Migraine-Free - Hopefully - Alcohol Drinking

The Holidays are there for a reason - to be Merry. For some of us that "merry" feeling means Liquor, and lots of it. The inner peace, escape from problems, etc, etc.

One could opt for a more enlightened feeling but you know how it goes - Gandhi is dandy but liquor is quicker. So true.

The problem with drinking alcohol is it's 2-fold toxicity.

First one comes from sugar alcohols.

The common thinking is that they are pretty harmless - if they are not fully digested and absorbed by the body, what harm would they do?

According to Dr. Nicole, "Despite fewer calories per gram, Sugar alcohols can raise blood sugar anywhere from 50-100% of the amount expected from table sugar alone. This means that some sugar alcohols may contribute to blood sugar swings & crashes normally associated with “traditional” sugary snacks & treats."

They are also "Allowed to pass to the colon; an area sugars are normally never allowed to enter. These sugars can pull extra water into the colon via osmosis, leading to diarrhea and cramping. They can also be fermented by the bacteria that normally inhabit this area of the digestive tract, leading to increased flatulence. The “threshold” or amount required to produce this effect varies from person to person."

Second problem is Congeners . They are toxic chemicals that are formed during fermentation of alcoholic beverages. Note the "toxic" part.

So, drinking puts 2 different toxins in your body - alcohol sugars and congeners that need to be detoxified. Your liver has to work pretty darn hard. Considering the amounts of medicine most migraine people take, the livers are overworked as is and alcohol just adds up to the workload.

Has any of my gentle readers have gotten a headache while they were drinking? The normals have to deal only with hangovers. We have to deal with 2 headaches - one during and the other one after.

So, what's the solution? According to Dr. Briffa, the following steps might help:

• Moderation, pretty obviously, no need to spell it.
• Avoid drinks high on congeners and other impurities. Port, brandy and cheap red wine are full of that stuff. For beer-drinkers, stick with "German varieties such as Holsten and Becks: the lacing of these beers with potentially toxic additives is strictly verboten."
• Take Milk Thistle. This herb (Silybum marianum) is "renowned for its ability stimulate and protect the liver, and taking 500 mg of this even just a few hours before a serious session can buy some grace."
• "Matching each alcoholic drink with a glass of water is another prime tool for reducing internal toxicity as it helps to dilute alcohol and other toxins in the system, and speed their elimination from the body."
• Drink "a fruit smoothie or perhaps some tomato juice before going to bed after drinking," to keep the blood sugar up while you are asleep.

And the last recommendation comes from yours truly:

• Drink expensive. Cheap stuff is laced with toxins. Migraine people have heightened senses, use them to you advantage. Might as well enjoy life instead of tripping over every single migraine trigger. Sometimes all it takes is developing a good taste.

link: Is there really no help for hangovers?

link: The Five Hidden Evils in Nutrition Bars