If you regularly supplement tauroursodeoxycholic Acid, else known as “TUDCA,” you might be worried about drinking alcohol (if you can actually do it, for one…). So, how long after taking TUDCA can I drink alcohol?
We would advise against taking TUDCA before alcohol (and drinking), especially before excessive drinking, as this can be very dangerous. Instead, TUDCA can be taken after drinking so long as you haven’t had a particularly heavy night. Consume supplements with food for better and safer absorption.
So, with that out of the way, the remainder of this article will discuss more on TUDCA and drinking alcohol, including why you may take TUDCA in the first place and how to take it safely.
Who is TUDCA for?
As a bodybuilder or athlete, you are naturally more concerned with how you look physically than how you feel internally. Well, that’s not always the case, but you get where we’re going with this…
What you put into your body (food, drink, and supplements) plays a key role not only in overall health and well-being but in physical performance, too.
TUDCA is a water-soluble bile acid (salt) found in the body, however, you can also supplement this in capsule or tablet form.
The role of TUDCA is to prevent nasty bile acids from backing up in the liver. When this bad acid backs up in the liver, it can cause cell and membrane damage, perhaps even resulting in signal cell death.
But what does it actually do? TUDCA can help:
- Decrease cholesterol
- Reduce cell stress
- Help rehabilitate the liver (commonly taken by alcoholics and those with liver damage)
- Protect the liver
Keep reading to find out more about each role and how TUDCA works…
Decrease cholesterol
To begin with, TUDCA can help reduce cholesterol. The better your cholesterol, typically the lower your blood pressure, improved health, and reduced risk of heart-related diseases.
Reduce cell stress
Cell stress can be reduced when supplementing TUDCA by reducing exposure to these bad bile acids.
TUDCA helps protect the cells of the liver from dying, providing optimal liver health and improved wellbeing and general health.
Help rehabilitate the liver
Alcoholic liver disease often includes cholestasis – a decrease in bile flow that causes a yellowish tint of the skin, fatigue, itchy skin, and dark urine.
Although supplementing TUDCA can help reduce the harmful enzymes in the liver – it’s a common supplement taken by alcoholics and those in recovery.
Despite the current research being limited, what is out there certainly points in the right direction.
Protect the liver
Finally, regular supplementation of TUDCA may help protect the liver – it is also popular for those with fatty liver disease.
Essentially, the supplement combats the toxicity of bile acid when backed up in the liver. The result? Improved liver health and potential protection against neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, but research is still limited and within the early stages.
TUDCA and drinking alcohol: do’s and don’ts
TUDCA is a supplement that is taken for a long period, usually in at least thirty-day cycles, but some people take this year-round.
When taking TUDCA, you should take this with a meal and a glass of water (or other non-alcoholic drink). You should also not take TUDCA before drinking alcohol.
After drinking, however, you can take TUDCA – in fact, it may help protect your liver, reversing the negative effects alcohol has on the vital organ.
You should wait until the alcohol is out of your system first, and once again, take it with a meal for maximum absorption.
TUDCA is often taken in cycles or indefinitely, so knowing when to take it, the potential risks, and side effects are key not only for maximum benefit but for safety, too.
To summarise
TUDCA is a popular supplement taken to aid and support liver health. However, it is also taken by recovering alcoholics in an attempt to repair their liver (among many other roles).
Although the scientific evidence on the supplement is still in the early stages, with studies currently limited, existing studies suggest benefits, as included in this article, alongside improved general organ health, in particular, the heart and the brain.
Are you interested in trying TUDCA? Try our 90 capsule bottle today.