The severity of hangover symptoms could be influenced by the presence of certain bacteria in the oral microbiota, according to a study from the University of Utrecht.
- Researchers asked 15 adults to drink alcohol in moderation to examine the effect of bacterial flora in the mouth on the severity of hangovers.
- They found that the Rothia bacteria was associated with less severe hangover symptoms.
- If possible treatments could arise from this discovery, drinking in moderation remains the best way to avoid alcohol-related health problems.
Do you have headaches and stomach aches, nausea, sensitivity to light and sound? If you’ve had several glasses of alcohol the night before… you may be suffering from a hangover. However, the quantity drunk is not the only factor in the severity of this poisoning, the scientific name of which is veisalgia. The oral microbiota also plays a role in the intensity of symptoms according to Dutch researchers.
Hangover: a bacteria in the mouth would reduce the symptoms
The study, presented at the 46e annual scientific meeting of the Research Society on Alcohol (RSA) held in Bellevue, Washington on June 25, 2023, examined the effect of oral bacterial flora on hangover severity. To do this, the researchers asked 15 young adults to drink alcohol for an entire evening without limitation. The next day, participants were hungover and asked to rate the severity of their symptoms. Saliva samples were also taken. The same operation was performed on a non-alcoholic day in order to compare the bacterial profiles.
Analyzes showed that one particular bacterial species, Rothia, was associated with less severe hangover symptoms.
“This finding is consistent with Rothia’s known ability to convert alcohol to acetaldehyde. We know that alcohol can freely cross the blood-brain barrier to cause a hangover, while acetaldehyde cannot. Thus, we can speculate that a rapid conversion of alcohol to acetaldehyde prevents large amounts of alcohol from entering the brain and as such reduces the severity of a hangover”says lead author Joris C. Verster of Utrecht University in a communicated.
Alcohol: drinking in moderation remains the best prevention
The Dutch researcher recalled during his presentation that “the best way to prevent a hangover is to moderate the consumption of alcohol“. Indeed, while other factors in addition to the oral microbiota – such as fatigue, lack of sleep and inadequate diet – may play a role in alcohol sensitivity, the amount one drinks, remains one of the most important factors in the occurrence of veisalgia.
Thus, although the discovery of the Rothia bacteria could be interesting for the development of new treatments, moderation of alcohol consumption remains the best way to prevent hangovers as well as all the health problems linked to excess alcohol. alcohol (cancer, stroke, road accidents, liver disease, etc.).
