Hangovers are one of those things you regret when you experience nausea, headaches, and excessive thirst in the morning. But it doesn’t stop people from imbibing copious amounts of alcohol the night before. Will power flies out the window, and the hours blur into disjointed memories. You’re nursing a drink on the first hour, showing off impressive dance moves on the next, and then you find yourself debating with friends whether your garage floor needs repairing.
A fun night out is hard to say no to. It is why people would try different hangover remedies instead of promising to consume alcohol responsibly or not at all. However, aside from drinking in moderation or not drinking at all, most well-known cures don’t have any effect. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, there’s no research backing any remedy at all. It’s only time that can help the body recover.
Here are the three biggest myths about hangovers everyone should be wary of:
Myth 1: Hangovers are normal and not a cause for concern.
There’s a reason why hangovers feel the worst. Too much alcohol is poison to the body, messing up with the central nervous system and other chemicals. The enzymes responsible for breaking down alcohol in the liver can handle a few bottles of liquor. But when it becomes too much, the alcohol flows into the bloodstream and wreaks havoc to the other organs. One effect is lowering the body’s level of vasopressin, the hormone that controls urination. That is why alcohol makes you go to the bathroom often, which can lead to dehydration. The more the body goes through this process, the weaker the immune system becomes.
Myth 2: Drink liquor before beer to escape a hangover.
Everyone is familiar with the phrase, “Beer before liquor, never been sicker; liquor before beer, you’re in the clear.” It’s been memorized by generations of bar hoppers and Friday night out goers. Unfortunately, this adage is an urban legend, according to a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Alcohol is alcohol, no matter the type of drink. What works in escaping a hangover is trying to pace yourself and keep within your glass limit. Give your liver time to catch up with the amount of alcohol.
Myth 3: Bread can soak up the alcohol.
Bread, or any carb-heavy foods, is not the silver bullet to avoid hangovers. They don’t serve as an effective sponge that will absorb the alcohol and block its debilitating effects. Though generally, having food in your stomach is better than having nothing at all. That is because the fat from food slows down the process of digestion, which also slows down the absorption of alcohol in the bloodstream. Drinking a glass of water for every glass of liquor will also lessen the severe effects of the symptoms. Though it won’t be enough to help anyone who decided to drink a whole bottle of vodka was a good idea.
As in all things, moderation is the key to a happy life. Too much of something, especially alcohol, can increase a person’s risk of getting sick.
