Parties, barbecues, family dinners. Holiday get-togethers
often lead to the dreaded hangover. Is there anything we can do to cure the
aftermath of overindulging?
First the bad news. There’s no real cure for a hangover. No food
or supplement, powder or pill – least of all the ‘hair of the dog’ (also known
as drinking more alcohol).
What’s a hangover?
Your liver can handle moderate amounts of alcohol but if you
drink too much you risk a hangover the next day.
Alcohol and its by-product, acetaldehyde, are toxic to your
body. Together, they cause the symptoms of a hangover – fatigue, dizziness,
headache, dry mouth and nausea. Someone with a hangover can also experience
impaired memory, concentration and visual-spatial skills – potentially a safety
risk to others in the workplace.
Is there any good news?
By focusing on what you eat and drink before and during your
drinking session you can prevent the worst hangover symptoms.
- Slow down alcohol absorption by
ensuring you eat before or while you’re drinking.
- Help prevent alcohol’s
dehydrating effects by alternating alcoholic drinks with water.
- Avoid darker coloured drinks,
such as brandy, whisky, rum and red wine. They have a higher level of compounds
called congeners which are believed to make your hangover worse.
- Have a sports drink before bed as
this helps replenish fluid and electrolytes lost through the dehydrating effect
of alcohol.
Looking for evidence
Google ‘hangover cure’ and you will come up with everything
from bananas, charcoal tablets, and ginseng, to green tea, Bloody Mary and
pizza.
The British Medical Journal has even published a
systematic review of randomised controlled trials looking at hangover cures and
found no compelling evidence for any of them. Their conclusion was to avoid a
hangover in the first place with alcohol abstinence or moderation.
What can help
Apart from waiting for your body to get back to normal,
there are some things you can do that may help you feel a little better.
- Rehydrate with water and/or sports drinks.
- Eat a couple of eggs. Eggs contain an amino acid called
cysteine which helps to break down acetaldehyde.
- Get moving if you can. The endorphin release from exercise
will make you feel better.
- Try aspirin and a strong coffee. They can help clear your
head as you wait it out, although they won’t sober you up any quicker.