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“Refreshing” beer and fast food for hangovers: myths and truths about alcohol consumption

Summer, vacations, parties with friends and Carnival – the right “combo” for the increase in alcohol consumption with the promise of socializing and “refreshing”.

But, many times, the drink can have the opposite effect to the expected one.

In an interview with CNN Artur Oliveira, a family and community doctor, explains that the ability of alcohol to refresh is just a marketing illusion disseminated by commercials alluding to summer and that, in fact, excessive drinking can cause dehydration – among other problems.

According to general practitioner Alfredo Salim, from Hospital Sírio Libanês, when there is excessive consumption, whether of distilled or fermented beverages, a process of alcoholic intoxication occurs.

The effects on the brain, depending on each person’s tolerance, generate changes in reasoning, in the ability to understand and even in the balance of the body itself. All this can even lead to an alcoholic coma, in which the person loses all senses.

When the intoxication ends, comes the famous hangover. Malaise, headache, body aches and migraine are just some of the symptoms that those who exaggerated in drinking have already experienced.

Here are some truths and myths about it, according to experts:

How long does a hangover last?

A hangover can last up to 12 hours after drinking alcohol. Each drink dose takes about an hour to be expelled from the body, but its effects extend into the next day.

Who is most likely to have it?

If the person is “strong”, healthy – with healthy kidneys and liver -, and is used to taking small doses of drink, he can recover faster. If you are a person with worn out organs, recovery is slower.

Young people who have never drunk have yet to develop a tolerance. Therefore, recovery will also be slower.

How to avoid the effects of hangover?

Of course “don’t drink” is the obvious answer. But if this is not the case, the ideal is to avoid exaggerated consumption: “One dose per day for women and two for men will hardly lead to a hangover or the effects of intoxication”, says the doctor.

Not drinking on an empty stomach and alternating with the consumption of water, juices and soft drinks can also help, Oliveira advised.

The myth of fatty foods

It is relatively common to hear that a fast food hamburger can “cure” a hangover. But experts warn that this conception is a myth.

Fatty food represents an additional discomfort for the digestive system and can even bring about the worsening of nausea. The right thing is to eat a more balanced meal, with vegetables and greens.

Does the heat make a hangover worse?

Although the heat has no direct effect on intensifying the effects of alcohol, the number of accidents attended by drunk people skyrockets in the summer.

“Drownings of adults and children, car accidents. All of this can be avoided if there is prevention and the necessary care”, advised Alfredo Salim.

Source: CNN Brasil

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