Why eating before drinking alcohol is better for you
Many of us have used the phrase, “I’m never drinking again” after a particularly heavy night out. While it is fun to let your hair down every once in a while, it can be damaging to your health over time.
And that’s not to mention the hangovers that really do get worse the older we get. Now firmly past the age of 30 myself I am fully aware of this fact, and my mantra has certainly shifted more towards “less is more” when it comes to alcohol.
But what if there was a “miracle” way to be rid of the dreaded hangover? Would this at all change our attitude towards drinking?
In the run-up to the festive period I was supplied two carbonated beverages by Bounce Back Drinks to see if this was even possible. Marketed as “post social replenishment” drinks they promise to help the consumer “wake up better” after a night out.
Containing 17 active ingredients that have been “scientifically formulated”, the Bounce Back Drinks are meant for consumption either straight after drinking, before you go to bed, or in the morning after a night out. I was sceptical but decided there was nothing to lose in giving them a try.
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Before giving them a try, biochemist Vandana Vijay who helped create Bounce Back, spoke to me about some of the all-important ingredients found in the drinks.
Choline
According to Ms Vijay, choline is an important nutrient that plays a role in lots of bodily functions.
“Following an evening of socialising, choline can help us to feel more replenished in the morning, by supporting our liver function and brain functions,” she said.
“Studies have found that alcohol increases the body’s requirement and metabolism of choline, therefore supplementing your diet with this nutrient can help you to feel more energised the next morning – rather than leaving your body’s supply depleted.”
B vitamins
B vitamins have an effect on our energy levels.
Ms Vijay said: “Vitamin B12 especially is a great vitamin for after a busy night, as it can help you to restore mental alertness or wakefulness if you’re feeling fatigued or drowsy.
“Another of the B vitamins which helps with our energy levels is vitamin B6.
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“This plays a role in many functions in the body (over 100 enzyme reactions to be exact), but one of its main functions is to help our body metabolise proteins, fats, and carbohydrates, to then provide you with energy throughout the day.”
Magnesium
When you drink alcohol, your liver stops releasing glucose while it breaks down the alcohol, which can then cause your blood sugar levels to dip.
“Thankfully, magnesium plays an important role in lots of processes in the body, which includes regulating your blood sugar levels,” she explained.
“Alongside this, magnesium has anti-inflammatory properties which can help to combat any inflammation in the body caused by alcohol consumption.”
Amino acids
Ms Vijay said: “L-alanine and L-glutamine are amino acids which make glucose in the body to help provide energy.
“During this process, the amino acids use up the chemical compound NADH which our bodies create when they break down alcohol – meaning they support the decomposition reaction in our liver.”
Prebiotics
Prebiotics are a type of fibre which stimulates the growth of our body’s pre-existing good bacteria.
She added: “By feeding our good bacteria, especially in our digestive system, prebiotics can help to increase our metabolism rates so that we can break down alcohol in our system faster.”
This all sounded promising and with this in mind I kept the cans of Bounce Back ready for two planned drinking sessions.
The first was a friend’s birthday party at a cocktail bar. Due to the nature of the event the night consisted of several highly sugary drinks – ranging from sweet strawberry daiquiris to deadly Long Island iced teas.
We all had a great time and the end of the night was a bit of a blur so I’ll admit I went to bed before trying one of the drinks, instead thinking, “I’ll have it in the morning”.
This I did and although that is listed as an effective way of using Bounce Back, the “ideal” method is to drink them the night before.
I opted for the tropical flavour this time round. As the name suggests it was fruity, mainly pineapple-flavoured I think, and very sweet.
Due to the types of drinks I had the night before it was a struggle to get it down – especially as someone who does not have the biggest sweet tooth.
I have to admit I didn’t feel any change in my hangover symptoms which were a low-level headache, tiredness and a slight feeling of nausea. However, I thought this might have been due to the time I consumed the drink.
For the next time – I was left with the raspberry flavour, which I enjoyed much more – I made sure to have my drink in the evening before going to bed.
I had been to an afternoon beer tasting session at which I think I consumed the equivalent of around three pints. Later in the day I had a few more pints with friends, and topped it off with a festive cocktail.
So not a “crazy” drinking session, but enough to leave my feeling tipsy and knowing I would have a hangover the next day – I am known among my friends as a lightweight.
This time as mentioned, the flavour of the drink was better and it went down more easily.
The next morning I definitely did not feel as hungover as I would usually. Whether that is due to a placebo effect or the drink I suppose I will never know!
Although the drinks may be the answer for some, learning the art of drinking in moderation and consuming water before bed is also not to be sniffed at.
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