Thou shalt not drink till you puke
Randy Waechter

The odds that the majority of university students will stop drinking are about the same as the Pope condoning prostitution. The vice of alcohol consumption is so ingrained in every aspect of society that it is nearly impossible to avoid. Is it any wonder that alcoholism is such a problem throughout most of the world? This vice has plagued the human race for thousands of years, and will most definitely be an integral part of our culture for thousands more.

As someone who started drinking at the age of 15, I have experienced my share of "unmentionables," associated with drinking alcohol. In fact, I could probably write a book. While some experienced the "joys" of alcohol for the first time upon arrival at university, for me, it was already old. Recently, I have drastically reduced my alcohol consumption, with the realization that, at high doses, it literally is a poison.

I personally believe that any alcohol product sold in Canada should have the same warning labels that we now find on cigarette packages: "drinking alcohol in excess can kill you". Do you think Molson and Labatt's would fight that bill?

The key word in this warning label is excess. In small dosages, alcohol isn't all that bad for you, and actually may even be beneficial. Most of us have heard the "one drink a day can help prevent heart disease," by now. The challenge is to control the amount of alcohol consumed. From experience, I know that after that first drink, it's like opening the floodgates, and before you know it, you're drunk. One method I use while at the bar to prevent this snowball effect is to order a non-alcoholic drink between each alcoholic drink. This just about slows me down to one drink an hour, and it appears to everyone around me that I am still drinking. This is key.

By now I am sure that everyone has concluded that I don't advocate overindulgence in alcohol. At the same time, I am a realist, and I know that the majority of university students like to "get plastered" every once and awhile. I am here to let you know that there are ways to minimize alcohol's very destructive effects on the body.

Alcohol is neutralized into carbon dioxide and water in the liver, your body's primary organ for detoxification. During this, intermediate products are formed -some more toxic than the alcohol itself. One of these is acetaldehyde, a close relative of formaldehyde (the substance used to embalm cadavers). Acetaldehyde increases the production of free radicals in your body, which cause all sorts of destruction including damaging your liver and brain. This is what produces feelings of nausea and discomfort. Free radicals are now believed to be the cause of many illnesses, from Alzheimer's to cancer to heart disease, by taking electrons from existing molecules in your body, which in effect, injures or kills cells. Your goal is to control free radical damage.

There are nutrients you can take before you start drinking which will neutralize the effects of acetaldehyde -one of which is cysteine. Cysteine supplementation transforms acetaldehyde into glutathione, the key agent used by your liver to neutralize harmful substances, and a potent free-radical eliminator.

Because alcohol is a diuretic, (as is apparent by the washroom line-ups at most bars) you lose massive amounts of vital water-soluble nutrients when you drink. As such, supplementing with water-soluble vitamins before and after you drink will reduce the after-effects of alcohol. Try taking 1,000 mg of vitamin C before you go out drinking, and after you return home, which will also help to maintain glutathione levels in your liver. Water soluble vitamin B deficiencies, especially B-1, are also common after high-dose alcohol consumption, and should be supplemented before and after a night on the town as well.

You might also want to try supplementing with an herbal extract of milk thistle, Silybum marianum, before you drink. Its active ingredient, silymarin, is the most potent liver-protecting substance known. It increases the glutathione content of the liver by over 35%, which increases its capacity for detoxification.

Now, what to do after that fantastic night of massive alcohol consumption? I'm sure everyone has heard of this one: Drink at least 3 LARGE glasses of water before you pass out, and the next morning. Part of the reason you feel like shit is because alcohol is a rabid diuretic. Even though you drank like a thirsty camel the night before, you are actually dehydrated! Working in the sun on a hot summer day without drinking any fluids will produce hangover-like symptoms. Drinking water will help to eliminate the symptoms associated with dehydration.

One thing you must not do after an alcohol binge, including the next morning, is take a pain-killer, especially acetaminophen (Tylenol). Acetaminophen in conjuction with alcohol (and yes, its still hanging around the next morning) will damage your liver, sometimes fatally. The scariest part of this fact is that I personally know many people who "drink a glass of water and take a Tylenol" after a night of drinking. No, no, a thousand times no! This is the worst thing you can do to your liver.

Of course, the best way to control the damaging effects of alcohol consumption is to drink in moderation. That is, one drink per hour. Not only will this give your liver a chance to "keep up" with all the toxins you are giving it to break down; it will also ease the strain on your bank account. Try mixing non-alcoholic with alcoholic drinks at the bar, no one will ever know what you're up to, and it will even appear that you can hold your alcohol well!