How does alcohol cause hangovers? - Judy Grisel

Prevoditelj: Ivana Širinić Recezent: Petra Lauš

In a 1973 study, 20 volunteers got drunk once a week for 8 consecutive weeks,

U istraživanju iz 1973., 20 volontera napilo se jednom tjedno kroz osam tjedana

each time on a different alcoholic beverage,

i to svaki put od drugog alkoholnog pića

and each time with precisely the same dosage—

i jednakim doziranjem.

this was science, after all.

Ipak se radilo o znanosti.

The goal of this experiment was to find out which alcoholic drinks

Cilj tog eksperimenta bio je pronaći alkoholna pića

cause worse hangovers.

koja uzrokuju najgori mamurluk.

Of course, it takes much more than one small study to answer such a question.

Naravno, potrebno je više od jednog malog istraživanja da se odgovori na to pitanje.

Since then, science has learned a lot about hangovers—

Znanost je od tada spoznala puno o mamurluku,

though some mysteries remain.

ali neke su zagonetke ostale neriješene.

Molekula odgovorna za mamurluk je etanol,

The molecule responsible for hangovers is ethanol,

which we colloquially refer to as alcohol.

a u razgovoru je zovemo alkoholom.

Ethanol is present in all alcoholic beverages, and generally speaking,

Etanol je prisutan u svim alkoholnim pićima, i općenito govoreći,

the more ethanol, the greater the potential for a hangover.

što je viši udio etanola, veća je mogućnost za mamurluk.

The symptoms and severity can vary depending on weight, age,

Simptomi i jačina mogu varirati ovisno o težini, dobi,

genetics, and other factors.

genima i drugim čimbenicima.

But still, hangovers generally share some common— and unpleasant— features.

U svakom slučaju, mamurluci dijele neke česte i neugodne značajke.

So how exactly does alcohol cause a hangover?

Kako onda alkohol točno uzrokuje mamurluk?

I postoji li način kako ga možemo učinkovito izbjeći?

And is there any way to reliably prevent one?

Alkohol usporava komunikaciju između živčanih stanica.

Alcohol slows down the communication between neural cells.

After someone has had their last drink,

Nakon posljednjeg pića,

as the concentration of alcohol in the blood drops back to zero,

kako koncentracija alkohola u krvi pada natrag na nulu,

the brain rebounds from sedation and swings in the other direction,

mozak se budi, kreće u drugom smjeru

entering a hyperactive state.

te ulazi u hiperaktivno stanje.

This may lead to the tremors or rapid heartbeat associated with hangovers.

To može dovesti do drhtanja ili ubrzanog rada srca povezanog s mamurlukom.

It also makes sleep shorter and less restful than normal.

Zbog njega je san kraći i manje spokojan nego inače.

But these effects are just the beginning—

Ali ove posljedice su samo početak.

alcohol impacts so many of the body’s processes,

Alkohol utječe na puno tjelesnih procesa,

throwing delicate balances off-kilter.

koje izbacuje iz ravnoteže.

And even the most familiar hangover symptoms have surprising contributors.

Čak i najpoznatiji simptomi mamurluka imaju iznenađujuće uzročnike.

For example, alcohol disrupts levels of many hormones.

Na primjer, alkohol remeti razine brojnih hormona.

One of those hormones is cortisol.

Jedan od tih hormona je kortizol.

Normally, fluctuating cortisol levels help regulate wakefulness

Inače oscilirajuće razine kortizola pomažu kod regulacije budnosti

tijekom dana i noći.

throughout the day and night.

So the disruption in cortisol during a hangover

Tako da remećenje razine kortizola tijekom mamurluka

may cause people to feel groggy or disoriented.

može uzrokovati osjećaj ošamućenosti ili dezorijentiranosti.

Another hormone alcohol interferes with is vasopressin,

Još jedan hormon na čiji rad utječe alkohol je vazopresin,

which normally decreases the volume of urine made by the kidneys.

koji inače smanjuje volumen urina koji stvaraju bubrezi.

By decreasing levels of vasopressin,

Smanjivanjem razine vazopresina

alcohol causes people to pee more and become dehydrated.

alkohol uzrokuje češće uriniranje i dehidraciju.

Dehydration can lead to thirst, dry mouth, weakness, lightheadedness, and headache,

Dehidracija može dovesti do žeđi, suhih usta, slabosti, vrtoglavice i glavobolje,

one of the most common hangover symptoms.

jednog od najčešćih simptoma mamurluka.

In addition to dehydration, hangover headaches can result

Pored dehidracije, glavobolje od mamurluka mogu biti uzrokovane

from alcohol’s influence on chemical signaling in the brain,

utjecajem alkohola na kemijsko signaliziranje u mozgu,

especially on neurotransmitters involved in pain signaling.

pogotovo na neuroprijenosnike za signalizaciju boli.

Alcohol can also damage mitochondria,

Alkohol također može oštetiti mitohondrije,

which are responsible for producing the ATP that gives us energy.

koji su odgovorni za proizvodnju adenozin trifosfata koji nam daje energiju.

This may contribute to the fatigue, weakness, and mood disturbances

To može doprinijeti umoru, slabosti i poremećajima raspoloženja

experienced during a hangover.

do kojih dolazi tijekom mamurluka.

Meanwhile, alcohol stimulates the immune system,

Istovremeno alkohol stimulira imunološki sustav,

što dovodi do upale koja može oštetiti stanice mozga,

leading to inflammation that can damage cells within the brain,

affect mood, and impair memory.

utjecati na raspoloženje i oslabiti pamćenje.

And it can irritate the gastrointestinal tract

A može i iritirati probavni trakt

and inflame the lining of the stomach and intestines.

te upaliti sluznicu želuca i crijeva.

Alcohol may also slow down stomach emptying,

Alkohol također može usporiti pražnjenje želuca,

which could lead to increased production of gastric acid.

što može dovesti do većeg lučenja želučane kiseline.

This is why alcohol can cause stomach pain, nausea, and vomiting.

Zato alkohol može uzrokovati bol u trbuhu, mučninu i povraćanje.

Alcoholic drinks also contain other substances that are produced

Alkoholna pića sadrže i druge tvari koje se stvaraju

tijekom procesa fermentacije i daju piću specifičan okus.

during the fermentation process that give the drink its specific flavor.

Some evidence suggests that one of these, methanol,

Neki dokazi ukazuju na to da jedna od njih, metanol,

is particularly bad for hangovers.

naročito loše utječe na mamurluk.

The body doesn’t start metabolizing methanol

Tijelo ne počinje razgrađivati metanol

until it’s done processing ethanol.

dok nije preradilo etanol.

And when it does, the toxic metabolites of methanol

A kada ga preradi, toksični metaboliti metanola

may potentially worsen the hangover symptoms.

mogu pogoršati simptome mamurluka.

Beverages that are closer to pure ethanol, such as gin and vodka,

Pića koja su bliža čistom etanolu, kao džin i votka,

may cause fewer hangover effects.

mogu uzrokovati manje simptoma mamurluka.

Meanwhile, the presence of flavoring ingredients in beverages

Međutim, prisutnost sastojaka za bolji okus u pićima

like whiskey, brandy, and red wine,

kao što su viski, vinjak i crno vino,

may make these kinds of alcohol cause more hangover symptoms.

mogu uzrokovati više simptoma mamurluka.

So, the choice of alcoholic beverage matters,

Dakle, izbor alkoholnog pića je važan,

but any of them can cause hangovers, simply because they all contain alcohol.

no svako može uzrokovati mamurluk jednostavno zato što sva sadrže alkohol.

So, do common hangover remedies actually work?

Dakle djeluju li zaista lijekovi protiv mamurluka?

Drinking water and electrolyte beverages can help reduce symptoms

Ispijanje vode i pića s elektrolitima može pomoći ublažiti simptome

related to dehydration.

povezane s dehidracijom.

And eating— especially carbs— can help replenish the glucose levels

Hrana, a pogotovo ugljikohidrati, mogu pomoći vratiti razinu glukoze

alcohol reduces.

koju je alkohol smanjio.

But ultimately, the only sure way to prevent a hangover

Ali konačno, jedini siguran način za sprječavanje mamurluka je

is to drink alcohol in moderation or not at all.

ispijanje alkohola u umjerenim količinama ili uopće ne.