How to avoid a hangover after New Year’s Eve

The last night of the year is fast approaching, and the first hangover of the new year is fast approaching.

Many people associate New Year’s Eve with more than just fireworks, the King’s speech and Christmas dinner.

Beer, wine and spirits have long been a dear and close friend of the entrance to the new year. But a close friend is not always a good one.

Vomiting, headache, dizziness, nausea, light sensitivity and an unbearable thirst are just some of the many after effects that meet us when we drink too much alcohol.

According to experts, there is no scientifically proven way to cure a hangover. Nevertheless, there are several tricks that can help prevent it.

Night food myth

For many, a juicy grilled sausage, a well-cooked pizza or a handful of chips after a long and humid party is almost as important as the alcohol itself.

According to Dr. Robert Swift, many people believe that eating food after drinking alcohol can make the hangover easier. But it is a myth, according to the expert.

Swift is a professor of psychiatry and human behavior at Brown University’s Warren Alpert Medical School in Rhode Island, USA.

– Forget the evening meal after a night of drinking – it’s far too late, says Dr. Swift to CNN.

Instead, you should rather eat a good meal before drinking alcohol, and preferably continue eating into the evening.

Water + alcohol = true

– The primary cause of a hangover is dehydration and loss of fluid, in addition to low intake of vitamins and minerals, says John Brick, former head of research at the Center of Alcohol Studies in New Jersey, USA.

According to Brick, women are more likely to suffer a hangover than men.

That’s because men have a higher percentage of body fluid than a woman of the same height and weight.

– Women will have a higher concentration of alcohol in their blood because their bodies contain less water to dilute it, says Brick to the media house.

Brick therefore thinks it might be a good idea to drink water between drinks, beer and wine.

Dark Vs. Light

Switching to lighter beer or clear spirits can help keep hangovers at bay.

According to Brick, dark beer and spirits often contain more congeners and additives than the lighter varieties.

Bourbon actually has 37 times as many congeners as vodka, according to the study “Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.”

The 2010 study examined the intensity of hangovers in people who drank dark spirits, such as whiskey or brandy, versus clear vodka.

The study showed that those who drank darker beer and spirits had a stronger hangover.

This works best

Many see the New Year’s celebration as a last opportunity to end the year with a bang before the rockets go off. But remember that there will be a tomorrow, warns Swift.

In addition, alcohol problems are a growing challenge in society. According to figures from the organisation Occasionally, one in three have been concerned about the alcohol consumption of a family member or friend in the past year.

The doctor’s best tip to avoid a small, heavy and painful first New Year’s Day is therefore to drink less, or simply not to drink at all.

– There are many complex factors that cause us to get a hangover, and there is therefore no simple cure. Therefore, the best cure is not to drink, Swift adds CNN.