I know alcohol dehydrates your body, but how exactly does it?

Question

The day after the night before and no matter how much water I drink I just can't quench this thirst.

What is it in alcohol that causes dehydration.

Answer 1

it is the way it effects your liver function that is the problem.
the liver will purge all fluid to try and rid itself of the alcohol, hence why you need to use the bathroom heaps when you drink and why you dehydrate the day after.

drink a couple of bottles of coke and you will be fine, also never go to bed without having had a dodgy kebab.... grin

Answer 2

Alcohol is a diuretic, something that causes you to urinate. When you drink alcohol, you lose more fluids than you are consuming therefore you become dehydrated. To prevent this, drink an 8 oz. glass of water after every serving of alcohol.

Answer 3

One of the ways your body attempts to rid itself through alcohol is by peeing. In your bodies attempt to flush it all out, you lose all your fluids (When you get drunk, you have to pee constantly, that's not just the alcohol, it's the water in your body too). As far as hydrating, sorry babe, but water is and always will be the solution to dehydration. Drink a ton before, during, and after. It helps a lot with your hangover too.

Answer 4

I really don't know, but the next day after I drink, I drink about two gallons of water in the whole day and I'm still thirsty (I'm not kidding). A friend of mine told me that a good way to prevent that from happening is to drink a glass of water after every two beers / drinks. He told me that the when you drink alcohol, the liver works harder, so in some way a takes all the water from your body so you can digest it better.

Answer 5

There is a hormone produced by our body called anti-diuretic hormone (ADH). This hormone prevents the kidneys from removing too much fluid from the body. Alcohol inhibits this hormone from working properly. Also, alcohol needs to be flushed which requires even more fluids.

Answer 6

Alcohol blocks antidiuretic hormone (ADH), which causes you to urinate despite the body trying to hold onto water. Normally ADH restricts water loss when the kidneys perceive your dehydrated (via high osmolality of the blood). If alcohol is blocking this hormone, voila, dehydrated state.

Answer 7

Alcohol is one of the substances which are classified as diuretics. Diuretics are substances that usually increase urine formation and output. That is why you will become dehydrated because of this increase water excretion.

Answer 8

alcohol will absorb water as you know. just take some rubbing alcohol and pour it over one of your hands. drinking the stuff does the same thing. that and you are probably peeing a lot. without proper hydration you are having what is known as a hangover. before you go to bed after a night of drinking, drink as much water as you can. get yourself rehydrated so you wont feel as bad in the morning.

Answer 9

I believe that it is simply the fact that your body uses water in flushing the by-products of alcohol breakdown out of your bloodstream and into your urine- I imagine that's why it has its laxative effect too.

Answer 10

It does an excellent type of issues. it ought to act as an electrolyte, it ought to act as a medium for countless chemical substances that want to be fluid, it performs an major function in the digestive equipment, it ought to help stability the combination of chemical substances in the body. actually it performs a function in almost each actual function.