01-02-2006, 01:17 AM
found this and though it would be good info for the ''21 year old crowd''(to bad it's after new years)
What causes hangovers anyway?
If you feel bad after a long night of drinking, there’s a good reason. Alcohol wreaks havoc on a person, dehydrating the body and leaving toxins in the system.
When you drink, the alcohol enters your bloodstream, causing a gland in your brain to block the creation of a chemical that usually helps water reabsorb itself into the body. Instead, your kidneys will send that water to the bladder, causing the body to expel water through urination — which makes alcohol a diuretic and causes that nasty dehydrated feeling the next day.
Most of the hangover symptoms are a direct result of this dehydration, which also robs the body of important minerals and electrolytes, including potassium and sodium. For example, that splitting headache is caused from a loss of water in the brain and the fatigue and nausea could also be caused by nerve functions that are disrupted by robbing your system of minerals.
If you must...
If you insist on poisoning your body (which is what drinking really is), at least do yourself a favor and follow these general guidelines:
DO eat dinner before you start partying. The less food in your stomach, the faster you’ll feel the effects of alcohol, and the more likely you are to get sick.
DO stick to one type of drink. Mixing is bad, both for your system and because you’ll likely drink more if you keep switching.
DON’T take Tylenol, that night or the next morning. The acetaminophen combined with liquor can wreak havoc on your liver.
DON’T drink things with a lot of sugar in them. The next day, however, you may want to eat or drink something with sugar, as alcohol lowers your blood sugar level.
DO drink plenty of water. Before, during and after.
DON’T drive — ever.
What causes hangovers anyway?
If you feel bad after a long night of drinking, there’s a good reason. Alcohol wreaks havoc on a person, dehydrating the body and leaving toxins in the system.
When you drink, the alcohol enters your bloodstream, causing a gland in your brain to block the creation of a chemical that usually helps water reabsorb itself into the body. Instead, your kidneys will send that water to the bladder, causing the body to expel water through urination — which makes alcohol a diuretic and causes that nasty dehydrated feeling the next day.
Most of the hangover symptoms are a direct result of this dehydration, which also robs the body of important minerals and electrolytes, including potassium and sodium. For example, that splitting headache is caused from a loss of water in the brain and the fatigue and nausea could also be caused by nerve functions that are disrupted by robbing your system of minerals.
If you must...
If you insist on poisoning your body (which is what drinking really is), at least do yourself a favor and follow these general guidelines:
DO eat dinner before you start partying. The less food in your stomach, the faster you’ll feel the effects of alcohol, and the more likely you are to get sick.
DO stick to one type of drink. Mixing is bad, both for your system and because you’ll likely drink more if you keep switching.
DON’T take Tylenol, that night or the next morning. The acetaminophen combined with liquor can wreak havoc on your liver.
DON’T drink things with a lot of sugar in them. The next day, however, you may want to eat or drink something with sugar, as alcohol lowers your blood sugar level.
DO drink plenty of water. Before, during and after.
DON’T drive — ever.
