From The Straits Times    |

The morning-after hangover reminds us how we’re not made to be party animals. While there are many old wives’ tales on its prevention and remedy, only a couple actually hold water. Here are the ones that actually work.

Image: ostill / 123rf

1. Alternate between a glass drink of water and an alcoholic drink

Verdict: FALSE

Whilst it’s true that alcohol causes dehydration, drinking copious amounts of water won’t really help if you’re still going to down a tray of shots. A study of 826 Dutch students also revealed that consuming H2O after drinking can relieve hangover symptoms like thirst, but made no real difference to the severity of the headache. Still, ordering a glass of water instead of another martini is a good way to pace yourself and might even help you drink less.

2. Eating before you drink will help to prevent a hangover

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Verdict: TRUE

According to nutritionists, having some food in your tummy slows down the absorption of alcohol in your blood stream. The best food to eat before a night out is fatty food, which sits in your stomach and intestines for about 12 hours. Before you take that as an excuse to stuff your face with junk food, remember that it’s much better for your body if you go for healthy, unsaturated fats. For instance, people in Mediterranean countries like Spain, Greece and Italy believe that taking a spoonful of olive oil before you start drinking helps reduce the possibility of getting a hangover. And nope, that prata supper at 5am doesn’t count – the key is to eat before.

3. The darker the drink, the worse hangover

Image: Karel Miragaya / 123rf

Verdict: TRUE

Not all drinks are created equal. The fermentation process of alcohol creates by-products called congeners, which are impurities that cause our hangover symptoms. The thing is, darker drinks contain more congeners. This is backed by a study done by Brown University, which found that those who drank bourbon felt more hungover than those who drank vodka. Time to ditch the pinot noir for sauvignon blanc, then!

4. Drink more alcohol the next morning to stop the hangover

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Verdict: FALSE

While some people swear by it, there’s absolutely no scientific proof to back this anti-hangover strategy. But there has to be a reason why it’s so popular, right? In his book Proof: the Science of Booze, award-winning science journalist Adam Rogers suggests that the buzz from drinking more alcohol might actually be masking the symptoms of a hangover. He also shared that people who subscribe to the “hair of the dog” technique are statistically more likely to be alcoholics. So yeah, don’t order that Bloody Mary at brunch if you’ve been getting turnt up all night.

 

This story first appeared on CLEO, Apr 28, 2017.

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