Buzz
"I just can’t drink like I used to" is a common sentiment expressed by those approaching their 30s and beyond. Around this age, it becomes more difficult to recover from a night of drinking, and unfortunately, this trend continues as we get older.
Even if you were the life of the party in college, drinking the same amount at 29 that you did at 21 is likely to leave you nursing a Gatorade in bed the next day. It's true that hangovers get worse with age, and it's not simply because you drink less. Your body changes as you age, and this affects how it processes alcohol.
Your body treats alcohol like a toxin, and your liver works to break it down into simpler chemicals that can be eliminated. However, as you get older, your liver produces fewer of the enzymes and antioxidants needed to metabolize alcohol, according to a study from South Korea. One enzyme in particular—alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH)—has been described as the 'primary defense' against alcohol. It starts the process of metabolizing alcohol by converting it into acetaldehyde, a chemical compound. Ironically, acetaldehyde is more toxic than alcohol itself, and a buildup of it can cause nausea, heart palpitations, and facial flushing. Fortunately, acetaldehyde doesn’t stick around long.
Another enzyme, aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH), helps transform the toxic acetaldehyde into acetate, which resembles vinegar. Eventually, the substance is converted into carbon dioxide or water and eliminated from your system. This process is why you may have heard the recommendation of one drink per hour—it’s roughly how long it takes for your liver to process everything.
So, what does this mean for those who no longer have their mid-20s in sight? In short: As you age and your liver produces fewer enzymes, your ability to metabolize alcohol decreases. This results in alcohol lingering in your body longer, causing hangovers to be more intense and prolonged, with symptoms like headaches and nausea.
This can also be partly explained by the fact that our bodies lose muscle mass and water over time. People with higher body fat percentages don’t break down alcohol as efficiently, and less water means the alcohol stays concentrated in your system for longer, as The Cut reports. This is why women, who generally have more body fat than men, tend to experience worse hangovers. (Also, women have fewer ADH enzymes.)
To make matters worse, as you age, your immune system weakens due to a process called immunosenescence. This makes recovery from anything, including hangovers, more difficult. "As we get older, the entire recovery process for everything becomes harder, longer, and slower," explained gastroenterologist Mark Welton to Men’s Health.
This may sound discouraging, but we’re not telling you to stop drinking. However, if you choose to indulge, be mindful of your body’s limitations. Those cotton candy-flavored vodka shots were a poor choice in college, and they're an even worse idea now. Trust us.
