Understanding What Causes a Hangover
Hangovers are the result of alcohol’s many effects on your body, according to Mayo Clinic:
- Alcohol is a diuretic that makes you pee more. As a result, drinking too much of it results in dehydration. You might feel very thirsty, tired, dizzy, and lightheaded, or you may have a headache. These are all possible dehydration symptoms.
- Alcohol triggers an immune response. This causes the immune system to make substances that cause the symptoms of illness, like brain fog, appetite loss, and reduced interest in your favorite activities.
- Alcohol irritates the stomach lining. This can cause the familiar belly pain, nausea, or vomiting of a hangover.
- Alcohol can cause low blood glucose. This can lead to tiredness, weakness, and shakiness, as well as mood changes. Some people may even experience seizures due to low blood glucose during a hangover.
- Alcohol disrupts sleep. It can act as a block that prevents the kind of sleep that recharges your brain, as well as making it more likely that you wake up during the night or early morning. You might feel tired or groggy as a result.
- Alcohol contains congeners. These ingredients give alcohol its aroma and flavor, and dark liquors like bourbon contain more. These are more likely to worsen or trigger a hangover than alcohol that doesn’t contain congeners, but any type of alcohol can cause a hangover.
The only confirmed way to prevent a hangover is to avoid alcohol consumption. Consuming less alcohol reduces the risk of a hangover if you choose to drink it.
Does Alcohol Use Affect B Vitamins?
A review suggests that heavy or binge drinking can interfere with the pathways that allow vitamins to enter your system. As such, it can affect how many B vitamins your body can absorb. The review cites vitamins B1, B2, B7, B9, and B12 as those that heavy alcohol use might impact.
Over time, chronic alcohol use can damage the gut, according to Cleveland Clinic. In turn, this may lead to vitamin B12 deficiency.
