Has anyone else noticed a decreased ability to tolerate alcohol while eating low-carb? I don't know if there is any tie here, but over the last few years, I have had almost a complete ability to tolerate alcohol. One drink frequently leads to immediate hang-over...bypassing any pleasant feelings altogether! This did not used to be the case. I am still in my thirties and this seems odd. Is there any info out there on this? Thanks.

Ken

Yes, it's quite normal for your tolerance to go down. The hangovers could be due to B vitamin deficiency or lack of water, both of which are required to metabolize alcohol. Taking a B vitamin supplement and drinking more water next time you indulge might help.

Hi Ken,

I know how you feel! This has absolutely a connection to lowcarbing. I went from 2 bottles of wine pre Atkins to barely be able to drink 3-4 glasses. Twice I got something that wasn't even a hangover - it was AGONY LOL
Don't know about any info or research on this, all I know - my glory days are over!
I've tried drinking 2 glasses of water for every drink, eating lots of protein and fat - did not work if I had more than those 3-4 glasses. But it could work for you if you stick to 2 drinks. Hope so!
Take care!
Alina

I find if I don't drink enough water during the day, then I don't feel too hot the next day. I like to have a glass of wine at nite, but I also continue to drink water prior to going to bed.

LOL...the first time I drank on this WOE which was the end of my Induction Period (not recommended - you should wait till you are on OWL), I had 2 drinks and I was plastered....and this coming from someone who could drink 5 or 6 before "feeling the alcohol". Luckily I drank lots of water before and after and woke up with only a slight hangover.... So be careful drinking while LCing.

Metabolism of Alcohol

link to article

Enzymes in italics:

Alcohol => Alcohol dehydrogenase => Acetaldehyde => Aldehyde dehydrogenase => Acetyl coenzyme A => Energy + CO2

The major site of alcohol metabolism or breakdown (biotransformation) is in the liver. Alcohol dehydrogenase is the rate-limiting enzyme in the metabolism of alcohol and thus limits the amount of alcohol metabolized. Consequently, it is impossible to speed up alcohol metabolism. Unlike absorption, it proceeds at a steady rate, unaffected by blood concentrations. A 150-pound male, for example, can metabolize about 8 to 12 grams of alcohol an hour - that's about 1/3 to 1/2 ounces, the amount in one bottle of beer or half an ounce of whiskey. Theoretically, therefore, one could drink 24 beers a day at a rate of one per hour and stay sober. In order to become intoxicated, you need to outpace metabolism. Interestingly, in humans metabolic differences for alcohol have been shown between Asians (and some Native Americans whose ancestors are from Asia) and Caucasians (Kalow et al., 1986). Approximately 50% of Asians have lower levels of aldehyde dehydrogenase in their livers. In these cases, alcohol is metabolized rapidly early in the chain of biotransformation, but the process then stalls at the aldehyde dehydrogenase phase allowing an accumulation of alcohol by-products. These by-products cause slight adverse reactions of increased heart rate and facial flushing.

Some alcohol is metabolized in the stomach. One study indicates that metabolism in the stomach may account for the effects of drinking between women and men (Frezza et al., 1990). Human males, as oppose to females, show significantly more amounts of alcohol dehydrogenase in their stomach linings, which increase the first-pass metabolism of alcohol. This, therefore, may account for the fact that women are more affected by equivalent doses of alcohol. Moreover, because women must rely primarily on their livers to metabolize alcohol, having lower levels of alcohol dehydrogenase may also account for the fact that women are more susceptible to alcoholic liver disease (e.g., cirrhosis, liver cancer, and fatty livers). This is due to the fact that women who abuse alcohol place increase metabolic demands on their livers to breakdown alcohol.

The liver metabolizes alcohol into "empty calories," energy devoid of nutritional value - no vitamins or minerals. When alcohol is taken with food, the body uses the unstorable alcoholic energy first, and synthesizes fat to store the excess energy from the food. Drinking alcohol along with eating is therefore highly conducive to weight gain, since the meal will be stored over a period of about 4 hours while the alcohol is being used.

Another significant metabolic pathway in the liver is called microsomal ethanol oxidizing system (MEOS). This consists of the induction of the liver enzyme cytochrome P-450 which biotransforms a number of substances including alcohol, barbiturates, PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) found in insulators, oil and lubricants, the steroid hormone testosterone, and bilirubin (the pigment that causes yellowing in jaundice). This accounts for the mechanism of tolerance called "drug disposition" or "metabolic tolerance." For example, the large amounts of alcohol consumed by people who abuse alcohol will induce the production of cytochrome P-450. Thus, these people need more and more alcohol in order to achieve the same BAL (blood alcohol level) and psychological effect. If, however, the increase in cytochrome P-450 is being occupied by breaking down PCBs in lubricants (if the person is an auto mechanic, for example) then the person needs much less alcohol in order to achieve the desired BAL and psychological effect. Similarly, in alcoholic males, the induction of cytochrome P-450 will cause an increased metabolism of testosterone when the enzyme is not occupied with breaking down alcohol. Thus, chronic alcoholics experience a decreased libido (sex drive) because of low levels of testosterone. The MEOS system also contributes to the production of acetaldehyde and might contribute to the liver damage seen in heavy drinkers.

As said above, there is no way to speed up the metabolism of alcohol, but considerable research (and folklore!) has been devoted to examining drugs which counteract some of the effects of alcohol. These so-called "sobering-up" agents are referred to as amethystic agents, named after the amethyst stone because of its absorption quality. One possible drug is RO15-4513 (remember from our discussion of drug names -- this is a "code name" given by the drug company developing it). This drug works by displacing alcohol from the GABA receptor (the neurotransmitter receptor that mediates some of alcohol's CNS effects). RO15-4513, however, counteracts only some of the effects of alcohol and also causes seizures so its clinical utility is quite limited. Another possible amethystic agent is naloxone, which serves as a non-specific opiate receptor antagonist. Naloxone has been shown to reverse alcohol-induced respiratory depression and coma. Other possible amethystic agents are ibuprofen (an analgesic), lithium carbonate (a drug usually used to treat mania), and thyrotropin-releasing hormone (a hormone which acts on the thyroid to release thyroid hormones). All three have been shown to reduce some of the effects of intoxication. Since alcohol, however, is so well absorbed and distributed throughout the body, it is truly difficult to develop an effective amethystic agent. Moreover, imagine the impact on society if one were to be developed.

Ok, the above article doesn't say directly why the alcohol effect is higher for low carbers, but it does give me some ideas for further research.

For example: I read somewhere that the intestines naturally produce about 1 ounce of alcohol a day by fermentation / digestion. If this alcohol comes from carbs (and I think it does) then low-carb eaters have a lower level of this natural alcohol 24/7. This would lead to lower levels of cytochrome P-450 (an alcohol-destroying enzyme mentioned above), and consequently, a lower tolerance for alcohol. (Just a theory - need to do more research!)

I think I found it: the enzymes used to metabolize alcohol are also needed for processing fatty acids. Because low-carbers are in ketosis, those enzymes are "busy" and not as readily available to metabolize the alcohol - hence, the blood-alcohol level builds up quicker and we get drunk faster.

Thanks for all the research gotbeer,it's so nice to have some answers.My friends have all wondered how after years of being able to drink quite a bit to now getting loaded (and sick) very quickly.From your info here,I think on the days I'm going to have a few drinks,I will eat lower in fat,so I have some of (I forget what you called it) left over to metabolise the alcohol.Does that make sense?
Wendy

Just a thought...

When I was younger, I could out drink just about anyone. As I have gotten older and more responsible, I rarely drink, and therefore it takes less to get me to that drunk/sick point. After this pregnancy and nursing, I will probably be at that one drink limit. The alcohol intolerance could be chaulked up to the cutting back of drinking alcoholic beverages in the first place. Remember the first time you got drunk??? Didn't take much, did it? But the more you drink, the more you can drink. Sooooo, the less you drink, the less you can drink.

Oh yeah... I could always drink more if I ate just before drinking or while drinking. The body wouldn't absorb the alcohol as fast.

Me too:

My dh and I used to enjoy a bottle of wine on the weekends and maybe a few rum and coke. While we still drink wine it is a glass and thats all it takes to get a glow. As for the rum its just not the same with diet coke. Sooooo like my dh I have now switched to rye and water as he says he can drink a bucket of it and never get a hangover and I'll have to admit it took some getting used to but after a few too I don't feel the effect like I would if I had drank the same amount in R&C. We think its the water. Though I will say though as a WOL the booze consumption is getting less and less all the time. We look for healther things to put into our bodies now.

Loribell

Sounds like an interesting test of the theory - science is all about experimentation and verification.

Another test (not recommended for Atkins folk) would be to eat enough carbs earlier that day to knock yourself out of ketosis completely, then drink later. I mention this as an experiment, NOT a recommendation - I'll happily live with the lower booze bills!