Winter Maladies: Natural Approaches
June Russell's Health Facts
Health Benefits of Alcohol Questioned — Specific Topics
Questionable Ingredients in Alcoholic Beverages
Besides ethanol, water, and sugar, alcoholic beverages contain a wide range of volatile and nonvolatile flavor compounds, at concentrations that vary with the type of beverage.
{IARC, Monograph on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans, vol. 44, Alcohol Drinking, IARC. Lyon, 1998}
The volatiles include aliphatic carbonyl compounds, other alcohols, monocarboxylic acids and their esters, nitrogen- and sulfur-containing compounds, hydrocarbons, terpene compounds, and heterocyclic and aromatic compounds. Nonvolatile compounds comprise di- and tribasic carboxylic acids, coloring substances, tannic and polyphenolic substances, and inorganic
salts. These substances can also have physiological and pathological effects, so that epidemiological findings on effects of consuming alcoholic beverages do not necessarily indicate the effect of ethanol itself.
{"The Extent of the Problems and the Epidemiological Aspects of
Alcohol Drinking," Department of Health and Human Services, 2002)
Alcohol is a diuretic, that is, it increases urination and dries you out, explains alcohol metabolism researcher James Schaefer, PhD, professor at the Union College in Schenectady, NY. Impurities are added to alcoholic beverages during the distillation process, and these contribute to the nasty stomachache you get with a hangover. These impurities are especially high in sweeter drinks and malt liquors. Drinking lots of water dilutes the impurities left in your belly.
{"Hangover Helpers," my.webmd.com - June 2002}
Tannic acid found in wines are linked to liver cancer.
{In alternativemedicine.com - October 2002}
--- Cause of Hangovers ---
A hangover is actually a toxic reaction or even a mild form of alcohol poisoning. Toxins can result from chemicals in the alcohol. Methanol and acetone can be found in drinks which some believe to cause hangovers worse than the alcohol.
{"Natural Hangover Help," herbsforhealth.about.com - July 2002}
Headaches or other ailments that arise after wine consumption usually have less to do with the alcohol, and more to do with the unseen chemicals floating in the glass. . .
{"Fruit of the Vine," www.garynull.com, excerpted from E/The Environmental Magazine, July 2002}
Many wines have been found to be contaminated with cancer-causing urethane.
{Nutrition Action Health Letter, April 1988}
The headaches from wine have a scientific reason: the headaches are caused by a reaction to certain chemicals found in black grape skins, but it doesn't happen to everyone. Certain people are also particularly sensitive to sulfur dioxide, an anti-oxidizing agent added
to just about all wines in an attempt to keep them fresh. Of course the best cure for a hangover is not to drink in the first place.
{"Wine and Hangovers," www.ivillage.co.uk - Sept. 2002}
Pesky toxins are the culprits responsible for the feeling of a hangover. The exact origin of the toxins is unknown: they may be present in the alcoholic beverage itself, or get created as a metabolic by-product by the body in some fashion, or some combination of the two. The toxins involved in a hangover are:
- Ethanol — produced naturally during fermentation, the making of alcohol;
- The by-products of metabolism — When the liver breaks down the alcohol, enzymes produce a by-product called acetaldehyde. This highly toxic substance enters the system and can make you feel extremely ill.
- Congeners — by-products of the alcohol fermentation and distillation process. These are present in the drink itself. The level of congeners helps explain why certain drinks give you a worse hangover than others. More expensive alcohol generally contains fewer congeners because it goes through a more rigorous distillation process that filters out a higher percentage of congeners. Darker colored drinks, such as whiskey, brandy and red wine have more congeners than lighter drinks such as vodka, gin and white wine.
{"Hangover Biology 101," Biology of hangovers and their causes, all-about-hangovers.com - Sept. 2002}
Congeners are found essentially in all alcoholic beverages, and how they work isn't known, but they're closely related to the amount of pain you experience after drinking, says Kenneth Blum, PhD, chief of the Addictive Diseases Division of the University of Texas Health Sciences
Center at San Antonio. Red wine can be a problem because it contains tyramine, a histamine-like substance that can produce a killer headache.
{"Hangovers - Causes, Prevention, and Remedies," beekmanwine.com - Sept. 2002}
Most hangover remedies are ineffective. The primary cause of hangovers is congeners which are byproducts of the fermentation process that give alcoholic beverages flavor, aroma and color. Some people can't enjoy one beer or glass of wine without suffering from a splitting
headache.
{"Chaser is serious hangover prevention," www.doublechaser.com - Oct. 2002}
One specific ingredient, Diacetyl, caused a rare and deadly lung disease called bronchiolitis in 24 workers in a popcorn plant. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) determined the cause for the outbreak was the artificial butter flavoring added to the popcorn. Diacetyl is an FDA-approved chemical compound that is found in many wines and beers.
{Wall Street Journal, 11/7/01, “Could Popcorn Be Worse for Your Lungs Than Cigarettes?” Health Sciences Institute, 1/28/03}