Happy Saturday everyone!
I hope everyone is managing OK? Who found last night difficult to get through? Did anyone succumb to a glass?
As I´ve written at the very beginning, DO YOUR BEST. Many find it simple to avoid alcohol, whilst it´s not so easy for others. Others are tempted more by coffee and a croissant.
These differences are partly due to other imbalances such as nutritional insufficiencies which can encourage cravings and genetic imbalances which may lead to more addictive behaviours.
With regards to alcohol it´s important to try hard to get past the first 7 days to allow your liver to recharge. About 90-98 per cent of alcohol that you drink is broken down in your liver. The other 2-10 per cent of alcohol is removed in your urine, breathed out through your lungs or excreted in your sweat. So as you can read your liver has to work really hard!
What happens after I drink alcohol?
After you swallow an alcoholic drink, about 25% of the alcohol is absorbed straight from your stomach into the bloodstream. The rest is mostly absorbed from your small bowel. How quickly you absorb the alcohol depends on several factors, including: the concentration of alcohol in your drink, whether your drink is carbonated (champagne, for example, is absorbed more quickly than non-sparkling drinks); and whether your stomach is full or empty (food slows down the absorption of alcohol) which is why it is always better to make sure you´ve eaten something with your drink.
Once alcohol has entered your bloodstream it remains in your body until it is processed.
There are 2 ways that alcohol can be processed by your liver. Most alcohol is broken down by an enzyme in your liver cells known as alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH). ADH breaks down alcohol into acetaldehyde, and then another enzyme, aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH), rapidly breaks down acetaldehyde into acetate. The acetate is broken down to eventually leave your body as carbon dioxide and water.
Why can’t some people tolerate alcohol as well as others?
Genetic variations can result in the activity of ADH and ALDH (the enzymes needed to process alcohol) varying from person to person. So in different people, the enzymes may be more or less efficient at breaking down alcohol.
Some have a genetic variation which means that their ALDH enzyme doesn’t work properly. These people can’t process alcohol in the normal way, and shortly after drinking alcohol their acetaldehyde level rises. Others have a slower enzyme which means they need more to have the same “effect” and this may lead to addictions.
Acetaldehyde is a toxic substance and is considered a probable human carcinogen that can cause an unpleasant reaction when it builds up. Symptoms you might experience if your ALDH enzyme does not function properly include flushing of the face, hot sensations, nausea and palpitations (an awareness of your heart beating faster than normal).
Nutritional insufficiencies – It takes a huge amount of vitamins and minerals to make the conversions described above and may leave you deficient in the nutrients for other body processes. B2, B3, Zinc, Magnesium and Molybdenum are key in the enzymatic process.
If you are interested in looking into your detoxification capabilities you can check out a DETOXIFICATION sample report on https://www.lifecodegx.com/products
A simple article to read: https://health.clevelandclinic.org/detox-liver-from-alcohol/
