5 food groups that exacerbate the harms of alcohol

Alcohol is a psychoactive substance that depresses the nervous system and negatively affects the emotional state and behavior of a person. There is no safe dose of alcohol, it is harmful to the body in any quantities.

When it comes to food and alcoholic beverages, there are popular combinations, for example, wine with cheese. However, some foods do not combine with alcohol and only exacerbate its effects.

One of the key factors to consider when drinking alcohol is hydration. Alcohol acts as a diuretic, causing an increase in urine production and leading to dehydration. Therefore, you should avoid consuming foods that can exacerbate this effect.

MD, professor, medical director of the Medical On Group (Medscan Group) network of clinics

“Although alcohol has its side effects, combining it with the wrong foods can cause even more harm.”

Beer and bread

Beer and bread is not a good combination as these foods can lead to dehydration of the body. The fact is that they contain a large amount of yeast. This leads to the fact that the liver can not cope with the processing of the alcohol consumed. In addition, the body at this time is actively trying to get rid of toxins, which can lead to pronounced abdominal bloating and pain syndrome.

Pizza

Pizza and alcohol are also incompatible. Dough combined with alcohol is poorly digested and can cause pain and discomfort in the stomach. In addition, pizza increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity.

Beans or lentils

Alcohol makes it difficult to digest foods that are good sources of iron, such as beans or lentils. Alcohol and legumes negatively affect the intestines and impair the digestive system.

Fatty foods

Alcohol consumption has an aggressive and pathologic effect on the pancreas. Pancreatic juice, which is released to digest food, becomes more viscous and additionally there is a spasm of the sphincter of Oddi, responsible for the passage of pancreatic juice and bile into the intestine.

In parallel, fatty food activates the pancreas, and as a result, the effect of active production of pancreatic juice and slows down its excretion. All this can cause the development of acute pancreatitis, pancreonecrosis (pancreatic disease) and even death. So this is the most dangerous combination.

Spicy food

Consumption of spicy food with alcohol causes stomach upset and digestive problems. Spicy food slows down the gastric emptying process and provokes acid reflux, which leads to damage to the esophagus.

How to protect yourself?

The wrong combination of food and alcohol interferes with nutrient absorption, causes acid reflux and abdominal bloating, and aggravates hangover symptoms the next morning. It is very important to drink plenty of fluids during the feast, avoid salty foods that provoke dehydration, and do not drink on an empty stomach.

The liver can only process a certain amount of alcohol at a time, and since alcohol cannot be stored in the organ, it circulates in the bloodstream over and over again until the organ gets rid of it completely.

You can’t force your body to process alcohol faster, but you are able to slow its absorption into the bloodstream by having a snack beforehand. The key is to avoid the above combinations.

Nevertheless, the best way to avoid the unpleasant effects of alcohol is to minimize its consumption or avoid alcohol altogether.