Can cola sober you up?
Apr 08, 2023
Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Yang Shuwen
Introduction
Coke usually cannot help sober up. After drinking, alcohol enters the human body and is primarily broken down by alcohol dehydrogenase and aldehyde dehydrogenase in the liver, then converted into carbon dioxide or water and excreted from the body through metabolism. Drinking Coke does not enhance the function of the enzyme systems in the liver, so it cannot achieve the effect of sobering up.
Generally, cola is usually not effective in sobering up. When necessary, standardized methods of alcohol detoxification should be followed under a doctor's guidance. The specific analysis is as follows:
Cola is a carbonated beverage that contains additives and has a relatively high sugar content. After drinking alcohol, ethanol enters the body and is primarily broken down in the liver by enzymes such as alcohol dehydrogenase and acetaldehyde dehydrogenase, eventually converting into carbon dioxide or water, which are then eliminated from the body through metabolism. Drinking cola does not enhance the function of the liver's enzymatic system, thus it cannot achieve the purpose of sobering up. Instead, beverages containing tea polyphenols may be consumed, as they can promote metabolism and assist the body in breaking down ethanol.
If a patient is clearly intoxicated, medications such as sublingual naltrexone hydrochloride tablets, vitamin B tablets, or hydrochlorothiazide tablets may be used according to medical advice to accelerate alcohol metabolism.
