Is it true that you can sweat out a hangover?

"Toxins is a broad term, says Adam Taylor, professor of anatomy at Lancaster Medical School, covering anything that can damage the body from heavy metals to chemicals found in plastics, as well as the normal byproducts of our own metabolism. The liver is designed to process the toxins in alcohol and either break them down into usable units or get rid of them. The waste products are then filtered from the blood and excreted in urine or stools."

"Sweat, on the other hand, has a very different job. Although it can contain extremely small amounts of some metabolic byproducts, its purpose is temperature regulation (and, in some situations, to signal stress or fear). Sweating is not the means to remove toxins, says Taylor. Going for a run or sitting in a sauna after a night of drinking won't reduce the toxins produced by metabolising alcohol, and it won't lower your blood alcohol level."

"In fact, there is no way to speed up alcohol detoxification. Each person metabolises it at a fairly fixed rate. Both activities are known to boost endorphins the body's natural feelgood chemicals and to reduce cortisol, which can leave us feeling anxious or on edge. They also improve circulation, relax tight muscles and stimulate the rest and digest part of the nervous system, all of which can make recovery feel easier."

Sweating does not remove toxins or lower blood alcohol; the liver metabolizes alcohol and eliminates waste via urine and stools at a fixed rate. Sweat's primary functions are temperature regulation and sometimes signaling stress or fear, and it contains only trace metabolic byproducts. Exercise or sauna after drinking cannot speed alcohol detoxification or reduce blood alcohol level. Exercise and saunas can ease hangover symptoms by boosting endorphins, reducing cortisol, improving circulation, relaxing muscles, and activating the parasympathetic nervous system, which makes recovery feel easier. Hydration is essential because alcohol depletes body water and sweating increases fluid loss.

Read at www.theguardian.com