Feeling down: It's called a hangover.

Feeling down: it’s called a hangover.
Getting intoxicated is a world tradition, be it for a celebration or simply to forget about life for a while. However even this tradition has a down side. The well-known and feared “hangover”, common signs are light sensitivity, massively throbbing headaches and thirst. So what cause this crappy feeling after a night of fun, the cause is aldehydes. Aldehydes are a group of organic compounds with a carbonyl group attached. Compounds from this group are formed when the liver converts ethanol to acetaldehyde. So in reality the hangover is the body trying to cope with the aldehydes that are flooding the bloodstream. Methanol is also present in alcoholic drinks, in a very small amount. Methanol produces formaldehyde which is the chemical used to preserve dead things, so its pretty obvious its not good for you. In the end it’s when the liver starts to metabolize the ethanol or methanol that causes a hang over.

Hangovers are a dreaded thing. From experience I can say that it differs from each beverage. Some beverages contain more of one alcohol than the other. For example tequila is made from agaves so it has a lot more methanol present, making the hang over worse than for example vodka.

There where no terms I didn’t understand.

Baird C. Chemistry in your life “6.16 Hangovers are produced by aldehydes” Pg. 239-240 W.H. Freeman and Company: New York, NY, 2006.