What enzyme is the body's alcohol detoxification enzyme?

Everyone's alcohol consumption is different. This is because the content of alcohol-degrading enzymes in each person's body is different. People with more alcohol-degrading enzymes can drink more, while people with less alcohol-degrading enzymes may drink slightly less. Many people don’t know what enzymes the body uses to detoxify alcohol. The so-called detoxification enzymes are ethanol deoxygenase and acetaldehyde deoxygenase. These two enzymes can help the human body break down alcohol as quickly as possible and metabolize it.

1. What exactly is the enzyme that sobers up?

Alcohol dehydrogenase generally refers to alcohol dehydrogenase and acetaldehyde dehydrogenase. Regarding the history of hangover remedies, Dou Ping of the Song Dynasty had the following record. "Yu Zong had mackerel, which he said could sober people up from drunkenness, but he did not specify how to make it." "In the Book of Liyue, it is said that sugarcane juice can cure alcoholism." "There are several clumps of grass in the south of Xingqing Pond. Its leaves are purple and its stems are red. If a drunk person picks its leaves and smells them, he will wake up immediately. Therefore, it is called "drunkenness-awakening grass". There is nothing more intoxicating than liquor. In mild cases, it can damage the body, and in severe cases, it can endanger life.

Ethanol is quickly absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract, and only a very small amount, about 10%-20%, is excreted from the body through the kidneys in the urine and through lung respiration. More than 90% of ethanol is metabolized in the liver.

① Ethanol is eventually converted into carbon dioxide under the catalysis of alcohol dehydrogenase in the liver cell cytoplasm.

②Ethanol is oxidized into acetaldehyde by the ethanol oxidation system of the liver cell microsomes. Acetaldehyde is a very active chemical and is toxic in many ways.

The toxicity to the liver is manifested in: first, it reduces the liver's oxidation of fatty acids, causing liver cells to swell and even collapse. The second is the interference with amino acids. Causes peroxidation damage to liver cell membranes.

Since acetaldehyde causes fatty acid metabolism disorders in the liver, it can also lead to the formation of fatty liver. In addition, acetaldehyde toxicity causes liver cell degeneration, triggering the production of humoral and cellular immunity, resulting in immune manipulation of liver cells and leading to alcoholic hepatitis. Excessive drinking can cause great harm to the liver and threaten human life. Therefore, we must drink in moderation, and if we accidentally get drunk, we must sober up in time.

2. Common foods for hangover relief

1. Kiwi

Kiwi fruit is high in trace elements and vitamins, which is equivalent to a natural complex vitamin. Eating half a kiwi fruit a day does not require you to take vitamins. It can also detoxify and protect the liver, remove alcohol toxins, sober up, and cleanse the blood. At the same time, the liver and kidneys have the same origin, so protecting the liver is also protecting the kidneys.

2. Pueraria root

The soybean glycosides in Pueraria powder can decompose ethanol (the main component of alcohol), inhibit the body's absorption of alcohol, reduce the damage of ethanol to the brain, and have the effect of clearing rash and relieving fever. It can effectively relieve the burning sensation in the stomach caused by drinking, reduce the irritation of alcohol to the stomach and intestines, promote metabolism, prompt the blood to excrete alcohol toxins, and relieve discomfort the next day after drinking. It is a natural liver alcohol metabolism enhancer. Pueraria root can also regulate abnormal enzymes in the liver. Long-term use can completely eliminate residual toxins in the liver. It is a natural medicine and food, and a must-have health product for people who drink.

3. White radish

Wash and peel them, eat 1-2 raw. For those who are unconscious due to severe poisoning, squeeze 200 ml of radish juice and drink it orally.

4. Lotus root

According to traditional Chinese medicine, lotus root is sweet, flat and astringent in nature, and has the effect of quenching thirst and relieving alcohol. For those with moderate alcohol poisoning, wash the lotus root, peel it, cut it into thin slices 100-200 grams, put it into boiling water for a while, take out the lotus root slices, add a small amount of white sugar, stir, and eat it all at once after it cools down. If the poisoning is severe and the patient is unconscious, 100-200 ml of cold lotus root juice can be taken orally.

5. Vinegar and sugar

For general drunkenness, you can use 40-50 ml of vinegar, add 10-20 grams of sugar and a small amount of boiling water, dissolve the sugar, and drink it all at once. It can quickly sober you up. For severe poisoning, you can take it orally.

6. Wild Rice

Zizania latifolia is sweet and cool in nature, and is effective in relieving alcohol poisoning. If a person is drunk and unconscious, squeeze the juice of water bamboo and add a small amount of ginger juice to drink.

7. Banana

For those who are slightly poisoned by excessive drinking, eat 3-5 bananas immediately to clear away heat, cool blood, moisten the lungs and relieve alcohol.

8. Water Chestnuts

Water chestnuts have the effects of clearing away heat, promoting salivation, quenching thirst and detoxifying alcohol. For those with mild alcohol poisoning, you can eat 50-100 grams raw. If the poisoning is severe, wash and peel the water chestnuts, mash them and squeeze out 200 ml of juice, add a small amount of rock sugar and dissolve it once, then drink it orally. It will help to sober up immediately.