Breaking the Seal.
When alcohol is consumed, it enters the bloodstream and causes the pituitary gland in the brain to block the creation of vasopressin. Without this chemical, the kidneys send water directly to the bladder instead of reabsorbing it into the body. Drinking about 250 milliliters of an alcoholic beverage causes the body to expel 800 to 1,000 milliliters of water; that's four times as much liquid lost as gained. This is why drinkers have to make frequent trips to the bathroom after urinating for the first time after drinking.
The frequent urination also expels salts and potassium that are necessary for proper nerve and muscle function; when sodium and potassium levels get too low, headaches, fatigue and nausea can result. Alcohol also breaks down the body's store of glycogen in the liver, turning the chemical into glucose and sending it out of the body in the urine. Lack of this key energy source is partly responsible for the weakness, fatigue and lack of coordination the next morning.
Beer before liquor, never be sicker.Different types of alcohol can result in different hangover symptoms. This is because some types of alcoholic drink have a higher concentration of congeners, byproducts of fermentation in some alcohol.
The greatest amounts of these toxins are found in dark liquors such as bourbon, brandy, whiskey and tequila. Clear liquors such as rum, vodka and gin have fewer congeners and therefore cause less frequent and less severe hangovers.
Because different alcoholic drinks have different congeners, combining the various impurities can result in particularly sever hangover symptoms. Additionally, the carbonation in beer actually speeds up the absorption of alcohol. As a result, following beer with liquor gives the body even less time than usual to process the toxins.
Puke and Rally.Because alcohol is absorbed directly through the stomach, the cells that line the organ become irritated. Alcohol also promotes secretion of hydrochloric acid in the stomach, eventually causing the nerves to send a message to the brain that the stomach's contents are hurting the body and must be expelled through vomiting.
Don't bother sleeping.
After a night of alcohol consumption, a drinker will not sleep as soundly as normal because the body is rebounding from alcohol's depressive effect on the system. When someone is drinking, alcohol inhibits glutamine, one of the body's natural stimulants. When the drinker stops drinking, the body tries to make up for lost time by producing more glutamine than it needs.
The increase in glutamine levels stimulates the brain while the drinker is trying to sleep, keeping them from reaching the deepest, most healing levels of slumber. This is a large contributor to the fatigue felt with a hangover.
Water, Miracle Drug?
The morning after heavy drinking, the body sends a desperate message to replenish its water supply - usually manifested in the form of an extremely dry mouth. Headaches result from dehydration because the body's organs try to make up for their own water loss by stealing water from the brain, causing the brain to decrease in size and pull on the membranes that connect the brain to the skull, resulting in pain.
Kegs and Eggs.Once you know all the chemicals and processes involved, the key to hangover prevention should become clear: Get hydrated before drinking, have some salty and fatty foods during, and if you still hurt in the morning, get yourself some bananas, eggs and juice.
