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Path: utzoo!linus!meister
From: meister@linus.UUCP (Phillip W. Servita)
Newsgroups: net.med,net.college
Subject: Re: prevention of hangovers
Message-ID: <109@linus.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 9-Jan-86 09:58:16 EST
Article-I.D.: linus.109
Posted: Thu Jan  9 09:58:16 1986
Date-Received: Fri, 10-Jan-86 06:33:57 EST
References: <3122@sdcc3.UUCP> <795@petrus.UUCP>
Reply-To: meister@linus.UUCP (Phillip W. Servita)
Organization: The MITRE Corporation, Bedford, MA
Lines: 38
Keywords: free hangover
Xref: linus net.med:2955 net.college:971

from the drinking + vitamin C discussion:
>Vitamin C apparently steps in and takes the place of
>the alcohol in helping reaction A, without producing
>the villainous quantities of B, and therefore breaks
>the cycle.  It would seem that a user who is not
>addicted would also benefit from this sequence.
>
>I'm almost embarrased to post my source but, it was
>an interview with Pauling on the "Merv Griffin Show"
>sometime in the mid-70's.
>
>-Mark Garrett

Chemical B (produced via the bodies breakdown of ethanol) is 
FORMALDEHYDE. Body breaks down the ethanol first, as it is more dangerous
than the formaldehyde in the small concentrations that are encountered.
Formaldehyde concentrations in the bloodstream cause nausea and headache,
which is not realized until the nerve-deadening effects of the alcohol
have worn off.(More precisely, the by-products of the reaction to break down
the formaldehyde cause the nausea and headache). This is how a hangover
works. As a side, the bodies breakdown of formaldehyde is MUCH slower than
ethanol. (explaining why the hangover occurs the morning after, about 5-7
hours after the alcohol was initially broken down.)

For a Free Hangover (ie no beer required) go to your local Intro Bio Class
and sniff the jars of Preserved Dead Frog Parts for a short time. :-)



-- 
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"they forcibly extracted the word 'but' from his vocabulary,
 and locked him in a room with 10 economists..."
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                                         -the venn buddhist