A toxic little molecule responsible for morning after pain may do a lot more damage than previously believed. And if you thought only drunks were at risk, think again. A new supplement promises to help neutralize the threat.
Las Vegas, NV (PRWEB) December 12, 2007 -- A powerful muscle poison created as the liver breaks down alcohol has been linked to rising incidences of liver and heart disease, cancer, and Alzheimer's. It affects teetotalers and party animals alike, and it's not just in your cocktail: it's in the air we breathe, the foods we eat, and is even churned out by microorganisms that live inside our own mouths.
The chemical, acetaldehyde, is 30 times more toxic than alcohol itself, according to alcohol researcher Victor R. Preedy of Queens College in London, England. "With the kind of levels we take in, most of us should be dead," says Richard Dietrich, a pioneer of acetaldehyde research at the University of Colorado Alcohol Research Center in Aurora. A recent Japanese study went so far as to dub acetaldehyde, 'The hangover gene' (Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research, July 2005).
The job of eliminating acetaldehyde from the body falls to enzymes in the liver called aldehyde dehydrogenases (ALDHs), which break it down and convert it to harmless acetic acid, where it is then burned as fuel in the muscles. Normally the liver processes most of the acetaldehyde, about a quarter of an ounce of alcohol per hour, but small amounts escape into the bloodstream. That's where the problems begin.
Acetaldehyde attaches itself to amino groups in proteins to form compounds called adducts, causing irreversible DNA damage and triggering mutations and chromosomal problems, according to Onni Niemela of the University of Tempere in Finland (Nucleic Acids Research, vol 33 p 3514). Acetaldehyde lingers long after the hangover subsides, wreaking havoc on virtually every internal organ: liver, heart, brain, kidneys, skeletal muscle, uterus, and digestive system.
Preedy found that rats given a single dose of alcohol suffer significant muscle damage as a result of acetaldehyde attacking proteins, which persists for more than 24 hours, long after the chemical itself has disappeared from the system.
Not even teetotalers are safe, according to Helmut Seitz, professor of alcohol research at the University of Heidelberg in Germany. "Any exposure to acetaldehyde increases the risk," he says. About 70% of patients with alcohol induced liver disease have anti-acetaldehyde antibodies in their bloodstream. A recent study published in the Oxford Medical Journal found that 91 percent of patients with alcohol-induced liver disease were social drinkers, most likely to be employed, married or in a stable relationship, and to drink with family, friends or work colleagues.
Almost 50 percent of all people of Japanese, Chinese, Korean or Taiwanese origin carry a faulty copy of the ALDH-2 gene necessary to process acetaldehyde. According to Peter Eriksson of Finland's National Public Health Institute in Helsinki, "Almost as soon these people have an alcoholic drink, their acetaldehyde levels shoot up between 6 and 20 times that of people with normal ALDH-2." This leads to facial flushing, elevated heart rate, headache, nausea, dizziness and vomiting, more commonly known as Asian flush. Studies suggest that those with the flush may be at higher risk for alcohol related conditions such as liver disease, asthma, and cancer of the esophagus. Among flushers who are heavy drinkers the incidence of upper gastrointestinal tract cancer is about 50 times higher than normal. Higher rates of head and neck cancer have also been noted (International Journal of Cancer, vol 118, p 1998).
Acetaldehyde also appears to play a role in breast cancer, with up to 5% of all breast cancers attributed to alcohol consumption. "The cells don't forget. They will initiate tumors 20 to 25 years later," according to Seitz, who is convinced that escalating alcohol intake in the west is linked to rising rates of liver, colon and rectal cancer.
If you smoke and drink, the danger multiplies. A smoker's cancer risk is strongly associated with acetaldehyde levels in their saliva, and some researchers now believe that acetaldehyde may be one of the principal carcinogens in cigarette smoke. The risk of oral cancer is 7 to 10 times higher in smokers than for people who never smoked.
Some alcoholic beverages contain acetaldehyde as part of the manufacturing process. Sherry producers include acetaldehyde for its fruity aroma. The expression 'getting embalmed,' comes from the fact that acetaldehyde is a primary ingredient in embalming fluid. It's in the vehicle exhaust we breathe, and even the foods we eat, including yogurt, bread, pickles, and cheese. Wherever there is fermentation there is acetaldehyde.
Acetaldehyde in saliva is also churned out by the organisms that live in the mouth and digestive tract. One such bug, Neisseria, produces 100 times more acetaldehyde when exposed to alcohol.
Numerous studies over the past 30 years have concluded that many, if not all of the pharmacological and behavioral effects of alcohol should be attributed to acetaldehyde. "Acetaldehyde is a 1,000-fold more potent reinforcer than alcohol, and may play a role in the pharmacological and behavioral properties of alcohol, including the development of alcoholism," according to Dr. Etienne Quertemont, professor of Psychopharmacology at the University of Liege in Belgium. Some scientists have even suggested renaming alcoholism 'acetaldehydeism'.
In 'The Alcohol Hangover,' published by the American College of Physicians, Dr. Jeffrey Wiese of Tulane University reports, "The successful treatment of hangovers could actually mitigate total alcohol consumption," adding that light-to-moderate drinkers have 70 percent more hangovers than heavier drinkers, costing employers billions in lost productivity, absenteeism and increased insurance costs. Dr. Kenneth Blum, PhD, credited with isolating the alcoholism gene in 1990, concluded that lowering acetaldehyde levels may actually reduce cravings that can lead to alcoholism.
A new supplement promises to help neutralize the threat. Nevada based Cheerz USA has developed a nutrition supplement containing a proprietary blend of powerful immune system boosters and super-antioxidants to bolster the body's natural ability to process acetaldehyde in 3 ways: by helping to reduce the conversion of ethanol into acetaldehyde, speeding up the conversion of acetaldehyde into acetic acid, and scavenging unmetabolized acetaldehyde.
The product is available in tablets or new IntelliShot™, a 1.5 oz, lemon-lime flavored functional beverage that can be taken straight or as a mixer with popular cocktails including martinis, margaritas and mojitos. For more information, log on to www.CheerzHangover.com .
Cheerz USA CEO, Patrick Cochrane, says the product has no effect on inebriation, does not absorb alcohol or lower BAC. "The next day you'll still feel a little sluggish from the night before and you definitely won't feel like drinking more," he says. "You just won't have the headache, nausea or cravings for hair of the dog or greasy foods as you normally might with a hangover."
Contact: Patrick Cochrane of Cheerz USA Inc., 702-990-3933
Source: Cheerz USA, Inc.
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