How To Boost Alcohol Metabolism

Ever had another round of beers or that last tequila shot and wish you hadn’t? Whether it’s the dreaded morning-after hangover, the awkward walk home, or the night sweats that we know will keep us up at 3 a.m., there are plenty of reasons we might regret having had “just one more” drink. But, alas, the process is in motion, and we know what’s coming is inevitable. Or is it? Could there be a way to metabolize alcohol faster so we could get a free pass when it comes to the consequences?

Spoiler alert: While we hate to be the bearer of bad news, as of yet, there’s no magic solution. Short of time travel, what’s done is done, and there’s no way to completely undo the damage. That said, there are several things we can do to at least help our body process the booze with a bit more “oomph” and a bit less “ugh.”

Alcohol Metabolism: What Happens When We Drink?

While we might blame those “extra” drinks as the problem, as far as our body is concerned, any amount of booze is too much. Perceiving alcohol as a poison, our body tries to usher it out starting from the first sip. For a closer look at alcohol metabolism, check out “How Long Alcohol Remains Detectable in Your Body and Factors Influencing Its Metabolism.” For now, here’s the gist:

The liver leads the way in alcohol metabolism. Bearing the brunt of the burden, the liver is on the front lines of alcohol metabolism. As soon as it’s in the picture, all other tasks — such as metabolizing other nutrients — get put on hold, letting booze cut in line to be eliminated as soon as possible.

• The two-stage process produces an even more toxic byproduct. Metabolizing alcohol calls for two key enzymes: alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH). The first step of alcohol metabolism produces acetaldehyde, which is even more toxic than alcohol itself. The second step converts acetaldehyde into harmless acetic acid, which gets excreted by the kidneys.
• When acetaldehyde builds up, trouble happens. The liver can only process one standard drink per hour, so if we drink too much or too quickly, we’re asking for trouble. Acetaldehyde buildup is responsible for many of the unpleasant effects of overindulging, including the dreaded morning-after hangover.
• Other metabolic processes are temporarily put on hold. With alcohol in the picture, other nutrients get shuffled to the back of the digestive line. Until booze is out of the system, breaking it down is the body’s top priority.
• Over time, excessive drinking slows down our metabolism across the board. An even bigger problem than the metabolism’s temporary hiatus? Over time alcohol makes our metabolism sluggish. This means that everything — including booze — is more likely to be stored as fat if we don’t burn it off. And given that alcohol is high in calories (and empty ones at that, since they don’t nourish the body), unwanted weight gain looms large.

While drinking on a regular basis tends to raise our alcohol tolerance — the perceived effects we feel when we have a certain number of drinks — it doesn’t mean we’re actually metabolizing booze faster or more efficiently. It’s important to keep this fact in mind, since being able to “hold our liquor” might create the illusion that our body is happy to handle all that booze. The liver is still maxed out at one drink per hour, so giving it more than it can handle is asking for trouble and can potentially lead to alcohol poisoning and increase the risk of dependence.

How To Speed Up Alcohol Metabolism (and Is It Even Possible?)

So how can we get the process of alcohol metabolism moving along — and is it even possible to get it going faster? As we already learned, there’s no magic solution — without a time machine, there’s no way to undo the past. That said, there are some science-backed strategies that can help metabolize alcohol more efficiently or at least take measures to prevent any unnecessary stalling along the way. Others can boost our overall metabolism, giving the body a hand in processing everything on our plate (and in our glass).

1. Stay Hydrated for a Healthy Metabolism

Hydration is key when it comes to metabolizing alcohol. You know that parched feeling you get the morning after a boozy night? Alcohol is notorious for leaving us dehydrated, despite being a liquid. The reason has to do with the sneaky way it suppresses vasopressin, the hormone that tells our kidneys to hold on to water. The result? The floodgates open, and we end up losing more water than we should.

Since water is key in metabolism — including the metabolism of alcohol — staying hydrated will keep things running more smoothly. And while it won’t make the process “faster,” it will give the liver and kidneys some much-needed help in getting booze out of the body. 

Remember those two key liver enzymes we mentioned earlier? Both need water to carry out the reactions they’re involved in. At the same time, the kidneys use water to filter out the toxins from our body. So remember to stay on top of your hydration game!

Tip: For every alcoholic drink, have a glass of water to help you stay hydrated. A bonus? It will also allow you to pace yourself. For bonus health points, throw in some electrolyte powder, such as Liquid IV. In addition to boosting hydration power, it will make the “spacer” drink taste better if you’re not a fan of plain old H2O.

2. Eat To Ease the Burden

It might seem counterintuitive at first — how can adding more stuff to digest help us metabolize alcohol more efficiently? But stick with us. While eating won’t help us metabolize alcohol faster, it will, in fact, ease the process and make it more comfortable. The reason? Although we might want to get booze out of our system as quickly as possible, what we actually need is to slow the alcohol absorption process down — and food does just that. 

Why does slowing the process down instead of speeding it up leave us better off? When we eat on an empty stomach, our blood alcohol concentration levels skyrocket, leading to rapid intoxication. Think cocktail headaches, loss of coordination, and actions we might regret the next morning (that is, if we even remember them). With food in our stomach, our body absorbs the alcohol more slowly. We won’t become intoxicated as quickly and are setting ourselves up for an easier ride all around. 

That said, by “food” we don’t mean a bag of chips or a box of cookies. Anything overly processed, spicy, or salty is bound to make things worse. Instead, think lean proteins, whole grains, and healthy fats — for example, salmon with wild rice or a turkey and avocado sandwich on multigrain bread. 

Tip: Keep your fridge and pantry stocked with basics such as cheese, yogurt, nuts, or fresh fruits and veggies you can use to whip up a smoothie. And take a couple of protein bars along with you in your bag if you’re going out later — just in case dinner plans fall through or you need something to munch on later that night.

3. Sleep To Stave Off the “Icks”

Another sneaky way that alcohol makes life difficult? It does a number on our sleep patterns. While it might initially make us drowsy (sometimes to the point of dozing off in that comfy couch spot we’ve parked in for the night, or even on the train ride home), it’s actually a sleep saboteur. The depressant effects send us to sleep, but we skip the most important part — the restorative REM stages. Alcohol’s “rebound effect” leads to sleep disruption in the second half of the night. In an effort to counteract the downer effect, the brain amps up the release of dynorphin, leaving us anxious and overstimulated. So if you’ve ever woken up at 3 a.m. after a night of drinking and wondered why, that’s your answer.

And while we can’t do much about this sneak attack once it’s in motion, we do have control over the night before. Making sure to get enough rest before we drink will help metabolize alcohol more efficiently. On the other hand, starting off in an already sleep deprived state is asking for trouble!

Tip: Create a relaxing bedtime routine to make sleep a more restorative experience. Think chamomile tea, a bit of mindfulness, a sound bath, an actual bath, or any other soothing activity that helps send you off into dreamland.

4. Move To Make Things Easier

Ever heard of “sweating out” the alcohol? While a jog through the park or a cardio boot camp session won’t help us metabolize alcohol faster, movement will help us feel better overall. For one thing, exercise improves our metabolic rate — so, in a way, it’s the only thinking that actually does help metabolize alcohol faster. However, the main way exercise helps is by boosting circulation, which helps our liver and kidneys filter out toxins more efficiently.

Tip: Make it a habit to go for an evening walk — whether or not it’s a drinking night. This way you’ll get in the rhythm of ending your day with a bit of mindful movement, which will come in handy regardless of what’s on the books for the night.

5. Boost Your B-Vitamin Stores To Help Metabolize Alcohol

B vitamins, especially B1 (thiamine), B6, and B12, play a crucial role in metabolic processes, including alcohol metabolism. In addition to supporting the liver in processing alcohol directly, they help repair cellular damage alcohol leaves in its wake. Unfortunately, alcohol is notorious for interfering with nutrient absorption, leading to vitamin deficiencies. And since our body’s stores of B vitamins are hit particularly hard, the fallout is often a sluggish metabolism, fatigue, and weakness. So consider adding supplements to your routine!

Tip: While taking B vitamins in supplement form is convenient, there are lots of options if you’d rather go the natural route. To boost your vitamin B1 stores, go for whole grains, fortified cereals, meats, nuts, and legumes. To get more B6, choose poultry or fish such as salmon and tuna (which also offer omega-3 fatty acids — a brain-boosting bonus!). B12, in turn, is found in eggs, clams, and milk products.

6. Show the Liver Some Love by Drinking Green Tea 

In the words of William Gladstone, “If you are cold, tea will warm you up; if you are too heated it will cool you; if you are depressed, it will cheer you; if you are excited it will calm you.” And when it comes to getting some relief from the aftermath of a drinking bout, tea might help matters as well.

Legend has it, the first cup of green tea was brewed by accident when leaves from a wild tea tree flew into a pot of water set to a boil by Chinese Emperor Shen Nong back in 2737 BCE. The wise emperor caught on to the effects, and centuries later we’re glad he did — especially when it comes to metabolizing alcohol.

Green tea is packed with catechins — antioxidants that are known to support liver function and protect it from oxidative stress, boosting its ability to metabolize toxins. Moreover, green tea has been linked to increased fat oxidation (which is how the body breaks down fat), improving metabolism across the board. While it’s no magical cure, it's a step in the right direction when it comes to better alcohol metabolism over time.

Tip: Start and end the night by sipping some green tea. You can even make green tea popsicles and store some in the freezer for a healthy option when those midnight munchies hit. 

7. Relieve Inflammation With Turmeric and Ginger

In addition to green tea, turmeric and ginger help ease the load alcohol places on the liver. Both are powerful anti-inflammatory agents that reduce liver inflammation caused by alcohol, allowing this vital organ to do its job. Plus, while alcohol slows down our metabolism across the board, ginger helps get things moving in the gut and boosts overall metabolism, helping to counterbalance the sluggishness alcohol causes.

It’s no coincidence that ginger is one of the new science-backed hangover relief methods out there. After all, hangovers are the result of alcohol metabolism, which leads to inflammation, dehydration, and acetaldehyde buildup that happens when our liver gets overwhelmed.

There are lots of ways to add turmeric and ginger to your diet. For example, you can make an energizing smoothie packed with anti-inflammatory benefits by blending ginger and turmeric with coconut water and a banana. Throw in some oranges for an extra vitamin 6 boost! Or boil some water with a few pieces of ginger in it. Maybe add some dates for sweetness or turmeric to relieve even more inflammation!

Tip: Want to get even more creative? Roll up ground ginger and turmeric with dates, oats, and nuts to make healthy energy balls for a quick snack.

Consider Taking a Break

Last but not least, it’s important to ask ourselves a bigger question — could our desire to metabolize alcohol faster be a sign that we might want to reconsider our relationship with alcohol? Approach this question in the spirit of curiosity rather than judgment: what perks can cutting back or taking a break from booze bring? 

Here at Reframe, many others who’ve been where you are found that putting alcohol in the back seat and exploring life without it allowed them to discover a happier and healthier version of themselves. From better sleep to weight loss, higher energy levels, mental sharpness, and stronger relationships, the benefits start adding up quickly. Ready to see for yourself?