What is the ideal measure for alcohol, but also what is best for a hangover, reveals master of pharmacy Saška Božić.
For many, alcohol is a form of relaxation and a symbol of good fun, but the problem arises when it is consumed excessively, especially when it becomes a daily habit. There is a professional name for that – addiction! And that, in addition to hangovers, leads to serious health problems that the person is not even aware of at the beginning…
The question then arises, what is the ideal measure, the one that does not pose a risk to our health. According to Saška Božić, master of pharmacy, who spoke for “RTS Ordinacija”, it is safest to consume one to two alcoholic drinks per month. It is without health risk for most people.
However, we are known for a much higher consumption of alcohol on a monthly basis, and here is how it affects our body. According to pharmacist Saška Božić, alcohol is one of the rare substances that can enter every cell very quickly.
“If it is taken on an empty stomach, it can pass into all the cells in our body in five to ten minutes. When alcohol is taken on an empty stomach, it is literally resorbed and enters the bloodstream in five to ten minutes. Before alcohol, you should eat something, the meal should have fats and proteins and carbohydrates in order to slow down the transfer of alcohol into the bloodstream,” Božićeva said.
Which type of alcohol is the most harmful?
“Drinks that are colored are more harmful because, in addition to alcohol, they also contain a lot of impurities and sugar,” Božićeva says, adding that cocktails and other colored drinks should be avoided, as well as that red wine is more harmful than white wine, more precisely, it is harder on the liver. Also, carbonated drinks are not a good choice with alcohol because then the alcohol enters the bloodstream much faster and later leads to a more severe hangover.
Do certain medications help with hangovers?
The pharmacist commented on the consumption of activated carbon, zeolite and probiotics with the aim of preventing or relieving hangovers. As she said, in these situations, only a probiotic can help because alcohol affects the intestinal flora. Activated charcoal and zeolite, when it comes to hangovers, cannot help because they do not absorb alcohol.
“Probiotics can be used both before and after drinking alcohol. If someone doesn’t want to, they can use yogurt, that’s a better option, as well as kefir and sauerkraut,” advised Božićeva.
Does the brine help?
“Our traditional medicine, brine, can help because it is rich in electrolytes and vitamin C,” said the pharmacist, adding that ginger can also be helpful against nausea. Also, her other advice is to take a multivitamin complex before drinking alcohol, which should contain vitamin C, folic acid and vitamins of the B complex.
Day after?
Our pharmacist also advised how to behave the day after consuming alcohol:
“Breakfast is the most important, eggs are an excellent breakfast because they are rich in cysteine, which is an amino acid that prevents nausea and vomiting,” she advised to drink plenty of water. So, to one glass of alcohol. during consumption, but also after, one to two glasses of water.
(MONDO/RTS)