Head off that hangover: Tips for drinking wisely

< Prev | 1 | 2

FREE VIDEO

Food for thought, and taming alcohol
Dec. 29: Toasting friends with a glass of cheer over the holidays is a tradition for many, but one that can quickly get out of control. NBC's Helen Chickering reports.

NBC News Channel

In search of a quick fix
Still, there's no surefire cure for a hangover, partly because there aren't many people out there researching it.

“A hangover isn’t something that’s studied very much even though it afflicts lots of folks. Maybe people think you deserve it?” says Dr. Robert Swift, professor of psychiatry and human behavior at Brown University Medical School.

While there's little science out there, there are plenty of over-the-counter remedies that claim to prevent hangovers — pills with names like Chaser, Sob'r-K Hangover Stopper and RU-21. These types of "cures" usually contain ingredients like vitamins or carbon (which is supposed to filter out alcohol's impurities). The catch is, apart from testing by their manufacturers, there's no research as to whether they work or not.

Story continues below ↓

"Some of them make sense — at least theoretically," Rosenfeld says. "For example, RU-21 contains ingredients which interfere with the metabolism of alcohol, but I don't know of any scientific studies that have been done to confirm its action. The Internet contains literally hundreds of 'cures' and I don't think any of them really make a difference."

Some scientists say since hangovers cost society millions they should be studied more rigorously. According to a recent study of 13,500 Australian workers — what is it about them, anyhow? — hangovers cost Aussie companies $430 million a year in lost work days. And those who called in sick as a result of those pounding headaches weren’t raging alkies, either, but light drinkers who went beyond their limits one night.

Before you hit the sack
Once you've already gone overboard, is there anyway to head off the hangover?

If you’re feeling nauseous after a night out on the town, it’s probably best to let your body do what it needs to do. So, if you feel the urge to purge before going to bed, do it.

Click for related content

“Alcohol is an enjoyable poison and if you feel sick, that is in large part, all tied to the fact your body has been poisoned,” White says. “Vomiting is ... a last ditch effort to get it out of your system. The body wants it out. If you don’t let it out your body is going to suffer.”

Just remember, that’s going to dehydrate you, so drinks lots of water after and in the morning, and maybe something with electrolytes in it like Gatorade to replenish what’s been lost.

Kuo, the Boston University grad student, also has some empirically tested advice: “The nights where you are sober enough to stop in the kitchen and pour yourself a glass of water are the nights where you do not have to worry about hurting the next day (but you should drink some water anyway)."

The most important advice for preventing a hangover: Drinker, know thyself.

“Understand who you are and what type of body you have — we react to alcohol differently. Certain things that make you sick or don’t make you feel good, stay away from it,” Kato says.

Athima Chansanchai is a reporter for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

< Prev | 1 | 2