Decomposition of ethanol. What enzymes break down alcohol in the body and how do they work? Reactions proceeding with the substitution or elimination of the entire hydroxyl group

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Enzymes are responsible for the breakdown of alcohol. Alcohol is the strongest toxin in the body. Thanks to enzymes, its action is neutralized.

splitting process

Ethyl alcohol is broken down due to the action of 2 enzymes: ADH and ACDH. When 1 dose of alcohol is in the human body, ADH is produced. Ethanol is broken down into non-hazardous elements.

ACDH is responsible for the release of toxic acetaldehyde. The health of internal organs depends on its activity.

Features of ADH

If the strength of ethanol is 58%, then ADH, or the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase, can handle it. The procedure is carried out at a speed of 29.8 g/60 minutes.

In a sufficiently large amount, ADH is synthesized by the liver. Gastric tissues also take part in the formation of the enzyme.

ADH is produced not only in humans, but also in horses.

This is due to the fact that the bacteria of the gastrointestinal tract secrete a small amount of ethyl alcohol.

ACDH is responsible for the release of toxic acetaldehyde

Features of ACDH

If acetaldehyde is formed during the digestion of ethanol, then ACDH comes to the aid of ADH. The duty of this enzyme is to convert the material into acetic acid. It poses a lesser danger to the body than ethyl alcohol.

Due to a genetic mutation, some people are deficient in ACDH. Against this background, hypersensitivity to alcohol develops. It is expressed in a change in the general temperature and reddening of the skin. The reason for this is the accumulation of acetaldehyde.

How is ethanol converted

The breakdown of alcohol in the body occurs in 3 stages:

1. Formation of non-hazardous substances and acetaldehyde.
2. Formation of vinegar.
3. The breakdown of acetic acid.

Due to the action of ADH, alcohol breaks down into relatively harmless elements and poisonous acetaldehyde. In the stronger sex, ethanol is processed in the stomach. For this reason, the smallest percentage of harmful substances enters the small intestine. There they are absorbed into the blood.

In the female body, a small amount of ADH is produced. Therefore, a greater percentage of ethanol is absorbed into the blood. For this reason, the fair sex quickly get drunk.

How does this happen

Approximately 4.8% of ethanol is excreted from the body during urination, as well as with breathing and sweat. There is a specific "aroma", which in the common people is called fume.

The remaining volume of alcohol is digested by tissues, with the participation of ACDH. At this stage, the poisonous acetaldehyde is transformed into acetic acid.

Under normal metabolism, vinegar is converted into carbon dioxide and then into water. There are about 7 kcal per 1 gram of alcohol. They can be used up or deposited in the body.

The rate of sobering depends on the amount of production by the liver of both enzymes.

None of the artificial stimulants can speed up this process. Pharmaceutical preparations only help to stop the symptoms of alcohol poisoning.

Dependence on the degree of alcoholism

If alcohol is consumed by a healthy person, its enzymatic system affects only the drink. It does not break down ethanol penetrating into cells.

In chronic alcoholics, intracellular ethanol is exposed to enzymes. Cells on this background strongly suffocate. There is a violation of the most important processes taking place in them. Therefore, a person experiences a strong desire to drink, and then increase the dosage. This leads to the restoration of intracellular alcohol volume.

In low-drinking people, the breakdown of alcohol is observed faster.

Development of pathologies

If a person abuses alcoholic beverages, then his liver produces more ACDH. There is an acceleration in the production of ethanol. The accumulation of acetaldehyde occurs much faster. But the number of ACDH does not increase and fast work is not getting better.

This slows down the sobering process. The poison continues to remain in the body. This leads to alcohol poisoning, which affects the activity of all systems and organs.

First of all, it hits the liver hard. She gets a lot of work. At the same time, brain poisoning is observed. Then nerve cells are destroyed. This leads to the development of mental illness.

Gastrointestinal pathology progresses. The following symptoms appear:

• nausea;
• vomit;
• stool disorder.

When a person vomits, there may be a taste of bitterness. In the most severe cases, vomit contains bloody impurities.

Damage to the cardiac and vascular systems is observed. High blood pressure increases the risk of stroke and heart attack.

What can be taken

There are products and drugs that break down ethanol. Their effect depends on the degree of alcoholism and on the individual characteristics of the human body. Not all ethanol breakdown stimulants have the same effect.

Product List

The following products contribute to the breakdown of alcohol:

1. Alkaline mineral.
2. Cucumber pickle.
3. Lemon.
4. Apple.
5. Cucumber.
6. Walnuts.
7. Watermelon.
8. Milk.
9. Potato.
10. Banana.
11. Grape.
12. Strong tea.
13. Tangerines, oranges.

Food rich in vitamins can compensate for the reserves that were wasted the day before.

The use of milk accompanies the formation of a protective film on the gastric mucosa. It stops the absorption of ethanol, and it does not penetrate into the blood.

If 100 grams of vodka was drunk the day before, then 2 glasses of milk are enough to neutralize its effect.

Potatoes and bananas contain starch.

The effect of starch is similar to the effect of activated carbon.

To neutralize alcohol, you need to eat 5 potatoes boiled in their skins, or 4 bananas.

Grapes quickly neutralize toxins. You can help your body by eating 1000 grams of sweet grapes for 10 minutes.

Strong sweet tea binds ethanol that has entered the intestines and speeds up metabolic processes. The process of sweat secretion is activated, which leads to blood purification.

Coffee can be used instead of tea.

Tangerines and oranges can help with mild alcohol intoxication. The acid present in their composition contributes to the acceleration of chemical processes and accompanies the removal of ethanol. To do this, it is recommended to eat 1000 g of these fruits in one sitting.

To neutralize alcohol, you need to eat 4 bananas

Quick Help

The maximum amount of alcohol is excreted after sports training. Ethanol comes out through the skin, along with sweat.

It is recommended that you first take any drug that breaks down alcohol, and then run for 2 kilometers. If physical fitness leaves much to be desired, then jogging can be replaced with an active walk or jumping rope.

You can also do jumping, push-ups, pull-ups. The press can not be downloaded, since this exercise does not contribute to the activity of metabolic processes.

Conclusion

The removal of alcohol is facilitated by dousing and wiping with cold water. But if a person has problems with the heart or blood vessels, this method should be abandoned.

You take a glass of vodka or whiskey with a strength of 40 degrees and a volume of 25 milliliters. Whether you diluted this drink with soda water, as is customary in many countries, or not, 10 grams of pure alcohol entered the body. What is the fate of these 10 grams of ethyl (wine) alcohol in your body?

First of all, alcohol causes a distinct burning sensation in the mouth. This sensation, as a rule, is caused by any drink with a strength above 20 degrees. After a large swallow, the burning sensation is not limited to the oral cavity, but spreads to the esophagus and stomach.

After a few seconds taken alcohol appears in the stomach. A small part of it will be absorbed by the gastric mucosa, and the rest will be quickly diluted by gastric juice released in response to the intake of this burning substance. Dilution will stop when the alcohol concentration reaches approximately 5 percent. If the liquid is taken on an empty stomach, it will very quickly, after one fifteenth of a minute, go further - into the small intestine.

If the stomach is full or full (food comes in), the alcohol mixes with the food and stays longer in the stomach, which increases the irritation of the gastric mucosa. Some alcoholic beverages (particularly beer and, to a lesser extent, grape wine) contain nutrients that slow the passage of alcohol through an empty stomach. Food rich in fat slows down this process even more. If you drink a little vegetable oil or a glass of milk before taking alcohol, the absorption slows down. This, of course, does not mean that a smaller amount of alcohol will penetrate the body or that the effects of its intake will weaken - just the absorption will be stretched over time.

Carbon dioxide, on the contrary, accelerates the passage of alcohol from the stomach to the intestines and, thus, accelerates its absorption. It is known that champagne hits the head faster. The less an alcoholic drink lingers in the stomach, the less it will cause irritation in it.

So, 10 grams of alcohol (minus very small amounts that have already passed into the blood through the gastric mucosa) were first in the small and then in the large intestine. Through the walls of the intestine, alcohol quickly penetrates into the blood vessels. It has not yet undergone any changes: this small molecule easily passes through tissues without undergoing transformations.

Contrary to popular belief, alcohol is distributed not only to the blood, but to all parts of the body that contain water. So, for a person weighing 70 kilograms, the “diffusion space” of alcohol is approximately 50 liters. It covers organs, cells and intercellular spaces, but does not enter the bones (which contain almost no water) and adipose tissue (alcohol does not dissolve in fat). By the way, in an obese person, the space for the diffusion of alcohol is proportionally less than in a thin person. In women, the space into which the alcohol taken can disperse is less than in men, since they have relatively more subcutaneous fatty tissue. Therefore, in other tissues, the concentration of alcohol is higher.

Blood alcohol content after its administration, it is slightly higher than in other tissues (by about 20 percent). This is due to the fact that blood is the most water-rich tissue of our body (note that the brain is in second place). Alcohol has an affinity for water, attracts it. Typically, two-thirds of the water in the body is inside the cells, and a third - in the intercellular fluids. If a person has taken a lot of alcohol, the latter draws some of the water out of the cells, circulating through the intercellular spaces. Water is still in the body, but it is not in place, not in the cells, which causes a feeling of thirst that does not go away for a long time, even if you drink a lot of water.

Circulating through the body, alcohol gradually breaks down. The liver conducts a dehydrogenation reaction - it takes away a hydrogen atom from the alcohol molecule, as a result of which the alcohol is converted into acetaldehyde. The rate of this reaction is limited by the available reserve in the liver of the enzyme necessary for it and the rate of production of new quantities of this enzyme. On average, the liver can break down 0.1 grams of alcohol per kilogram of a person's body weight per hour. However, there are substances that accelerate the breakdown of alcohol in the liver. These are fructose and some amino acids.

A few years ago, a Parisian professor, Jean Lereboullet, conducted experiments with these substances. He showed that fructose, taken in the amount of 100 grams immediately before drinking, causes an accelerated decrease in the amount of alcohol in the blood (although at the same time it causes indigestion). The amino acid asparagine, taken after alcohol in the amount of 15 grams, acts in much the same way. According to Professor Lerebulle, the frequent use of such substances can damage the liver and kidneys, as their metabolism is disturbed.

Note that acetaldehyde, obtained after the dehydrogenation reaction in the liver, is also a poison. Poisonous and the next substance resulting from the further breakdown of alcohol is acetic acid. If a lot was drunk, the decay process can go not only in the liver, but also in other tissues. But, since these tissues are not adapted to neutralize poisons, their cells immediately die during this process. It is also bad for “usual” liver cells.

Because breakdown process in the liver goes slowly, alcohol has time to circulate many times through the circulatory system until it is completely decomposed. Only a small part of it (about 2.5 percent) in undecomposed form during this time will be excreted through the lungs and almost the same amount through the kidneys. A very small amount of alcohol comes out through the skin with sweat. Excreted from the body are mainly decay products, and not alcohol itself.

So the alcohol turned into acetic acid. It is then slowly broken down in all cells of the body, eventually forming water and carbon dioxide. This process takes several days, sometimes up to two weeks. Part of the acetic acid is converted into cholesterol and fatty acids, compounds that are also not indifferent to the body.

This oxidation of alcohol in the body releases energy. One gram of ethyl alcohol, burning, gives seven kilocalories. The point, however, is that this energy cannot replace the energy supplied with food. Alcohol is not food. After all, it does not contain proteins, vitamins, minerals, usually contained in food, which, due to the influence of alcohol, the drinker often refuses. Hence the paradox: the systematic use of alcohol often causes exhaustion, but at the same time leads to obesity, as unused fats accumulate in the body - their calories are replaced in the energy balance of the body by constantly incoming calories of alcohol.

described way of destruction and excretion of alcohol typical, but some people may have more or less significant deviations from it. Alcohol, just like some drugs, caffeine, nicotine, can have different effects on different people. There are people who are simply unable to drink even a small amount of alcohol. Alcoholic drinks cause them to have stomach cramps and vomit. The brain also reacts differently to alcohol. In some people, clear signs of intoxication are already observed at a content of 0.5 grams of alcohol per liter of blood, others outwardly seem sober even at 4 grams per liter. This does not mean that alcohol harms the body of the latter less. The accumulation of latent irreversible changes is the same.

There is another significant difference in attitudes towards alcohol. Some people may develop a painful habit of this poison. A person who drinks (sometimes even a moderate drinker) develops a need for new doses, which becomes irresistible and is the first step towards chronic alcoholism. There are practically no cases when an alcoholic could drink moderately. As Roger Williams, director of the Institute of Biochemistry at the University of Texas (USA), wrote, “an alcoholic either remains an alcoholic or stops drinking completely; there is something in him that does not allow for the middle option - moderation. Drinking people are prone to cirrhosis of the liver, alcoholic psychosis and other diseases encouraged by excessive alcohol consumption - tuberculosis, cancer of the upper respiratory tract.

Changes caused by alcohol in the brain, are still little explored. It has been shown that it affects the substances responsible for the transmission of nerve impulses - adrenaline, norepinephrine, serotonin, acetylcholine. In addition, the effect of alcohol on the blood affects the brain. A few years ago, a group of researchers reported that under the influence of alcohol, the adhesion of red blood cells increases, they clog the smallest capillaries, and the blood supply to tissues deteriorates. The brain is particularly sensitive to lack of blood supply.

Dr. Ernest Noble from the University of California (USA) reported on another aspect of the effects of alcohol on the brain. It turns out that this compound inhibits the synthesis of proteins and RNA in the brain, and it is RNA that is believed to serve to remember information. According to Noble, two or three glasses of wine, drunk daily on an empty stomach, is enough to cause irreversible destruction of brain cells, which a person is convinced of only 20-30 years later.

While the long-term effects of alcohol on the brain are not yet fully understood, its effects on human behavior have been known for a long time. As already mentioned, individual differences are great here, and yet the main dependencies can be traced quite clearly. When the alcohol content in the blood reaches 0.04-0.05%, the weakening of the higher parts of the brain begins, which are responsible for self-control, restraint and common sense. A drunk person is freed from internal brakes, more easily allows himself to satisfy impulsive desires, not particularly caring about what others think of him. The ability to self-criticism weakens, the person becomes talkative.

These symptoms increase as the concentration of alcohol in the blood increases. When it reaches 0.1%, the deeper layers of the brain are suppressed, in particular, those associated with motor functions. This state of intoxication is expressed in the fact that a drunk person sways slightly, it is difficult for him to insert the key into the keyhole, eloquence weakens, since it is already difficult for him to speak - his tongue is tangled. For some, this state is accompanied by euphoria (especially good mood, liveliness), while others, on the contrary, are depressed. In 15% of those who drink, neither one nor the other effect seems to manifest outwardly, but special psychomotor tests allow them to be detected.

As blood alcohol levels rise the clarity of visual and auditory sensations becomes dull, the sense of touch weakens, and the speed of motor reactions decreases. Nevertheless, it seems to a person that he is in excellent shape and his reactions have accelerated, and his feelings have become aggravated.

When the concentration of alcohol in the blood reaches 0.2%, the activity of even deeper parts of the brain, the so-called midbrain, is suppressed. The midbrain is believed to govern emotional responses to a large extent. This is intoxication in the full sense of the word. In addition to violations of perception, the activity of the motor centers and organs of balance, there is an exit from the control of primitive instincts. Hence - sharp outbursts of anger and aggressiveness, foul language, antisocial acts, and often crimes. It is interesting, however, that even when the alcohol concentration reaches 0.2-0.3%, approximately 5% of people may not show signs of intoxication outwardly. It is about these people that they say that they tolerate alcohol well. This does not mean that the consequences of drinking do not affect them.

When the concentration of alcohol in the blood reaches about 0.3%, it acts on even deeper areas of the brain. Feelings and reason are so dulled that a person, even being conscious, understands almost nothing in what he sees and hears. There comes the so-called alcoholic stupor.

At 0.4-0.5%, all perception is turned off, and the person falls into a state of shock. Being, as they say, mortally drunk, he falls unconscious, falls asleep, while his breathing becomes short and uneven. Reflexes are inactive, the circular muscles that close the main openings of the body involuntarily relax. Other muscles of the body also weaken. In this state, a person can die either from a brain hemorrhage or from suffocation when regurgitation or vomiting. The sensitivity is so reduced that you can perform a surgical operation on a sleeping person and he will not wake up.

If a person managed to take an even higher dose of alcohol before he lost consciousness, 0.6-0.7 or even more percent of alcohol can accumulate in the blood. In this case, the brain stem, which contains the centers that control breathing and heartbeat, is turned off. The consequences of this are clear.

Interesting statistics from the US when analyzing the behavior and reactions of drivers who took different doses of alcohol, on dangerous and difficult sections of roads. The content of alcohol in the blood is determined after an accident or violation by analyzing the exhaled air with a special device (if the drunk driver is still breathing after the accident).

When the alcohol concentration reaches 0.06%, the risk doubles compared to a completely sober driver, and at 0.1% it increases 6-7 times. At 0.15%, it grows more than 25 times, and at 0.2%, almost 50 times (however, there were so few drivers with such a high concentration of alcohol in the blood that this figure may not be accurate). The zone of greatest risk lies between 0.08 and 0.24% alcohol content. This concentration is achieved if a person weighing 70 kilograms drinks 0.75-2.5 liters of ten-degree wine, or 4 times less vodka, respectively. A person who has consumed alcohol more than these limits, most often, due to his condition, is no longer able to even drive, or, in any case, understands that this should not be done.

An interesting experiment was conducted by British researchers. They picked up three groups of city bus drivers. All of them were experienced high-class specialists who had never had an accident. The drivers of the first group did not take alcohol before the experiment, the second group drank 45 grams of whiskey, and the third group drank 140 grams each. Each driver, sitting behind the wheel of his usual bus, had to drive between two high cones, which moved and moved apart at the request of the drivers. It turned out that the intake of alcohol completely violated the eye of experienced drivers. Some of them thought they could pass through a corridor narrower than the width of a bus. So, one of the drivers was convinced that he could drive his bus 2.5 meters wide along a corridor 2.2 meters wide, the other even along a corridor 1.95 meters wide. The error in estimating the width of the gap between the cones was larger for those who drank more whiskey.

So, from burning lips to changes in the deep parts of the brain - this is the hidden route of drinking alcohol in the human body.

A. Dorozinsky. Abridged translation from French by M. Khilkova.

Alcohols do not have pronounced acidic or basic properties. Both alcohols themselves and their aqueous solutions do not conduct electricity to a noticeable extent. Since the alkyl group is an electron donor, the electron density on the oxygen atom is increased and the dissociation of the O-H bond proceeds to an even lesser extent than in a water molecule:

Due to the availability and ability to enter into numerous chemical reactions, alcohols play a huge role in various syntheses, including industrial ones.

The reactions in which alcohols enter can be divided into the following groups.

1. Reactions involving the hydrogen atom of the hydroxyl group.

2. Reactions that occur with the substitution or elimination of the entire hydroxyl group.

3. Oxidation reactions in which the hydroxyl group, α-hydrogen atoms, or even neighboring carbon-carbon bonds simultaneously take part.

1. Reactions involving the hydrogen atom of the hydroxyl group

The hydrogen atom of the hydroxyl has a certain mobility and is capable of easy substitution.

A) Substitution of a hydrogen atom in a metal hydroxyl scrap.

Substances resulting from such substitution are called alcoholates:

The alcoholates formed by methyl alcohol are called methylates, those formed by ethyl alcohol are called ethylates, etc.

Alcoholates are solids that are readily soluble in alcohol. Sodium alcoholates are unstable compounds that quickly darken (resin) in air, especially when heated. Sodium methoxide is the most stable. In the presence of traces of moisture, sodium alcoholates decompose, and alcohol is formed again:

The alcoholate formation reaction illustrates the similarity of alcohols with water. Lower alcohols (CH 3 OH, C 2 H 5 OH) react violently with sodium, medium ones weakly, and higher ones react only when heated. Alcoholates are formed by the action of alcohols and other active metals, such as magnesium, aluminum. In the alcoholate formation reaction, alcohol exhibits the properties of a weak acid.

B) Substitution of a hydrogen atom in hydroxyl with an acyl group to form esters.

When alcohols interact with organic acids (preferably in the presence of traces of strong acids), esters are obtained:

The reaction of formation of esters is called the esterification reaction. The esterification reaction is reversible: water in the presence of acids or alkalis decomposes esters to form the starting materials - acids and alcohol. This hydrolytic decomposition of esters is called a hydrolysis reaction. The esterification reaction, as well as the resulting esters, are of great industrial importance.

2. Reactions proceeding with the substitution or elimination of the entire hydroxyl group

The hydroxyl group of an alcohol in some reactions has a known mobility and can be replaced or cleaved off.

A) Replacement of hydroxyl by halogen with the formation of halide derivatives of hydrocarbons.

Usually the reaction is carried out by the action of phosphorus or sulfur halides on alcohols, as well as hydrogen halides:

The reaction of the interaction of alcohol with halogenated acids is reversible. To achieve a greater yield, i.e., shift the equilibrium to the right, it is necessary to remove water from the reaction mixture. Therefore, the reaction is carried out in the presence of water-removing substances, such as concentrated sulfuric acid, or gaseous hydrogen halide is passed into anhydrous alcohol. To reduce the amount of water present, it is more convenient to take not hydrohalic acid, but its salt and extract dry hydrogen halide from it by the action of concentrated sulfuric acid.

B) Formation of olefins by elimination of water

When alcohol is heated with a large amount of strong sulfuric acid or zinc chloride, as well as when alcohol vapor is passed at 350-500 ° C through a tube with aluminum oxide, a dehydration reaction occurs (water is removed) and ethylene hydrocarbons are formed. So, for example, ethylene is obtained from ethyl alcohol:

The formation of a water molecule occurs due to hydroxyl and a hydrogen atom at the neighboring carbon atom (β-elimination reaction).

It is easiest to dehydrate tertiary, then secondary and then primary alcohols. In alcohols of complex structure, the tertiary atom is predominantly split off (3-hydrogen atom, to a much lesser extent secondary, and the primary is practically not split off (Zaitsev's rule):

C) Intermolecular dehydration.

When excess alcohol is heated with sulfuric acid or when alcohol vapor is passed through powdered anhydrous aluminum sulfate at 200 ° C, along with ethylene hydrocarbons, ethers are also obtained:

D) Replacing the hydroxide with an amino group. Under harsh conditions (300 °C, alumina), the hydroxyl group of alcohols can be replaced by an amino group to form primary amines:

The reaction is complicated by the formation of secondary (R 2 NH) and tertiary (R 3 N) amines as a result of the interaction of alcohol with already formed amines.

Oxidation reactions in which the hydroxyl group simultaneously participates, α -hydrogen atoms or even adjacent carbon-carbon bonds

A) Hydrogen elimination (dehydrogenation, dehydrogenation).

When passing alcohol vapor at 200-300 ° C over finely crushed copper or silver, primary alcohols are converted into aldehydes, and secondary alcohols into ketones. The reaction proceeds with the release of hydrogen:

B) Oxidation of alcohols.

Oxidation is usually carried out with strong oxidizing agents, for example, K 2 Cr 2 0 7 + H 2 SO 4 or KMn 0 4 + + H 2 SO 4. When alcohols are oxidized, the action of the oxidizing agent is directed to the carbon atom that is already associated with the hydroxyl group. Therefore, depending on which alcohol is oxidized - primary, secondary or tertiary, various oxidation products are obtained.

When secondary alcohols are oxidized, ketones are formed:

The oxidation of primary alcohols occurs in a similar way, but since in primary alcohols the carbon atom associated with hydroxyl has one more hydrogen atom than in secondary ones, the oxidation products in this case are aldehydes:

This reaction is difficult to carry out in high yield due to the easy oxidizability of the resulting aldehyde to the corresponding carboxylic acid.

Alcohol in large doses is the strongest poison for the human body. When alcohol is abused, the liver, kidneys, heart and nervous system suffer, all metabolic processes are disturbed. This article discusses the breakdown of alcohol in the body, the enzymes responsible for these processes, and ways to speed up the metabolism of alcohol and its excretion.

How alcohol is broken down

Once in the body, alcohol is rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream from the gastric mucosa.. The absorption time depends on many factors, for example, on the condition of the gastric walls, food intake or any medications.

Immediately from the blood, alcohol enters the liver, which produces enzymes that break down alcohol. The main one is alcohol dehydrogenase. It is with its help that alcohol is absorbed. Also, alcohol dehydrogenase is produced in a small amount in the gastric cavity. In men, this enzyme is synthesized in a larger volume. This explains the propensity of women to get drunk more quickly.

An interesting fact: alcohol dehydrogenase is produced not only in the human body, but also in animals. Scientists believe that this enzyme evolutionarily began to be synthesized in our ancient ancestors in order to digest fermented fruits and vegetables.

Under the influence of these enzymes, alcohol is converted into acetic acid. When drinking large quantities of alcoholic beverages, a state of blood oxidation - acidosis can develop. In this case, there is a decrease in pH and a violation of all metabolic processes.

Before the formation of acetic acid, alcohol first turns into a toxic substance - acetaldehyde. It has a toxic effect on the entire body, in large quantities it provokes the development of acute alcohol poisoning. The produced acetic acid in the metabolic processes decomposes into ordinary water and carbon dioxide and is excreted from the body with the help of the kidneys and lungs.

By itself, acetic acid is harmless to humans, it is dangerous only when produced in large quantities. But when an alcohol molecule is converted to acetaldehyde, hydrogen atoms are split off from it. They cause the greatest harm to the human body and can lead to the following consequences:

• High production of lactic acid. This substance has a negative effect on the functioning of the central nervous system, can lead to anxiety attacks and panic attacks. This explains the frequent mental abnormalities in people who abuse alcoholic beverages.
• The development of gout. Hydrogen atoms are able to enhance the production of uric acid.
• To increase the level of lipids and cholesterol in the blood, which leads to fatty liver damage and atherosclerosis.

We have all heard that alcohol prevents the deposition of fatty plaques in the vessels and the development of atherosclerosis. In fact, only moderate and rare alcohol consumption can have a beneficial effect on the state of blood vessels. And the abuse of alcohol stimulates vascular damage, and the development of atherosclerotic plaques.

How long does alcohol take to leave the body?

The time of splitting alcohol and its removal from the body depends on many factors and is individual for each person. It depends on:

• the amount drunk. The more a person has taken alcohol, the longer the body will neutralize and break it down;
• liver conditions. With impaired enzymatic activity, the time of neutralization of alcohol increases significantly;
• alcoholic experience. The liver of people who abuse alcohol, as a rule, is in a deplorable state;
• concurrent use of certain medications. For example, narcotic analgesics, antidepressants, nootropics increase alcohol intoxication;
• consumption of protein foods of animal origin. Scientists have proven that the process of neutralizing the excretion of alcoholic beverages in people who, in parallel with the intake of alcohol, ate meat, fish, eggs or cheese, is accelerated by several hours.

Below is an indicative table of the breakdown of alcohol and its excretion from the body.

But these figures are very approximate. In practice, everyone has an individual rate of alcohol elimination.. Some people have a genetically inherent low production of enzymes responsible for the metabolism of alcohol. They get drunk from a small dose of alcohol and then suffer from a hangover for a long time.

How to speed up the elimination and metabolism of alcohol

Hangovers, dehydration, and feeling unwell are what a person experiences after drinking large amounts of alcoholic beverages. You can speed up the metabolism and excretion of alcohol from the body on your own, at home. Below we have put together some tips to help you do just that:

• Drink more fluids. Water is the catalyst for most biochemical reactions.. It also helps to excrete alcohol through the kidneys. Alcohol leads to dehydration and acidosis. With the help of plain or mineral alkaline water, you can help the body cope with alcohol intoxication.
• Drink sorbents. These drugs do an excellent job with intoxication and help remove toxins from the intestines, formed as a result of exposure to alcohol. For this purpose, any drugs from this group are suitable, for example, activated charcoal, enterosgel, atoxyl.
• A contrast shower will help speed up metabolism and relieve vascular spasms. Take it for 5 minutes and feel the improvement.
• Drink a glass of brine. This drink will help normalize the water-electrolyte balance and speed up recovery after drinking..
• Have a hearty breakfast. It is best to choose protein foods of animal origin. Dairy products, milk, eggs, meat, cheese and fish will speed up the metabolism of alcohol. Beware of fatty and spicy foods, they can cause indigestion.

If you want to quickly remove alcohol from the body, in no case do you need to hangover. This method can only help to remove nausea and headache, but it will not positively affect the processes of removing alcohol.

After alcohol abuse, you do not need to abuse coffee, cola and energy drinks. They can lead to increased blood pressure, increased headaches. Also, avoid taking hot baths. This procedure will cause nausea and dizziness.

The breakdown and metabolism of alcohol in the body is a complex and lengthy biochemical process. Its speed is affected by many factors. You can speed up the cleansing of the body from alcohol with the help of heavy drinking, protein foods and sorbents. Do not abuse alcohol, this drink poisons the body and disrupts all metabolic processes in it, leading to cardiovascular diseases and liver pathologies.