Arielle Cruz
Alcohol is predominantly broken down and metabolized by the liver. The rate at which your body metabolizes alcohol depends on several factors, including genetics, how much alcohol you consumed, your age, weight, and the amount of food you ate. While it is impossible to speed up the body's rate of alcohol metabolism, drinking water can encourage the body to flush out broken-down alcohol faster. However, this will not make your body metabolize it any quicker. Water helps to support liver and kidney function, encouraging the body to eliminate already broken-down alcohol more quickly.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Average time for alcohol to be flushed out of the body | 20-25 hours |
| Time taken for alcohol to be flushed out of the urine | Up to 80 hours |
| Time taken for alcohol to be flushed out of the blood | Up to 12 hours |
| Time taken for alcohol to be flushed out of saliva | Up to 24 hours |
| Time taken for alcohol to be flushed out of the breath | 12 to 24 hours |
| Time taken for alcohol to be flushed out of hair | Up to 90 days |
| Factors that affect the time taken to flush out alcohol | Age, weight, food intake during alcohol consumption, medications, liver health, and the time between drinks |
| Folk remedies to flush out alcohol | Drinking a cup of coffee, taking a cold shower, or drinking lots of water |
| Foods to avoid while flushing out alcohol | Junk food, food with high levels of saturated fat, and sugary snacks |
| Foods to eat while flushing out alcohol | Probiotic-rich foods, green tea |
| Other suggestions | Drinking soda or carbonated water, getting enough sleep, going for a walk |
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What You'll Learn
Drinking water before, during, and after consuming alcohol
Water is also a good way to slow down your drinking. Alternating alcoholic drinks with water can help you drink less alcohol overall. However, if you are still drinking multiple shots or a bottle of wine, this strategy may not work.
While there is little research into what causes hangovers, dehydration is believed to be a primary cause. Therefore, drinking water may help alleviate hangover symptoms. However, the effectiveness of water consumption in preventing hangovers is disputed. Some sources claim that drinking water during or directly after alcohol consumption has only a modest effect in preventing a hangover the next day.
It is important to note that drinking water will not speed up how quickly your body processes alcohol. The liver eliminates alcohol at a fixed rate of approximately one standard drink per hour, and there is no way to speed up this process.
If you are trying to pass an alcohol test, it is important to know that tests can detect alcohol long after your body has metabolized it. A blood alcohol test can show evidence of alcohol up to 12 hours later, while a saliva test or breathalyzer can detect alcohol up to 24 hours after drinking. A urine test can detect alcohol for up to 48 hours, and hair tests can determine alcohol use for up to 90 days.
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Eating the right foods
While it is impossible to speed up the rate at which alcohol is metabolised, eating the right foods can help your body recover from intoxication and flush out broken-down alcohol.
Firstly, it is important to eat before drinking alcohol. Eating a meal before drinking can help to metabolise alcohol more efficiently. This is because when you have food in your stomach, your alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) levels are higher, and your body can process alcohol more efficiently.
Secondly, it is important to avoid junk food and foods high in saturated fat during recovery from alcohol intoxication. Eating dishes with high levels of saturated fat will only add more stress to the digestive system, so it has to work harder to eliminate the remaining alcohol.
Instead, opt for probiotic-rich foods. Probiotics can help restore your gut health, which is altered by alcohol consumption. For this reason, probiotic supplements and foods are a great way to fight hangover symptoms.
In addition, it is recommended to eat complex carbohydrates like toast, crackers, and bagels to help alleviate nausea and bring your blood sugar levels back up. Alcohol consumption can lead to low blood sugar, especially if you did not consume adequate food before, during, and after drinking.
It is also important to avoid sugary snacks, as they can cause sharp blood sugar spikes and crashes, exacerbating mood swings and increasing irritability. Instead, opt for naturally sweet foods like fruit, which can help stabilise your mood and maintain steady energy levels.
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Getting enough sleep
If you believe your post-alcohol discomfort is related to withdrawal, you should seek professional help from an alcohol detox program. Experiencing withdrawal when you stop drinking indicates a dependence on alcohol, and it may be difficult and dangerous to quit cold turkey once you have developed an alcohol use disorder (AUD). The primary benefits of enrolling in treatment are minimizing withdrawal symptoms and preventing complications.
While you cannot flush alcohol out of your system faster, there are a few things you can do to help yourself feel better and support your body as it recovers. Alcohol depletes electrolytes from the body, like magnesium, calcium, and phosphate. The resulting electrolyte imbalance can also contribute to headaches, digestive upset, fatigue, nausea, and vomiting. Replenishing electrolytes can help alleviate your discomfort. You can do this by drinking sports drinks, electrolyte drinks, coconut water, or oral rehydration solutions (ORS).
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Avoiding unhealthy fats and added sugars
While it is impossible to flush alcohol out of your system faster, there are a few things you can do to support your body's natural recovery process. Alcohol is a diuretic, so it's important to stay hydrated by drinking water instead of caffeine, which is also a diuretic. Alcohol also depletes electrolytes, so consider drinking sports drinks or coconut water to replenish them.
Now, onto avoiding unhealthy fats and added sugars.
Unhealthy fats, particularly saturated fats and trans fats, can cause serious health problems. Saturated fats are found in high quantities in fatty meats, cream, butter, bacon, sausages, and fried potatoes. The American Heart Association recommends limiting saturated fat intake to less than 10% of your daily calories. Trans fats, or partially hydrogenated fats, are often found in processed foods and can negatively impact your cholesterol levels. It's best to replace these with mono- and polyunsaturated fats, which can decrease "bad" cholesterol.
Added sugars, which are not naturally occurring in food or drink, have been linked to various health issues, including cognitive problems, dental cavities, heart disease, high blood pressure, inflammation, kidney disease, and an increased risk of certain cancers. Sugar-sweetened beverages have been associated with additional obesity-related deaths globally. To avoid excessive sugar intake, check nutrition labels, be mindful of portion sizes (4 grams of added sugar is equivalent to one teaspoon), and opt for sugar alternatives or naturally-occurring sweeteners. The American Heart Association recommends that women limit their added sugar intake to 24 grams (6 teaspoons) per day, while men should aim for 36 grams (9 teaspoons) or less.
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Seeking medical help
Medically supervised detox programs can provide a safe and effective path to recovery. These programs often include medications to manage withdrawal symptoms and reduce cravings. For example, medications like acamprosate, benzodiazepines, disulfiram, and naltrexone can aid in withdrawal management and sustained abstinence. Additionally, therapy and counselling sessions are integral parts of the recovery process, as they help individuals understand the underlying causes of their addiction and develop healthier coping mechanisms.
Licensed clinicians in medically supervised detox programs monitor patients for signs of complications and intervene early to prevent them. This medical monitoring is crucial, as removing alcohol from the system suddenly can shock the body. The body naturally begins detoxifying alcohol as soon as drinking stops, but this process must be managed carefully to ensure safety and comfort. Detoxification typically lasts 3–7 days, depending on the individual's health, drinking history, and withdrawal symptoms.
It's important to remember that quick-fix detox solutions found online or through word-of-mouth are often ineffective and can even be harmful. These methods cannot speed up the liver's processing time, and they may put your health at risk. Instead, seeking professional help ensures that you have the support and guidance necessary for a successful and sustainable recovery.
If you or someone you know is struggling with alcohol use, there are resources available to help. Organizations like STR Silver Pines, Castle Craig, and 10 Acre Ranch offer comprehensive detox and recovery programs. Additionally, Confidant Health provides medication-assisted treatment for alcohol use disorder, and Stairway Resource Center offers support for those struggling with alcohol or substance abuse.
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Frequently asked questions
It is impossible to speed up the body's rate of alcohol metabolism. The liver eliminates alcohol at a fixed rate of about one serving of alcohol per hour. However, drinking water can encourage the body to flush out broken-down alcohol faster.
Alcohol can stay in your system between 6-72 hours in most cases, depending on the detection test used. Alcohol detection tests can measure alcohol in the blood for up to 12 hours, on the breath for 12 to 24 hours, urine for 12-24 hours (72 or more hours after heavier use), saliva for up to 12 hours, and hair for up to 90 days.
Drinking plenty of water before, during, and after consuming alcohol may reduce the symptoms of or even prevent hangovers. Drinking soda or carbonated water while drinking can also help metabolize alcohol faster. It is also recommended to eat probiotic-rich foods to help your digestive system recover from alcohol consumption.
It is best to avoid junk food and sugary snacks as they can hinder the recovery process by adding more stress to the digestive system.
Some people recommend a cold shower and a hot coffee, but these are not the most effective ways to sober up. Getting enough sleep ensures your body has time to recover, giving your liver the time it needs to filter alcohol from your system.
