Everyone knows that excessive drinking or drinking on an empty stomach is harmful to health, but many people may not be clear on which appetizers are beneficial for the body when drinking and which ones are like "adding fuel to the fire," potentially causing adverse effects.
The following four foods are not suitable as appetizers for drinking:
1. Carrots. Because the carotene in carrots, under the action of liver enzymes with alcohol, will produce toxic substances that harm health.
2. Liangfen (cold jelly). Because in the processing of liangfen, a certain amount of alum is added, and alum has the effect of slowing down gastrointestinal motility. Using liangfen as an appetizer will prolong the alcohol's stay time in the gastrointestinal tract, thereby increasing the body's absorption of alcohol and also increasing the stimulation of alcohol to the gastrointestinal tract, slowing down blood flow speed, prolonging the alcohol's stay time in the blood, and causing drunkenness, which is harmful to health.
3. Smoked and cured foods. Because they contain more nitrosamines and pigments, which react with alcohol, not only harming the liver, but also damaging the oral cavity, esophagus, and gastrointestinal mucosa, and can also induce cancer.
4. Barbecue. In the summer, many people like to gather with friends and family at street stalls, drinking and eating grilled skewers, which is a joyful time. However, using barbecue as an appetizer when drinking is unhealthy. During the barbecue process, not only is the utilization rate of protein in food reduced, but it also produces carcinogenic benzopyrene. Moreover, the nucleic acids in meat, after being heated and decomposed, can produce gene-mutating substances that may also lead to cancer. When excessive drinking increases the lead content in the blood, the substances in barbecue food can combine with it, easily inducing digestive tract tumors. In addition, in the summer, the amount of alcohol consumed is often larger, increasing the likelihood of inducing such diseases.
Reason one: Alcohol is an organic solvent that can dilate blood vessels in the digestive tract and dissolve the mucoprotein on the surface of the digestive tract mucosa, making it easier for carcinogens to be absorbed by the body.
Reason two: Alcohol can reduce the liver's detoxification function and promote the effect of carcinogens.
Reason three: Alcohol can also suppress the human immune system and enhance the activation of carcinogens. Therefore, it is best to drink in moderation.
The carcinogenicity of barbecue food is related to the amount consumed. It is recommended not to exceed twice a week, and no more than 100 grams each time.
The correct way to choose appetizers for drinking:
1. It is advisable to add some sugar when cooking: The main component of alcohol is ethanol, which enters the human body and is decomposed and converted by the liver before it can be excreted, which adds to the burden on the liver. Therefore, when making appetizers for drinking, a few liver-protecting foods should be appropriately selected. Sugar has a protective effect on the liver, so it is best to have one or two sweet dishes among the appetizers, such as sweet and sour fish, sugared lotus root slices, and sugared fried peanuts.
2. Prepare some dishes rich in protein: When alcohol enters the intestines, it affects the body's metabolism and can easily lead to protein deficiency. Therefore, the appetizers should contain protein-rich foods, such as century eggs, home-style tofu, clear chicken soup, and braised pork ribs.
3. Prepare some alkaline foods: Chicken, duck, fish, and meat are mostly acidic foods. To maintain the acid-base balance in the body, the appetizers should include alkaline foods, such as stir-fried bean sprouts, spinach, and fruits and vegetables like apples and oranges.
4. Appetizers must not be without vinegar: Vinegar can chemically react with ethanol in alcohol to produce ethyl acetate, which has the effect of sobering up. Therefore, vinegar should not be missing from the appetizers to reduce the harm of alcohol to the body.
How to drink without harming the liver:
Warm your baijiu and huangjiu, and be sure to eat fruit platters and watermelon.
As the saying goes, "No wine, no banquet." It's inevitable to deal with alcohol when gathering with friends and family or for business occasions. You can't avoid it, but drinking too much is hard on the body. So, how can you minimize the harm of alcohol to your body?
Drinking in moderation is good for your health, but drinking too much at once, consuming a large amount of alcohol in a short period, also increases the risk of alcohol poisoning. "If you frequently drink excessively for 5 consecutive years, mild cases will lead to alcoholic fatty liver, and severe cases can lead to alcoholic cirrhosis or even alcoholic hepatitis," said Professor Jia Jidong, Chairman of the Hepatology Branch of the Chinese Medical Association and Director of the Liver Disease Center at Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University. Therefore, when drinking, one must control the amount.
How to calculate if your drinking amount is appropriate?
Regardless of the type of alcohol, the moderate drinking amount is based on the alcohol intake. The International Collaborative Research of the World Health Organization points out that under normal circumstances, the daily intake of pure alcohol for men should not exceed 20 grams. "China's current safe drinking standard is that the daily alcohol intake does not exceed 15 grams, and the intake for women should be even less," Jia Yaguang, Deputy Secretary-General of the China Health Care Association, told the Life Times reporter. Jia Jidong recommends an intake calculation formula: "Drinking amount × alcohol concentration × 0.8 = Alcohol intake."
Baijiu has the highest alcohol content, generally divided into low, medium, and high-proof. Rice wine is also a type of baijiu. Low-proof baijiu should not exceed 2 liang (about 100g), medium-proof should not exceed 1 liang (about 50g), and high-proof liquor should not exceed 25 ml. Once this amount is exceeded, it will affect organs such as the stomach and liver, increasing their burden.
Among all alcoholic beverages, wine has a relatively low alcohol content. Low-alcohol wine should be controlled within 5 liang (about 250g), and high-alcohol wine should not exceed 3 liang (about 150g), otherwise, it will harm the liver.
"The beer commonly available on the market now has an original wort concentration of 11 degrees, and its alcohol content is 3.7 degrees," explains He Yong, Secretary-General of the Beer Branch of the China National Research Institute of Food & Fermentation Industries. The daily consumption of beer should not exceed two cans (equivalent to one bottle in a glass bottle).
Huangjiu doesn't feel strong at first, but it has a long aftereffect. Shen Zhenchang, Secretary-General of the Huangjiu Branch of the China National Research Institute of Food & Fermentation Industries, points out that the alcohol content of huangjiu is between 8 and 18 degrees. Fruit liqueurs are mainly made from fruits, with varying alcohol content, and health wines also belong to this category. When drinking these two types of alcohol, attention should also be paid to controlling the amount.
That being said, at a banquet, it's often hard to get away with just one or two liang; half a jin (250g), eight liang (400g), or even a jin (500g) is common.
So, what can be done to minimize the stimulation of alcohol on the liver and nervous system?
Choose low-alcohol beverages.
Generally, for the same amount, high-alcohol beverages cause greater damage to organs like the liver than low-alcohol ones. The alcohol content of distilled spirits in the world is generally around 40% ABV, so it is best to choose low-alcohol beverages at a banquet.
Warm your baijiu and huangjiu to cause less harm.
During the heating process, organic compounds such as methanol, aldehydes, and ethers will volatilize as the temperature rises. At the same time, some ethanol will also evaporate, slightly reducing the concentration of the alcohol, thereby reducing the harm to the liver.
Drink more water during the process.
Before drinking, many people will take hangover pills. Regarding this, Jia Jidong says that hangover pills can only relieve post-drinking discomfort and cannot reduce liver damage. However, damage can be reduced through diet.
First, before drinking, eat starchy and high-protein foods to line your stomach, but never eat cured meats, salted fish, etc., as they will react with alcohol and cause more harm to the liver.
Second, while drinking, pay attention to drinking more plain water; whenever there is a break from drinking, it's best to drink water. Or order a glass of watermelon juice, which can speed up the excretion of alcohol through urine and reduce the burden on the liver.
Third, drink slowly, in small sips. A single binge not only makes you drunk easily but also causes greater damage to the respiratory tract, stomach, and other organs.
Fourth, during breaks from drinking, you might as well order a cold dish with radish. Radish can detoxify and reduce liver damage.
Finally, when the fruit platter is served after the meal, you may not be able to eat anything else, but try to eat as much watermelon as possible to help expel the alcohol.
If you feel unwell, or even drunk, you can drink some honey water, fruit juice, tomato juice, or celery juice, or eat some fresh grapes. The method of inducing vomiting is also feasible. First, drink some plain water or vinegar water, then use chopsticks to stimulate the pharynx to bring up some alcohol, which can also reduce the harm to the body.