Alcohol and meditation
The human ability to metabolize alcohol is believed to date back about 10 million years ago from the need to use fermented fruit as food. Ethanol can be metabolized into acetyl CoA which can be funneled into energy metabolism pathways in the cell mitochondria.
Humans make approximately 3 gm of alcohol daily from fermentation in the digestive tract and as byproducts of lipid metabolism and bile acid synthesis. At this amount, the body can, under normal circumstances, readily clear the alcohol without any clinically relevant central nervous system side effects.
However, the system could be overwhelmed if about 4 times this level is ingested for all adult humans except adult males under 65 years of age who need about 8 times that or about 25grams of alcohol to potentially overwhelm the system.
Acetaldehyde, the first byproduct in the main pathway of alcohol metabolism is believed to be responsible for most of the toxicity associated with alcohol abuse.
For many people, sticking to the recommended limit of alcohol use which is about a beer or glass of wine for all adult individuals, daily, or double that for adult males under 65 remains a challenge.
Fortunately, meditation has been shown to help individuals experience the joy of living as well as help those who are addicted to alcohol remain sober.
References
Khanna S, Greeson JM. A narrative review of yoga and mindfulness as complementary therapies for addiction. Complement Ther Med. 2013 Jun;21(3):244-52. doi: 10.1016/j.ctim.2013.01.008. Epub 2013 Feb 23.
Manheimer E, Anderson BJ, Stein MD. Use and assessment of complementary and alternative therapies by intravenous drug users. Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse. 2003 May;29(2):401-13.
Matthew A. Carrigan, Oleg Uryasev, Carole B. Frye, Blair L. Eckman, Candace R. Myers, Thomas D. Hurley, and Steven A. Benner. Hominids adapted to metabolize ethanol long before human-directed fermentation. Matthew A. Carrigan, 458–463, doi: 10.1073/pnas.1404167111 vol. 112 no. 2. http://www.pnas.org/content/112/2/458.
Witkiewitz K, Bowen S, Harrop EN, Douglas H, Enkema M, Sedgwick C. Mindfulness-based treatment to prevent addictive behavior relapse: theoretical models and hypothesized mechanisms of change. Subst Use Misuse. 2014 Apr;49(5):513-24. doi: 10.3109/10826084.2014.891845.
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