compound found in milk thistle, a herb commonly used to improve liver health and protect the liver from alcohol and other drugs. Milk thistle also has powerful antioxidant properties that have been shown to help prevent the conversion of alcohol to acetaldehyde.
Activated Charcoal
Is a potent natural treatment that can trap toxins and chemicals, allowing them to be flushed out of your body.
Activated charcoal can help bind and remove gluten and mycotoxins from your body, although it won’t catch them all. You’re definitely better off just avoiding drinks that contain them. Clearly, there’s lots that can be done to protect your brain from alcohol.
Last thoughts
Even though your body and brain can be overwhelmed by alcohol, you can support yourself and reduce the damage by drinking the right alcohol, hydrating heavily, and supplementing with various antioxidants, vitamins and minerals….now you can go get drunk .. jokes no don’t do that. Remember the easiest way to not get the negative effects of alcohol is not to drink .😊
