Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki, Yliopistonkatu 4, 00100 Helsinki, Finland.
Department of Chemistry, University of Helsinki, Yliopistonkatu 4, 00100 Helsinki, Finland.
Alcohol Alcohol. 2020 Oct 20;55(6):660-666. doi: 10.1093/alcalc/agaa082.
Alcohol-related hangover symptoms: nausea, headache, stress and anxiety cause globally considerable amount of health problems and economic losses. Many of these harmful effects are produced by alcohol and its metabolite, acetaldehyde, which also is a common ingredient in alcohol beverages. The aim of the present study is to investigate the effect of the amino acid L-cysteine on the alcohol/acetaldehyde related aftereffects.
Voluntary healthy participants were recruited through advertisements. Volunteers had to have experience of hangover and/or headache. The hangover study was randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled. Nineteen males randomly swallowed placebo and L-cysteine tablets. The alcohol dose was 1.5 g/kg, which was consumed during 3 h.
The primary results based on correlational analysis showed that L-cysteine prevents or alleviates hangover, nausea, headache, stress and anxiety. For hangover, nausea and headache the results were apparent with the L-cysteine dose of 1200 mg and for stress and anxiety already with the dose of 600 mg.
L-cysteine would reduce the need of drinking the next day with no or less hangover symptoms: nausea, headache, stress and anxiety. Altogether, these effects of L-cysteine are unique and seem to have a future in preventing or alleviating these harmful symptoms as well as reducing the risk of alcohol addiction.
酒精相关的宿醉症状：恶心、头痛、压力和焦虑会在全球范围内导致大量健康问题和经济损失。这些有害影响很多是由酒精及其代谢物乙醛引起的，乙醛也是酒精饮料中的常见成分。本研究旨在探讨氨基酸 L-半胱氨酸对酒精/乙醛相关后遗症的影响。
通过广告招募自愿的健康参与者。志愿者必须有宿醉和/或头痛的经历。宿醉研究采用随机、双盲、安慰剂对照设计。19 名男性志愿者随机服用安慰剂和 L-半胱氨酸片。酒精剂量为 1.5g/kg，在 3 小时内摄入。
基于相关分析的主要结果表明，L-半胱氨酸可预防或缓解宿醉、恶心、头痛、压力和焦虑。对于宿醉、恶心和头痛，L-半胱氨酸的剂量为 1200mg 时效果明显，而对于压力和焦虑，剂量为 600mg 时就有效果。
L-半胱氨酸可减少第二天因宿醉而需要饮酒的次数，且症状减轻：恶心、头痛、压力和焦虑。总之，L-半胱氨酸的这些作用是独特的，似乎在预防或缓解这些有害症状以及降低酒精成瘾风险方面具有未来前景。
