It is weekend again, and before long you know you will require a few hacks to get rid of that splitting headache you got from all that boozing.
According to a story published in The Daily Mail, Dr Emeka Okorocha has revealed he urges people not to believe the myth, and to take time to allow the body to recover.
'When people ask me whether continuing to drink will help their hangover, I beg them not to do it, he said. You should take at least 48 hours for your body to rest before taking alcohol again.'
The symptoms of hangover include a combination of headache, thirst, fatigue, dizziness, nausea and general grumpiness – reach their peak when your blood-alcohol goes back to zero.
According to experts, alcohol is broken down into a toxic chemical called acetaldehyde in the liver. An enzyme, alcohol dehydrogenase, further metabolises it into acetic acid.
If the amount of alcohol one consumes becomes more than the body’s ability to produce enzymes to process it, acetaldehyde builds up in the body, leading to headaches and nausea.
Dr Okorocha, 24, revealed to the BBC the 'cures' he has personally road-tested during his time as a medial student in University of East Anglia's student bars.
A virgin bloody Mary
Ingredients
- 1/2 glass of tomato juice
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 dash of Worcestershire sauce
- 1 dash of hot pepper sauce
- 1 celery stick
Why it works: Tomatoes contain fructose, which is a sugar that can help your body metabolise alcohol faster to get it out of your system. It contains vitamins and minerals, which help fight inflammation and rehydrate the body and brain.
Banana and honey sandwich
Ingredients
- 1 mashed banana
- 1 tbsp honey
- 2 slices of wholemeal bread
Why it works: Alcohol increases urination, which increases potassium excretion and causes dehydration. Bananas provide a boost of this electrolyte while the honey gives that spike of sugar in the bloodstream and energy. Furthermore the fructose can also help the body metabolize and burn off any alcohol still in the system.
Ginger Tea
Ingredients
- 12 large ginger slices
- 4 cups of boiling water
- Dash of lemon
- 1/2 cup of honey
- Fresh orange juice
Why it works: Ginger, used medicinally for thousands of years, is known for its ability to soothe stomach upsets. Studies show it may help pain, by blocking the formation of the inflammatory compounds prostaglandins and leukotriene, so it could even help ease a throbbing head.
Glass of water before bed
Ingredients
- 1 glass of water
Why it works: The underlying cause of a hangover is dehydration. Alcohol is a diuretic, which means that a boozy session is flushing water from the system. Getting a pint down before hitting the sheets will give a head start of hydrating the next morning.
