5 Reasons why alkaline water is the best hangover cure for you

Hangover, a set of signs and symptoms experienced morning after ingesting alcohol, is a common affliction. Though for some, these unpleasant symptoms may last for a few hours but for others it may turn out to be a severe sickness incapacitating them for a day. Typical hangover symptoms are:

• Headache
• Anxiety
• Dry mouth/excessive thirst
• Inability to sleep
• Drowsiness
• Sensitivity to light and sound
• Nausea
• fatigue
• Concentration problem
• Sweating
• loss of appetite
• Dizziness
• Increased heart rate
• Diarrhoea
• Stomach ache
• General discomfort etc.

Severity of symptoms varies from person to person. A single alcoholic drink may initiate symptoms in some whereas others might escape entirely even after drinking heavily. 

Causes of Hangover 

Causes of hangover are still poorly understood but science explains the pathophysiology which might contribute or trigger the hangover symptoms. These are high levels of acetaldehyde (a toxic by-product of alcohol after it is broken down in liver by alcohol dehydrogenase) which is finally converted to acetic acid; changes in glucose metabolism; imbalance of the immune system; dehydration secondary to excess urine production; metabolic acidosis; oxidative stress; sleep deprivation etc.

What is Alkaline water

Water in its natural state exist in the form of H2O ie two molecules of hydrogen and one molecule of oxygen. Water can be split into H+ ions and OH- ions. Water containing more H+ ions is acidic in nature whereas water high in OH- ions is alkaline in nature. Acidic or alkaline nature of water is determined by its pH (potential of hydrogen) value. Tap water and most of the bottled water has a ph value of 6.7 to 7.4 but alkaline water has a pH of 8 and above. On a scale of 1 to 14 values less than 7 are acidic whereas more than 7 are alkaline.

Alkaline water is a rich source of organic mineral, water, and plenty of oxygen, all three absolutely essential for the body. You get all three when you drink alkaline water.

5 Reason why alkaline water is best hangover cure

Alkaline water is ideal to counter the hangover symptoms resulting from excessive dehydration, metabolic acidosis, and toxic overload by the metabolites of alcohol. Most of the symptoms are direct result of these 3 factors. The severity of signs and symptoms can be brought down tremendously if alkaline water drunk along or taken before or after the alcoholic drink. Here are the 5 reasons:

1. Hydrate much better than conventional water. Alkaline water prevents dehydration seen in hangover. It quickly rehydrates the body. Symptoms contributed by dehydration like excessive thirst, dry mouth, headache, irritation, confusion, dizziness etc. are managed very well with alkaline water. 
2. Prevent metabolic acidosis by supplying alkaline minerals to counter acidosis and help to flush the acidic waste product out of the body. It provides relief from the symptoms resulting from acidosis such as fatigue, confusion, headache, lack of appetite, and increased heart rate. 
3. Detoxifies the body by eliminating toxic by-products of alcohol. Acidic overload resulting from alcohol consumption can be effectively managed with the help of alkaline water. 
4. Alkaline water with high pH soothes the irritated gastric lining thereby preventing stomach ache and other associated symptoms like nausea, vomiting, and gastric disturbance.
5. Prevent oxidative stress. Binge drinking can contribute to oxidative stress by producing reactive toxins. These reactive toxins also called free radicals are destructive in nature. Alkaline water supply hydroxyl ions which act as anti-oxidants to counter these free radicals. 

It is important to keep yourself well-hydrated and well-equipped with a ready reserve of alkaline minerals to counter the ill-effects of the alcoholic drinks. Most of the alcoholic drinks have a pH value of 4 to 5. They are extremely acidic in nature so it would be wise to give yourself an alkaline advantage....drink to your good health.

Refferences :
//www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18926940
http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/1550-2783-7-29?view=classic#/page-1%5D

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22844861  

http://pdf.amazingdiscoveries.org/Leading_Doctors_and_researchers.pdf

5 Reasons Why You Should Not Compromise On Sleep

Deep Sleep Heals

We all feel better after a good night's sleep. Sleep is a state of tranquillity, a great mean to escape the stresses of the day. Lack of sleep or chronic insomnia is a major public health problem and affects about 30% of the general population. The impact of insomnia on the health and well-being of insomniacs results in lost productivity and increased cost to society.

Lack of sleep on the chronic basis can bring about various mental and physiological imbalances in the body. In the beginning, these subtle physiological changes might go unnoticed but in the long run, they set the stage for the serious health issues. You have all the reasons not to fall prey to chronic insomnia, here are your 5:

1. Sleep deprivation increases stress levels -- Under stressful conditions, your body produces substances such as cortisol and catecholamine to help you cope with the situation at hand. You react as per your instinct to either fight or flight, making proper use of these chemicals. However, long-term or repetitive production of such substances can adversely affect the entire body.
2. Sleep deprivation increases the chance of depression -- People with insomnia are more likely to have clinically significant depression and anxiety. The relationship between sleep and depressive illness is complex. There is mounting evidence that people who experience disrupted sleep, are at dramatically elevated risk for depression and other psychiatric disorders. Remission of depression cannot be fully achieved until the associated insomnia and daytime sleepiness are resolved.
3.  Insomnia impairs brain function – The brain removes toxic proteins from its neurons that are by-products of neural activity when you are awake. But, it can remove them adequately only while you are asleep, so the lack of sleep can lead to the toxic proteins remain in the brain cells, impairing the ability to think,  process information, impairs short-term and long-term memory, ability to focus and decision-making, and catapults the stress levels and emotional reactivity.
4. Sleep deprivation can make you age faster – Cortisol, the stress hormone when in excess can also make you look older because it breaks down skin collagen, the protein that keeps skin smooth and elastic.
5. Sleep deprivation can lead to overweight and obesity -- Not getting enough good-quality sleep could increase your risk of  obesity and other metabolic disorders. Sleep deprivation makes you hungrier by increasing the appetite-stimulating hormone ghrelin and at the same time reducing the levels of the satiety-inducing hormone leptin. Various studies indicate that people who sleep less than six hours a night are 30 percent more likely to become obese than those who sleep seven to nine hours a night. 

         To your good sleep...