The science behind your hangovers, and how to avoid them

The parched mouth, the spinning head, the queasy stomach, and the inevitable sentence of “I’m never drinking again”—we’ve all been there, and most of us try our best to avoid it. But sometimes it’s just one of those nights, you forget to take your periodic sip of water, you’re mixing your drinks, but in the heat of the moment, the consequences are negligible.

Many hangover cures, either in pill or liquid form, are now entering the market en masse. Understanding what causes hangovers might arm you better for your tougher-than-usual mornings. While there is no single magic cure that can instantly erase a night of overindulgence, there are a few things that can help. Choosing the right foods, the right drinks, and remembering the do’s and don’ts when you’re actually out drinking can make the world of a difference.

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What is a hangover?

The complex factors that cause hangovers stem primarily from the toxic effects of alcohol and its byproducts, including dehydration, inflammation and disrupted sleep (Photo by H. Armstrong Roberts/ClassicStock/Getty Images)

The complex factors that cause hangovers stem primarily from the toxic effects of alcohol and its byproducts, including dehydration, inflammation and disrupted sleep.

Dehydration occurs due to alcohol’s diuretic effect on the body, increasing the need for urination, causing dehydration and electrolyte imbalances. Another major reason in feeling groggy the next day is due to the disruption of sleep. Although being intoxicated does help with the initial stage of falling asleep due to its sedative effects, it ultimately disrupts the normal sleep cycle, especially in the latter part of your sleep. This can be seen in lighter sleeping, or a reduced amount of time in REM stage, which is crucial for restoration, cognitive function, and emotional regulation.

A huge culprit in causing the overall unappetising effects of being hungover come from the body’s inflammatory response when metabolising alcohol. When the liver is trying to process alcohol, it metabolises it into acetaldehyde, a toxic compound that causes inflammation and liver damage.

Approximately 30-50 per cent of Chinese, Japanese, and Koreans show the physiological characteristics of the Asian flush when they consume alcohol (Photo by © Andrew Lichtenstein/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images)

Many Asians experience the ‘Asian flush’—commonly mistaken as an allergic reaction to alcohol that many East and Southeast Asians in particular, experience. Approximately 30-50 per cent of Chinese, Japanese, and Koreans show the physiological characteristics of the Asian flush when they consume alcohol, and these show up as facial flushing, nausea, headaches, and a faster heart rate.

These symptoms are the result of an accumulation of acetaldehyde, because many Asians have a deficiency in aldehyde dehydrogenase 2, an enzyme responsible for one of the major oxidative pathways of alcohol metabolism. Simply speaking, it is more difficult for this group to process the alcohol in their body.

It’s important to not overwhelm your liver by having too many drinks in a short period of time (Photo by Eleanor Lindsay-Finn/PYMCA/Avalon/Getty Images)

The do’s and don’ts of drinking to prevent hangovers

1. Moderation

The most obvious way to prevent hangovers is to drink in moderation. This means pacing yourself with your drinks, and not overloading your body with alcohol to allow your liver to process it properly.

Your liver can only metabolise a certain amount of alcohol at a time, and it’s important to not overwhelm your liver by having too many drinks in a short period of time, leading to a longer period of intoxication, even hours after drinking.

2. Avoiding sugary cocktails

Masking the taste of alcohol with sugar is commonly seen in many cocktails, think anything with processed fruit juice, or soft drinks. This might lead you to consume more alcohol than you would normally, and the higher sugar intake is not healthy for you in general, but particularly when mixed with alcohol.

Your body will have to fight for resources to process both the sugar and the alcohol, and the sugar will likely exacerbate the feelings of dehydration, headaches, and more.

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3. Replenishing your fluids

Alcohol as a diuretic means there is significant fluid loss, leading to dehydration. Drinking a lot of water throughout your drinking experience will mitigate all the symptoms that come with dehydration.

4. Eating well before drinking

Alcohol can irritate your stomach and oesophageal lining, causing inflammation and redness, and other symptoms such as nausea and diarrhoea. Without food in your digestive tract, not only will the alcohol go directly into your small intestine faster, (and in turn make you drunker, quicker) it will also increase your chances of acid reflux by the increase in stomach acid production.

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5. Avoiding dark spirits

Spirits darker in colour, such as whisky, bourbon, and cognac have a higher level of congeners. Congeners are toxic chemicals that include methanol, isopentanol, and acetone. These vary throughout different spirits, but you will tend to find a higher concentration of these in darker spirits.

Studies have shown that methanol, a common congener, is strongly associated with symptoms of a bad hangover. Colourless drinks such as vodka, gin, and tequila blanco tend to cause less severe hangovers.

6. Avoiding fizz

Bubbly drinks like prosecco and champagne often lead to more intense hangovers, and this is due to the carbon dioxide in these drinks that allow a faster absorption of alcohol into the bloodstream. The result of this is higher blood alcohol levels and a faster onset of intoxication.

With a higher blood alcohol concentration, the brain overcompensates for alcohol’s depressant effects, triggering a pronounced inflammatory response, and subsequently, a worse hangover.

UNITED KINGDOM - MAY 04: Christmas party on board a train, December 1985. (Photo by SSPL/Getty Images)

While it’s all good and well to have a night of imbibing once in a while, moderation here is the key. Alcohol’s effects on the body can lead to a host of issues, including alcoholism. It is important that we’re making educated choices, especially surrounding harmful substances.

In instances where one is able to plan ahead, prevention is better than cure. Moderating your intake, staying hydrated, and eating enough can dramatically reduce your chances of waking up miserable. When you do find yourself on the wrong side of the spectrum of hangovers, remember that time and patience are the ultimate healers.

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