For your health: how to minimize the harm from alcohol

New Year’s Eve is a record-breaker for the number of health problems caused by alcohol. The situation is aggravated by the long New Year holidays, which dispose to daily feasts with alcoholic beverages.

Samen met Andrey Zolotarev, sports nutritionist, doctor-nutrogeneticist, pharmacist, creator and chief geneticist of the laboratory alphagenetics.ru, official nutritionist of Optimum Nutrition, co-creator and one of the leading experts of the online school Sport Nutrition Academy and speaker of the International Festival of Health and Sports SN PRO EXPO FORUM, we understand what is fraught with alcohol abuse and how to minimize harm to health.

What are the dangers of alcohol?

Alcohol is extremely toxic to the body, and the first, euphoric stage of light intoxication is followed by the second, much less pleasant, accompanied by loss of self-control, coordination disorders and inadequate behavior. If you do not stop at this stage (and on New Year’s Eve it is often just beginning), the next stage comes, the most “unsavory” and dangerous to health. It is characterized by the inability to move independently, loss of consciousness, vomiting, convulsions, etc.

Alcohol intoxication is fraught with exacerbation of chronic diseases, including those of which a person is not even aware. The result can be sad up to the lethal outcome.

How to choose quality alcohol?

Champagne. The main drink for the New Year is, of course, champagne. Not everyone knows that the real champagne is produced in France, and what we are used to call so, in fact, sparkling wine. For most people it doesn’t matter, and a quality sparkling wine will be a worthy alternative to a drink from Champagne.

You can determine the quality of Champagne by the following criteria:

• when the bottle is shaken, the foam rises quickly,
• the cork is made of natural material,
• the bottle is made of thick, dark glass.

However, it is worth knowing that champagne itself, especially sweet, is practically a leader in harmfulness, especially if accompanied by snacks containing sugar. This leads to increased alcohol poisoning and inflammation of the pancreas. But the festive table is not limited to one champagne.

Wine. The label of quality wine necessarily indicates the producer, grape variety and the year of harvest. As in the case of champagne, the cork should not be plastic, but natural. One of the indicators of quality is the price. A good wine will cost at least a thousand rubles per bottle. For the same reason, you should not buy cheap wines in boxes. Also recall that the safest wines are dry white.

Vodka. Real vodka should be transparent. On the cork, as well as on the label, the date of manufacture is indicated. The normal shelf life of the drink is one year. If a longer period is indicated, it indicates that there is a lot of “chemistry” in the composition.

Whiskey. Quality whiskey is considered to be whiskey with a minimum set of ingredients. The ideal drink is made on the basis of barley, wheat, rye or corn. The strength should be at least 50-60%. Real whiskey is transparent with a characteristic brown tint. Another indicator of quality is aging for at least three years. Important: good whiskey does not have a bright alcoholic flavor.

Cognac. Like champagne, the original drink is made in France. Cognac from other producers is better to buy in specialized stores. The aging period of quality alcohol starts from two years. The greatest expression of flavor is noted at three to five years of aging. You can check the quality by turning the bottle upside down. If one large drop falls from the bottom, and oily traces appear on the walls, you have a good cognac in front of you. Just like whisky, it should not have the flavor of alcohol and leave a burning sensation.

Liqueur. High-quality liqueur is made from natural ingredients and should not contain artificial flavorings. It has a certain consistency. Exceptions are drinks with the addition of milk or egg white. In this case, a clear boundary between the alcoholic part and the “filling” is visible in the bottle. A good liqueur should not foam. It is easy to check this by shaking the bottle. Liqueurs are leaders in harmfulness, for this reason they should not be consumed more than 100 ml.

What should not snack on alcoholic beverages?

For most people, the sign of a good feast is quality alcohol and a plentiful appetizer. The fact that food should be dense, there is no doubt, because it has been believed for a long time. Scientists from the University of Aberdeen found out that the craving for a combination of alcohol and high-calorie food in Europeans is literally in the blood: such cravings are explained by the work of the gene that regulates appetite and thirst.

Fatty foods. In the past, foods that contribute to the formation of fat layer, helped people engaged in hard physical labor to survive the harsh winters. This is how the classics of national cuisines appeared: for example, German beer with fried sausages, English ale with scrambled eggs and bacon, or Russian vodka with caviar or a piece of lard.

On the one hand, alcohol dissolves fat and increases appetite. On the other – fat forms a protective film on the mucous membrane of the stomach, which slows down the entry of ethanol into the blood and intoxication, so it seems that the “norm” is still far away. That’s why alcohol poisoning (if we’re talking about quality alcohol) is most often the result of abusing strong drinks and high-calorie snacks. And since today we lead a much less active lifestyle, the least that threatens fans of such combinations – obesity of the liver.

Also, the pancreas equally “does not like” fatty dishes, sugar and ethanol, and after all, to break down fats – the direct duty of this organ. Worst of all, if the body receives homogenized fat (modified vegetable oil, cooking fat, margarine, refined fat), which is usually fried chips, nuts, nuggets and other “delicacies”. With such substances, it is especially difficult for the pancreas to cope with them – and the risk of pancreatitis increases.

Sweets. Alcohol is not too harmonious with sweets. The liver first of all breaks down glucose contained in confectionery, and the alcohol “power” is not enough. If the cream of the cake or cake is made on the basis of homogenized fat, creates a double load: on the liver and on the pancreas.

Spicy dishes. In appetizers are often added spicy seasonings, the usefulness of which is undoubted: spices warm, prevent the development of pathogenic bacteria. In combination with a small amount of alcohol, they will not harm a healthy person. But those who abuse spices, taste buds gradually lose sensitivity, so spices are required more and more. And in large quantities, they irritate the mucosa of the stomach and intestines. Alcohol has the same effect. As a result, it can lead to gastritis, peptic ulcer and hemorrhoids.

Salty snacks. Salt contributes to the accumulation of water in the body. Just 9 g is enough to “hold” a liter of water. Liquid, of course, the body needs, but excessive use of salty dishes creates a load on the kidneys and heart and increases blood pressure.

How to prepare for New Year’s Eve?

To prepare the body for the intake of alcohol and reduce health risks, there are some simple recommendations.

Before the holiday, drink a few crushed activated charcoal tablets with plenty of water.

The day before, eat something “enveloping” such as oatmeal or a butter sandwich. Once directly at the event, it is desirable to choose a fatty, hearty dish.

Try not to consume alcohol with carbonated drinks.

In an hour and a half take 50-100 ml of alcoholic beverage, which you plan to drink at the event itself, and have a good snack, this will trigger the synthesis of ADH (antidiuretic hormone), which is engaged in the breakdown of alcohol.

Do not mix different types of alcohol. Take large gaps between toasts and drink alcohol in small sips.

If you feel that you are starting to get drunk, drink half a glass of lemon juice: vitamin C helps to reduce the negative effects of alcohol.

If a hangover has set in, a long sleep eliminates it very quickly and effectively. It minimizes unpleasant symptoms or completely neutralizes them. If there is no opportunity to sleep, then first of all go to the shower. Cold water procedures increase tone and improve blood circulation.