Hangover cure finally found: Sprite

By Crisp
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Grand Master

Crisp

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Hangover cure finally found: Sprite

 

Chinese researchers discover how to stop that morning after feeling before it's even started

 

Sprite-REX.jpg

Like the philosopher's stone, the cure for a hangover seems to exist only in legend.

The magical elixir has evaded even the most determined of scientists, at least until now.

Chinese researchers applied themselves to the problem from another angle, looking into how a hangover could be handled before it even started.

And they claim they have found an answer: Sprite.

 

It is believed that some of the nastier symptoms of a hangover are not actually caused by the alcohol itself, but by the process of the body trying to break down the alcohol.

This is why the 'hair of the dog' is sometimes thought to work in staving off a hangover, because it prevents the body from continuing to break down the alcohol.

After drinking, the body goes through a two stage metabolic process to break down the ethanol.

First the liver metabolises the ethanol into acetaldehyde through an enzyme called alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and then it breaks it down into acetate by aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH).

However while acetate is generally considered harmless and even responsible for some of the more beneficial effects of drinking, exposure to the more pernicious acetaldehyde actually causes the symptoms of a hangover, including nausea, vomiting and a headache.

Researchers at Sun Yat-Sen University in Guangzhou examined the way a number of drinks affected the way the body metabolised alcohol.

Analysing  57 different drinks, including herbal infusions, teas, and carbonated beverages, they measured their effects on ADH and ALDH and discovered each brew had a different effect.

While some herbal teas slowed down the process, thus prolonging a hangover, Xue bi, a carbonated drink known as Sprite in Britain, was found to actually speed the enzyme?s work up. This means that Sprite could ease a hangover because it shortens the body's exposure to acetaldehyde.

The researchers plan to perform another independent study to ensure their test results can be considered conclusive. The results were published in the Royal Society of Chemistry journal Food and Function.

 

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riahc3

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Hello,

Pint of water before bed, maybe with a paracetamol or two.  Job done!

Exactly. If you drink water before and after (best during but noone really does this), it can save you a hangover.

When I drinked, I took Nik Louch's method: Drink a lot of water before going to sleep and after drinking. Waked up great :)

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theyarecomingforyou

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Pint of water before bed, maybe with a paracetamol or two.  Job done!

To be honest I usually drink about two and half pints of water and have found it to be a very effective cure; that and ibuprofen in the morning. Of course greasy food always helps for those really heavy nights - my favourite is eggy-crumpets (crumpets soaked in egg and milk, then fried).

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remixedcat

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To be honest I usually drink about two and half pints of water and have found it to be a very effective cure; that and ibuprofen in the morning. Of course greasy food always helps for those really heavy nights - my favourite is eggy-crumpets (crumpets soaked in egg and milk, then fried).

 

Drinking water after alky makes me even worse. I have to have drink that tastes or I get this acidy ouch in my throat. 

 

So do I..   :)

 

Come on over to the bar. :)

 

Sure! *walks over*

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madd-hatter

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I thought this was known.

 

Sprite is the only thing that allowed me to survive St Patrick's Day '07.

 

After heavy drinking, drinking a full glass of water before going to sleep is also recommended.

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Charisma Veteran

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Weelllllpp time to stock up!

 

(Water + painkillers before bed, coconut water in the morning, usually fixes me up.)

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theyarecomingforyou

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Drinking water after alky makes me even worse. I have to have drink that tastes or I get this acidy ouch in my throat. 

It makes me feel better the next day but I really have to force it down.

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Gotenks98

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Hello,

Exactly. If you drink water before and after (best during but noone really does this), it can save you a hangover.

When I drinked, I took Nik Louch's method: Drink a lot of water before going to sleep and after drinking. Waked up great :)

^^^ definitely. Its all due to lack of water.

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Dick Montage

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A hangover is many things.  Your brain swells, you are dehydrated, you lack potassium.

 

As such, add a banana to the mix mentioned and we're onto a winner.  But I hate bananas so...

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+Majesticmerc MVC

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My hangover process...

Before Bed:

  • Foot long sub sandwich, with as much as everything as possible (For me, Subway Italian BMT with Lettuce, Cucumber, Onions, Chillis, Sweetcorn Gherkin and chilli sauce).
  • Plenty of non-alcoholic drink, preferably non-fizzy to avoid the hiccups.
  • If possible, some TV. Something not so cerebral (The Simpsons generally works okay for me). Doesn't matter what time you get in, one episode of the Simpsons (ideally between season 4 and 9) will start making relaxing you from the party. If you need to be sick, now is the time to do it. If you think you're going to be sick, DON'T SKIP THIS STEP, better to do it while you're sat up than while you're in bed.
  • When you're ready, head on up to bed. You've earned it soldier.
During Bed:
  • If you feel dizzy when laid down, try putting a foot on the floor. This can help to "ground" you, and get some semblance of balance.
  • If you wake up needing the bathroom, take an ibuprofen (I swear by Anadin Extras), consume a pint or so of water, and head to the bathroom to pee. Refill your glass while you're in there (with tap water, not the other stuff) and head on back to sleep. The ibuprofen will reduce any swelling and kill any pain, and the water will hydrate.
After Bed:
  • Wake up and do the whole thing again, fresh as a daisy (sort of)!
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+Mirumir Subscriber¹

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Milk and especially fermented milk products like kefir or ryazhenka provide the best hangover remedy for me. Highly recommended!

 

(warning: milk before alcohol = poison; milk after alcohol = cure)

 

Water is pretty much a given. Additionally, a cup of tea with some sugar and a slice of lemon helps a lot too.

 

paracetamol

 

ibuprofen

 

Please go easy on them. Your liver and kidneys may not appreciate the mix of alcohol with those pills. And if I were you, I'd seriously reconsider continuing this practice.

 

Paracetamol is metabolized by the liver and is hepatotoxic; side effects are multiplied when combined with alcoholic drinks
Drinking alcohol when taking ibuprofen may increase risk of stomach bleeding.

 

 

If you must take a pill to fight your hangover, ask your doctor about alka-seltzer or drotaverine (aka no-spa).

 

 

Drinking water after alky makes me even worse. I have to have drink that tastes or I get this acidy ouch in my throat. 

 

Milk lowers the level of acidity. Just saying :)

 

And speaking about acidity, to have a glass of juice or V8 first thing in the morning on an empty stomach is a sure way to increase one's level of acidity.

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FloatingFatMan

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Any hydrating drink before sleeping will help with a hangover. Personally, I prefer sports energy drinks for it; not for the energy, but because they're better at rehydrating you, and dehydration is one of the main factors in hangovers.

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Nick H. Supervisor

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Anything fizzy works for me for the nausea the day after. I also have a bottle of water next to my bed which I drink before and during sleeping. Thankfully I don't really suffer from headaches; at least, not a hangover-induced headache.

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remixedcat

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Coffee also helps me... With a hangover I add extra red cap milk and extra creme and it works good as well. 

 

Milk does work standalone as well.

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