China's drinking culture has deep historical roots, making it common to encounter situations where one must "have a drink" during family gatherings or socializing with friends. Concerned about not sobering up quickly after intoxication, some choose to purchase functional beverages containing vitamins. But can these drinks truly alleviate drunkenness?
To understand hangover relief, one must first examine how alcohol is broken down.Alcohol can combine with other molecules to form esters and other compounds, but no substance has been found that can directly break down alcohol itself.In the liver's metabolic process, ethanol first stimulates nerves through the action of alcohol dehydrogenase, producing acetaldehyde—the compound responsible for intoxication. This substance is then converted into acetic acid by aldehyde dehydrogenase, which is subsequently broken down into carbon dioxide and water before being excreted from the body. This completes the process of alcohol metabolism and decomposition within the human body.
Since no substance directly decomposes ethanol, beverages marketed as hangover remedies cannot truly break down alcohol entering the body. These drinks primarily achieve their purported effects through three mechanisms:
1. Protecting bodily tissues and organs to reduce the discomfort associated with intoxication.Some beverages contain substances like tartaric acid or honey. These ingredients, often appealing due to their sweet and sour taste, help maintain normal gastrointestinal secretions despite alcohol stimulation. This reduces nausea and vomiting associated with intoxication.
2. Temporarily binding with alcohol to slow its absorption rate, thereby reducing post-drinking dizziness. Yogurt, for example, forms a protective layer in the stomach that slows alcohol absorption when consumed before drinking, lessening intoxication.
3. Enhancing liver function accelerates the metabolism of alcohol, thereby achieving the goal of sobering up.
Therefore, all three methods described above work by altering the body's response to alcohol rather than actually breaking down ethanol molecules. Claims in some functional beverages that "vitamins can sober you up" are also unscientific.Among vitamins, B vitamins have the closest relationship with liver function. These include Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12, niacin, pantothenic acid, and folic acid. These vitamins are essential components of enzymes required for certain human metabolic processes. Supplementing them helps protect the liver, enhances its metabolic capacity, and accelerates the liver's breakdown of alcohol—again, not by directly decomposing ethanol molecules.
Anti-hangover beverages cannot directly break down ethanol molecules, but they can alleviate discomfort from intoxication and slow alcohol absorption. However, alcohol's harm to the body remains unavoidable, making moderate drinking crucial.
This article was scientifically reviewed by Ruan Guangfeng, Director of the Business Department at the China Food and Nutrition Information Exchange Center.