After the year we all had, will we really make January dry when raising a glass with the members of our bubbles seems to be one of the few delights we have left?
The next few weeks will be pretty tough without a wine or cocktail to look forward to. No, what we need in January is not to stop drinking, but to drink differently, so we minimize the damage caused by ourselves, while maximizing relief from anxiety-inducing news.
And, hatefully, this is entirely possible, according to a book called The Japanese Guide to a Healthy Drink, co-written by a sake-loving doctor – and a liver specialist, no less – named Dr. Shinichi Asabe. Already a great success in Japan, the book offers scientifically sound advice on how to make your way through a long and healthy life without the need for abstinence.
Of course, there is nothing good to be gained from drinking too much and all doctors would advise that moderation is the key. But follow the Japanese Guide and you can continue to bow this month and beyond, the authors say. Here’s how. . .
Dr. Shinichi Asabe shares scientifically sound advice on healthy living, including alcohol, in a book called The Japanese Guide to a Healthy Drink (file image)
EAT Cheese before drinking
Japanese drinking habits focus on slowing down the rate at which alcohol is absorbed, to prolong the slightly disgusting feeling without the tips and gutters caused by drinking too much, too fast.
One way to give your body enough time to slowly metabolize alcohol is to keep it in your stomach for as long as possible.
Your stomach absorbs only a small amount of alcohol – about 5% of what you consume. But once it leaves the stomach, the alcohol hits the small intestine, which is lined with finger-like structures called villi that give it an extremely large surface (about the size of a tennis court). This makes it extremely effective at absorbing alcohol into the blood.
The key is to align your stomach with food – and, according to experts, cheese works well because it is a perfect combination of slow-release protein and fat. For best effect, add a tablespoon of cabbage salad. Professor Masashi Matsushima, a gastroenterologist at Tokai University School of Medicine, says that raw cabbage contains compounds that stimulate the mucous membranes that protect the stomach lining and thus help delay alcohol absorption. No cabbage salad? Try sauerkraut, broccoli or asparagus instead.
Consider how you DRINK YOUR PARENTS
According to Dr. Asabe, hangovers only happen if you consume more alcohol than your body can process – and the best way to avoid one is to know your personal limits.
Body size, sex and age are factors, but the most important are your genes.
Professor Matsushima recommends snacking on foods rich in a compound called taurine if you do not eat a full meal before drinking (file image)
When alcohol is metabolized by the body, a toxic chemical called acetaldehyde is generated. This is what makes your face turn red and trigger your worst hangovers.
Fortunately, your liver is able to produce a number of enzymes that can convert acetaldehyde to non-toxic acetic acid for safe transmission from the body. But the volume and effectiveness of these enzymes is largely a matter of genetics.
So, if your parents were “bon viveurs”, chances are you can handle a drink or two; whereas, if you come from a long line of light weights, caution is advised. Also keep in mind that our ability to metabolize alcohol decreases with age. Enzyme production decreases, and our ability to retain water in the body decreases by 1% per year from the age of 40. This means that blood alcohol levels can rise faster.
DAY SQUIDS, NIGHT CEREALS
If you are not sitting at a full meal, strategic snacking on selected foods can help support your liver as it struggles to process the alcohol you have absorbed. Professor Matsushima recommends foods rich in a compound called taurine (such as octopus and squid) or an amino acid called L-cysteine (found in sesame and sunflower seeds and soybeans). Dr. Asabe emphasizes the importance of proteins, which are broken down into liver-supporting amino acids; and vitamin B1, which is depleted of alcohol and should be supplemented to prevent you from feeling exhumed the next day. Pork, fish caviar and macadamia nuts are his top recommendations, or put them in a bowl with fortified breakfast cereals before bed.
Get to a sports drink
The Japanese Guide To Healthy Drinking recommends drinking an electrolyte drink if you get to the end of a long night without drinking enough water (file image)
Alcohol has a strong diuretic effect that leaves you dehydrated because it suppresses the production of an antidiuretic hormone produced in the pituitary gland. This is what can trigger frequent trips to the toilet. In fact, the effect is so strong that you can easily discharge more than one and a half times the amount of fluid you actually drink.
Ideally, alternate each alcoholic beverage with a glass of water, matching the volumes as you go. But if you reach the end of a long night and realize that you have not filled it with water as recommended, an electrolytic drink (such as Alka-Seltzer gas tablets or a sports drink) will help retain water in the body over time. what are you sleeping
Instead of beer, some try
Former professor of medicine at Akita University, Yukio Takizawa, claims that drinking alcohol every day could provide a health boost (file image)
Although the Japanese enjoy beer (and now, more and more, wine), they still love their national drink, sake – and studies have shown that this fermented rice wine could actually be very good for your health. . Sake has antioxidant properties and experts, including Yukio Takizawa, a former professor of medicine at Akita University, believe that drinking a small glass every day could provide a health boost.
The amino acids in sake are believed to help regulate energy levels, hormones and the immune system, preserve the digestive tract, protect against dementia and even help protect against diabetes.
“Biologically active peptides themselves improve a diabetic patient’s insulin susceptibility and reduce the risk of heart disease, such as high blood pressure and arteriosclerosis,” he says.
TRY NOT TO HAVE “JUST ONE MORE”
Dr. Asabe recommends that you stop drinking as soon as you feel you want “another one” (file image)
Although too much alcohol is never a good thing, there is convincing scientific evidence that a drink could be better for your health than none.
A long-term study of 140,000 people concluded that the secret to maintaining a good relationship with alcohol for a long time, while staying healthy, is to drink a moderate amount, to have “dry” days, to follow a healthy diet. and move.
But, according to Dr. Asabe, a crucial factor is knowing when to stop – and then doing that. Professor Takizawa (who admits to drinking a cup of sake every night) claims to stop “when you’re a little away”, but Dr. Asabe’s rule is firm: stop drinking as soon as you feel you want “another one”.
DO NOT DRINK OUT OF MENOPAUSE
Dr. Kazue Yoshino, of the Yoshino Women’s Clinic, said he may not be well under alcohol during menopause (file image)
During menopause, reduced estrogen production unbalances the autonomic nervous system, which controls the dilation of blood vessels. This can cause withdrawal or depression in some women.
“During this period, nothing can happen depending on the alcohol,” warns Dr. Kazue Yoshino of the Yoshino Women’s Clinic, while acknowledging that during menopause it is tempting to “get to the bottle.” Of course, there is nothing wrong with enjoying a drink from time to time, but it is dangerous to rely on drinking like a crutch.
Women who are going through menopause should be especially careful about insomnia. “Don’t try to drink alcohol,” says Dr. Yoshino. “Try to avoid caffeinated beverages later in the day or lie down before bed.”
When it comes to avoiding weight gain during menopause, it is better to choose spirits, such as Japanese shochu, rather than beer. Wine has a “relatively low sugar content”, so it is better than prepared drinks, and ultra-dry wine has less sugar than a medium or dessert wine.
GIVE YOURSELF A “HOLIDAY HOLIDAY”
The term “liver holiday” is a Japanese way of saying “don’t drink every day,” the authors say.
“If you drink alcohol every day, the liver will repeatedly break it down into acetaldehyde,” says Dr. Shoichiro Tsugane of the National Cancer Center in Japan. “But the daily processing of this ‘poisoning’ every day is a huge burden on cells. ‘He recommends a drinking plan that allows the liver at least two days of rest each week.
If you say to yourself, “I can’t drink tonight, but I can tomorrow,” it shouldn’t sound so bad.
Adapted by Louise Atkinson from The Japanese Guide To Healthy Drinking, by Kaori Haishi and Dr. Shinichi Asabe (GBP 14.99, Robinson), now out. © Kaori Haishi and Dr. Shinichi Asabe 2020. To order a copy for GBP 13.29 (offer valid until 11/21/21), visit shop.co.uk/books or call 020 3308 9193. Free P&P for orders over 15 GBP.