Ingesting alcohol without becoming intoxicated is impossible, but one can become drunk gradually and without a hangover. Addiction specialist Dr. Dmitry Vladimirovich Vashkin shared with “Rambler” which beverages to pair with and what foods to accompany alcohol to avoid feeling unwell the next morning, and whether life hacks involving activated charcoal and succinic acid are effective.
How Alcohol Affects the Body
Alcohol slows neuron operation and decreases their excitability. Concurrently, it triggers dopamine release in the reward system, which increases the desire to drink more. Ethanol is rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream and broken down. The liver processes nearly 90% of the alcohol. Initially, the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) converts ethanol into toxic acetaldehyde. Then, another enzyme—aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH)—converts it into acetate. This, in turn, turns into carbon dioxide and water and is expelled from the system.
Several variables influence the speed of this process.
Quantity and composition of the drink: the higher the ethanol concentration, the stronger the effect.
Body mass and composition: alcohol dissolves poorly in fats, so individuals with a high body fat percentage or greater body weight become inebriated more slowly.
Eating and drinking regimen: food and water consumed prior to or between alcohol intake can slow ethanol absorption.
Heredity and individual characteristics: genetics and overall bodily condition affect the activity of enzymes that break down ethanol.
Tolerance: this is the need to consume more alcohol than previously to experience the effect. High tolerance is typically observed in individuals with addiction.
External factors: smoking and medications (opioid painkillers, stimulants, benzodiazepines, antidepressants) can influence enzyme activity and ethanol metabolism.
How to Drink to Avoid Feeling Unwell
The primary advice is to drink moderately. A safe dose of alcohol does not exist, but the lower the ethanol concentration in the blood, the milder the intoxication and fewer side effects. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention define moderate consumption as no more than two standard drinks per day for men and no more than one standard drink for women. A standard drink is one shot of vodka, 300 ml of beer, or 150 ml of red wine.
Other tips either do not work or have very limited impact. Let’s examine the most common life hacks.
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Accompanying Food
Food delays stomach emptying, so if one eats substantially before consuming alcohol, ethanol enters the blood with a delay. A study published in the journal Alcohol: Clinical & Experimental Research confirmed that ethanol reaches peak concentration faster on an empty stomach than after a meal. However, this is a double-edged sword. The composition of the alcoholic beverage can also affect stomach emptying speed. For instance, carbon dioxide accelerates this process, so people get drunk faster after champagne or cocktails with carbonated drinks, even with a full stomach.
“Food creates a kind of barrier in the stomach, due to which alcohol is absorbed more slowly into the blood through the stomach and intestinal walls. But it doesn’t negate intoxication; it merely stretches it over time. If one drinks a lot, they will still feel bad in the morning, no matter how much they ate. Moreover, abundant fatty food paired with alcohol increases the strain on the pancreas and liver, which is more dangerous than a hangover. Therefore, it is better to eat cheese, meat, and complex carbohydrates with your drinks.”
Drinking Liquids
To process ethanol and eliminate its breakdown products, the body expends a lot of water. Therefore, the hangover syndrome is accompanied by dehydration. Diluting drinks with juices or drinking water can help restore fluid balance.
“This is the most effective method. The main cause of a hangover is not even intoxication, but dehydration, because alcohol is a strong diuretic. If you drink a little water after every serving of alcohol, this will slow absorption, lower the overall ethanol concentration, and compensate for fluid loss. But this specifically refers to water, not carbonated beverages, which cause the opposite effect,” warns the addiction specialist.
Taking Sorbents
Agents like activated charcoal, due to their porous structure, absorb certain toxins and theoretically should lessen the impact of ethanol. However, in practice, the efficacy of sorbents for hangover prevention is not confirmed. Results from an experiment published last century in the toxicology journal Clinical Toxicology, where volunteers drank alcohol with and without activated charcoal, showed that the sorbent barely affected the rate of ethanol absorption.
The issue is that alcohols bind poorly to charcoal and are absorbed faster than the sorbent has time to act. Therefore, the American Academy of Clinical Toxicology does not recommend using activated charcoal for alcohol poisoning.
“The idea that activated charcoal or other enterosorbents save you from hangovers is a myth. These medications bind toxic substances in the lumen of the stomach and intestines, preventing them from being absorbed into the bloodstream. The dangerous acetaldehyde, a product of ethanol processing, forms already in the liver and blood, areas where sorbents cannot penetrate,” adds addiction specialist Dmitry Vashkin.
Taking Succinic Acid
Succinic acid helps cells generate energy. A connection between this substance and alcohol use likely exists, but it is not a cause-and-effect relationship. A study published in the journal BMC Psychiatry in 2025 indicated that people with alcohol dependence who have higher levels of anxiety and depression have lower levels of succinic acid in their blood. However, this doesn’t mean the symptoms arose from a deficiency of this substance. Rather, the level of succinic acid in the blood serves as a marker for problems caused by alcohol. The efficacy of succinic acid specifically against hangovers is not proven.
“It is thought to speed up alcohol metabolism, yet no single study has demonstrated a pronounced effect. If it helps at all, it is purely individual, and one shouldn’t rely on it. Moreover, it is contraindicated for people with gastrointestinal issues, as it raises gastric juice acidity and can lead to heartburn, stomach pain, or exacerbation of gastritis or ulcers,” the physician comments.
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The Key Takeaway
No folk remedies can negate the effects of ethanol, so drinking without getting intoxicated is impossible. Although some methods can slow alcohol absorption and alleviate the hangover syndrome. Drinking water with alcohol can help avoid dehydration—one of the reasons for feeling unwell the next morning. It is advisable to eat a satisfying meal before consuming alcohol: food slows the absorption of ethanol into the blood. However, activated charcoal and succinic acid are ineffective against hangovers, making their intake before a celebration pointless. The central recommendation from addiction specialists is to drink moderately. The lower the ethanol concentration in the blood, the milder the hangover.
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