Partygoers have long been searching for the magic cure for hangover. People have resorted to water, tomato juice, greasy breakfast, banana, more alcohol, and the list goes on and on. A new study conducted by Chinese scientists now suggests that in order to get rid of the hangover, people just need to “obey their thirst.” If that line sounds familiar, it is because they are pointing to the popular fizzy drink - Sprite.
The study titled “Effects of Herbal Infusion, Tea and Carbonated Beverage on Alcohol Dehydrogenase and Aldehyde Dehydrogenase Activities” published in the journal “Food & Function” looked into the chemical mechanisms of hangover including its causes, effects, and best methods to get rid of it. After testing 57 drinks such as teas and softdrinks, the lemon-lime beverage in a can, Sprite, was declared the best treatment.
Studies before have established that hangover is not caused by the alcoholic drink itself but by byproducts that result from the metabolism of ethanol inside our body. After consuming an alcoholic drink, our body breaks down the ethanol into two components, acetaldehyde and acetate.
The acetaldehyde, pertained to as alcohol dehydrogenase in the study, is the enemy of the body and causes the symptoms of hangover such as headache, dizziness, upset stomach among others. On the other hand, acetate is harmless and does not have anything to do with hangover. In fact, acetate or aldehyde dehydrogenase may be responsible for the health benefits of drinking alcohol.
The scientists from the Sun Yat-Sen University in China tested the effects of herbal teas, carbonated drinks, and other common beverages on the two chemicals. They measured the levels of ALDH and ADH after drinking different beverages just as like how people will try to cure their hangover. The study did not involve hungover individuals but was done in vitro that focused on the chemical reactions themselves.
The study found out that Sprite or soda water significantly increased the activity of aldehyde dehydrogenase that promote the breakdown of the other chemical responsible for hangover.
On the other hand, there were drinks such as a beverage made from a hemp-seed base and other herbal teas that increased the activity of ALDH and reduced the activities of the good chemical. In the real world, consuming such drinks will worsen the symptoms and most likely prolong hangover.
Have you tried Sprite to cure hangover? If not what are the best remedies that work for you?
