by Samara Alpern
Daily Lobo columnist
Hair of the dog, greasy breakfasts - it seems that for every novelty martini there's an equally unappetizing hangover remedy.
But do any of them work? Despite the fact that humans have been consuming alcohol to excess for thousands of years, science has yet to take the time to study which of these remedies is effective. In fact, scientists don't have a formal definition of a hangover, nor do they have a good idea on what triggers hangover symptoms. Fortunately, you can probably count on yourself to make a correct diagnosis. Here are some tips to deal with recovery.
The best way to avoid hangover, of course, is avoid drinking to excess. Most people ignore this suggestion, but it's the only one that's guaranteed to work.
The National Institute of Health recommends drinking water between alcoholic beverages. Because alcohol is dehydrating, people can end up drinking even more heavily than intended to slake thirst, which in turn dehydrates you further. Drinking water helps prevent the hangover symptoms caused by dehydration, including weakness, dizziness and lightheadedness.
There is evidence that dark alcohols, like whiskey and wine, give you worse hangovers than clear alcohols, like gin and vodka. The difference is due to alcohol congeners such as methanol. Alcohol congeners contribute to the look, taste and smell of alcohol. The darker the alcohol, the more congeners it contains. When your body breaks down methanol, the products are disagreeable substances like formaldehyde and formic acid. But, as any Russian will tell you, vodka is plenty capable of causing hangover misery, even without the congeners.
At the forefront of hangover science is the prickly pear. Research suggests that consuming prickly pear skin reduces the immune response to congeners. Don't go tearing up your neighbor's xeriscape yet - research is still in its early phases.
Classic Remedies and Myths
Hair of the dog - Consuming more alcohol to relieve a hangover works two ways. First, more alcohol provides relief from alcohol withdrawal symptoms. If you drink heavily for several days in a row, alcohol withdrawal, as opposed to a plain hangover, may account for your symptoms. Hair of the dog also works because it takes your body back to the beginning of the metabolizing process, where the effects are less painful. However, while you may ease your symptoms temporarily, you are also prolonging your hangover and taxing your liver even further. Most experts recommend against the hair of the dog strategy.
Greasy Food - While it's true a full stomach will delay absorption, once the alcohol has left your stomach, greasy food will do nothing to help. If you're able, it is a good idea to eat something. Alcohol consumption can lead to low blood sugar, which may cause symptoms of fatigue, weakness and irritability. Fruit juice is a good way to combat that effect. According to the National Institute of Health, fructose speeds the metabolism of alcohol, giving you shorter recovery time and a less intense hangover.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
Gatorade - Alcohol consumption causes dehydration and electrolyte imbalance. For every 50 milliliters of alcohol consumed, the body eliminates 600 to 1000 milliliters of water. To rehydrate and restore balance, drink plenty of water and replace electrolytes with a beverage like Gatorade or Pedialyte. Bouillon, which is rich in sodium and potassium electrolytes, might also help.
Antacids - Everyone has his or her personal "never-fails" hangover remedy, and Alka-Seltzer is mine. Alcohol is an irritant to the stomach and intestines, which can cause upper abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting. Also, drinking your whiskey straight can be more irritating than drinking your whiskey in a lower concentration - say, mixed with soda water.
Aspirin - When your body metabolizes alcohol, lactic acid builds up in your muscles, causing general aches. Another common hangover symptom is headache, caused by the dilation of the blood vessels. Aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil) and naproxen (Aleve) can help relieve all these symptoms, but there is a caveat. All of these medications can also irritate the stomach. If you are suffering nausea and vomiting, taking an aspirin for your headache may make your gut feel worse. More importantly, never take acetaminophen (Tylenol) after drinking. Acetaminophen is processed in the liver, and after a night of heavy drinking your liver doesn't need any more to do.
For anyone who has tried these remedies, you know none of them restores you to a state of perfect well-being. Most hangovers last less than 24 hours, so if all else fails, just crawl into bed and wait.
Samara Alpern will write a regular column on health and nutrition issues that concern students.
