 alcoholic damaged liver on left Healthy liver on right.(fotosearch.com) |
OK ladies we know after a night of drinking you most likely have a hangover, but do you know what is the biggest NO NO combination with alcohol? Well I assume you guessed it by looking at the title, ACETAMINOPHEN (or otherwise known as TYLENOL)!!!! Your common instinct may lead you to take the over the counter remedy for headaches. BUT DON'T DO IT! WHY? After a night of drinking, the chronic alcohol ingestion activates enzymes that transform acetaminophen (Tylenol and others) into chemicals that can cause liver damage, even when acetaminophen is used in standard therapeutic amounts.(toxins.htm) Read here if you want to know exactly how acetaminophen reacts with alcohol: Research shows a highly reactive metabolite, N-acetyl-p benzoquinonimine (NAPQI), generated through the alcohol-metabolizing cytochrome P450 2E1 system, is believed to be the cause of liver cell death. Animal studies have confirmed the link between alcohol intake and increased risk for acetaminophen toxicity. Cytochrome P450 2E1 is increased in the hepatocytes of alcohol-consuming rats, and recent studies show that it is also increased in Kupffer cells, where inflammatory cytokines and ROS are generated. Researchers have reported the presence of activated macrophages at the site of injury in acetaminophen toxicity. Also, increased levels of the cytokines IL-1 and TNF are present in acetaminophen liver toxicity in mice. The same symptoms, Kupffer cell activation and cytokine production, are caused by chronic alcohol consumption” (alcohol-induced liver injury) Bryanna Furlong |