Reader, If you feel like you can't have as much "holiday spirit" as you once did, you're not alone!
You see, your body becomes more sensitive to alcohol as you age – so you feel tipsy sooner, even if your drinking habits haven't changed.
At the same time, hangovers often become increasingly brutal, even when you drink less.
That's because you metabolize alcohol more slowly when you're older. You also have less water in your body.
That means when you consume even just a glass or two of wine, you'll have a higher percentage of alcohol in your blood than a younger person drinking the same amount.
Then comes that "higher percentage" hangover.
Avoidance might be the best advice – but if you do happen to indulge over this holiday season, I've got just the thing for you…
Regular readers will know that I recommend L-arginine supplements to my patients as a powerful heart defense. This amino acid is a biological precursor of nitric oxide, a critical signaling chemical whose primary function is to tell your blood vessels to relax and expand.
Studies show that boosting nitric oxide can prevent heart attacks and strokes. It helps stop your arteries from stiffening and also reduces blood pressure.1,2,3
L-Arginine's nitric oxide-boosting properties have also been shown to reverse erectile dysfunction. That's because ED is often caused by reduced levels of nitric oxide. This prevents the arteries that lead to the penis from opening properly, curtailing blood flow and making it difficult or impossible to become erect.4
But what you may not know is that L-arginine is also a great hangover remedy.
Let me explain …
Ethanol – the alcohol in your drinks – is a toxic chemical, and your hangover symptoms are the result of your body's attempt to reject it.
Your liver does this by producing a super-toxin called acetaldehyde. Your body uses this poisonous compound to break down alcohol into water and carbon dioxide before it gets flushed out of your system.
Studies now reveal that acetaldehyde is the primary catalyst for all hangovers. It's so poisonous – around 30 times as toxic as ethanol – and it doesn't stay in your body for long. It's mostly gone by the time your hangover begins.5,6
But it's the after-effects of acetaldehyde on your central nervous system that trigger the classic hangover symptoms – drowsiness, concentration problems, dry mouth, dizziness, gastrointestinal irritation, sweating, nausea, vomiting, headache, rapid heartbeat, flushing, and anxiety.
Studies show that taking an L-arginine supplement boosts your body's production of dehydrogenase – an enzyme that enhances the activity of acetaldehyde. This allows you to metabolize the alcohol in your blood stream and also break down acetaldehyde more quickly, thus easing and shortening the hangover.7,8
Other research also reveals that L-arginine provides protection for your liver against excess alcohol.
I would never recommend excess consumption of alcohol, but it is the festive period. So you might feel the effects – even when you limit yourself to a single glass of wine or beer. Try My Holiday Hangover Cure So here are a few of my recommendations: - Prepare your body. Always drink plenty of water, before, during and after drinking alcohol. Before going out for the night, I also recommend eating a full meal and taking a good multivitamin to help prepare your body for what's to come.
- Take L-arginine. I recommend taking this important amino acid throughout the festive season and I also suggest taking it with L-citrulline. After you've been using L-arginine for a while, another enzyme starts blocking nitric oxide conversion. That's why you need L-citrulline. It blocks the enzyme, so L-arginine is free to synthesize into nitric oxide.
Take L-arginine and L-citrulline in a 5-to-1 ratio. I recommend daily doses of 1,000 mg of L-citrulline and 6,000 mg of L-arginine.
- Take N-acetyl cysteine. NAC is used in hospital ERs to treat drug overdoses and is also a powerful antioxidant. It's great for mopping up the damaging free radicals after the chemical warfare of the previous night. At the same time, NAC upregulates the antioxidant glutathione, which helps break down toxic acetaldehyde.
Normally, I recommend at least 250 mg per day and up to 1,500 mg of NAC as a booster of glutathione and a preventative measure against cancer. But to help prevent a hangover, take 500 mg before bed.
To Your Good Health, 
Al Sears, MD, CNS
References: - Cooke JP. "Pivotal role of nitric oxide for vascular health." Can J Cardiol. 2004 Aug;20 Suppl B:7B-15B.
- Cannon RO. "Role of nitric oxide in cardiovascular disease: Focus on the endothelium." 1998 American Assoc Clin Chem.
- Abukhodair AW, et al. "The effects of l-arginine in hypertensive patients: A literature review." Cureus. 2021 Dec 17;13(12):e20485.
- Sullivan ME, et al. "Nitric oxide and penile erection: Is erectile dysfunction another manifestation of vascular disease?" Cardiovascular Res. 43(3):658–665.
- Stromberg J. "Your Complete Guide to the Science of Hangovers." Smithsonian.com. Dec 31, 2013.
- Eriksson CJ. "The role of acetaldehyde in the actions of alcohol." Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2001 May; 25(5 Suppl ISBRA):15S-32S.
- Betrapally NS, et al. "Changes in the intestinal microbiome and alcoholic and nonalcoholic liver diseases: causes or effects?" Gastroenterology 2016; 150:1745–1755.
- Cha JY, et al. "Effect of arginine on the alcohol dehydrogenase and acetaldehyde dehydrogenase enzymes of alcohol metabolism in Saccharomyces cerevisiae". Immunopharmacol Immunotoxicol. 2011.
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