RU-21: How and Why
By Dr. Kenneth Krul, Ph.D.
Everything of a biochemical nature can be addressed
biochemically. This can be something as
simple as taking an antacid to deal with the excess stomach acid that gives you
heartburn. On the other hand, it can be
as complex as the modern psychoactive drugs that correct biochemical imbalances
in the brain that cause depression or anxiety. In fact, the whole pharmaceutical industry is based on this one
assumption. Preventing or curing a
hangover is no different.
When you drink alcoholic beverages, you introduce
chemicals into your body that it must process, mostly in the liver. Some of these chemicals are normally found in
the body, but others aren't. The body
acts to neutralize and eliminate these chemicals.
Some chemicals are found in the body and in the
beverages. In the body, however, they
are found in much smaller quantities. The body acts to normalize the presence of these chemicals in the body
and reduce any potential toxic side effects.
There are two main components of alcoholic beverages
that are involved in the development of a hangover --- ethanol, the primary
product of fermentation, and byproducts known as aldehydes (mainly
acetaldehyde). In addition, there is a
mixture of other organic molecules collectively known as "fusile
oils," that have toxic effects. Most of the by-products of the fermentation process, aldehydes and
fusile oils, are removed by aging in wooden casks. For this reason, older liquors are said to
taste "smoother," and produce less intense hangovers.
Acetaldehyde, however, is the major molecular factor
in the production of hangover. It is
introduced into the body both from the drink itself and from the metabolism of
ethanol in the stomach and liver. These
biochemical reactions take place in two steps.
First, ethanol is converted to acetaldehyde by an
enzyme known as Alcohol Dehydrogenase (ADH) in the presence of a chemical
cofactor, NAD. In the process, NAD is
used up and converted to NADH.
Second, the acetaldehyde produced in the breakdown
of ethanol is converted to acetic acid by an enzyme know as Aldehyde
Dehydrogenase (ALDH). This reaction also
uses the chemical cofactor NAD, converting it to NADH in the production of acetic
acid. This is where the problem of
hangover begins.
If the quantity of alcohol consumed is large, the
ADH uses up the liver's store of NAD. Not enough NAD is left to convert the acetaldehyde to acetic acid using
ALDH. As a result, the acetaldehyde remains
in the blood. It can then exert its
toxic effects at its increased blood levels.
To make matters worse, blood ethanol levels also
rise because there is not enough NAD for ADH to rapidly convert the ethanol to
acetaldehyde. It remains in the blood until
excreted by the kidneys or converted slowly in the liver. As a result, the toxic effects of
acetaldehyde and ethanol produce a long period of illness that we call a
hangover.
While the entire picture of ethanol metabolism is
complex, it is clear that real problem of hangover is a biochemical depletion
of NAD.
Luckily, metabolic cycles --- the different
biochemical reactions in the body --- are linked. While some biochemical reactions deplete NAD
and convert it to NADH, others use NADH and convert it to NAD. These reactions occur in the cytosol (the
liquid filling the cells) and the cells' factories, intracellular particles
known as mitochondria.
Another lucky break is that these reactions can be
controlled. For example, enzyme
reactions in metabolism are like revolving doors. An enzyme will convert A to B --- and B to
A. It's a process known as
"enzymatic equilibrium." However,
if you add a lot more A to the mixture, the enzyme will favor the reaction that
converts A to B instead of B to A. Thus,
we can control the reactions favoring the conversion of NADH to NAD by adding
the necessary materials to the body in the form of a tablet --- RU-21.
Several metabolic pathways convert NADH to NAD. For example, the enzyme malate dehydrogenase
converts NADH and two other molecules, oxaloacetate and glutamate, to NAD and
malate via the Malate/Aspartate Shuttle reaction. RU-21 contains glutamine --- a molecule that
is rapidly converted to glutamate to drive the Malate/Aspartate Shuttle in the
NADH-to-NAD direction.
In the mitochondria, two reactions are linked to
convert NADH to NAD. In this case, NADH
oxidase converts NADH to NAD, while succinic acid, in the presence of the
enzyme succinic acid dehydrogenase, drives a reaction converting another
cofactor, FAD, to FADH2. This
is one of the most important reactions of energy production in
mitochondria. RU-21 contains succinic
acid.
Succinic acid is also a reactant in other metabolic
cycles, such as the citric acid cycle. Its presence in excess in these cycles can drive processes that further
convert NADH back to NAD.
Succinic acid is closely related to another
important metabolite, fumaric acid. In
fact, with the exception of two hydrogen atoms, they have the same molecular
structure. They are converted to one
another in biochemical reactions in the body. The presence of both in excess in the body further drives the
conversions of FAD to FADH2 and NADH to NAD. RU-21 contains fumaric acid.
Two other components of RU-21, glucose and ascorbic
acid (Vitamin C) are also important in preventing hangover. Ascorbic acid is a cofactor in several
energy-producing (electron transfer) reactions. Similarly, glucose is the primary metabolite in energy production. These components of RU-21 help keep energy
levels up and metabolic cycles running properly.
This is a highly simplified view of how and why
RU-21 is effective in preventing hangover and/or reducing its effects. It does show, however, that there is sound
biochemical reasoning behind the formulation of RU-21. Its effectiveness is based on recognized
scientific principles and biochemical knowledge.
