Have party plans to celebrate New Year's Eve toasting with friends? You might want to consider some tips and tricks to avoid or at least ameliorate hangovers.
Kicking off the New Year with a splitting headache and an overall feeling that you're some sort of roadkill doesn't sound too good at all, yet it happens every year for numerous party people. We even have a number of hangover apps to help us cope, waging the power of tech against the power of alcohol.
New Year's parties can be a lot of fun, especially if you're spending the big night with close friends and dear ones. You have fun, dance, talk, reminisce about your year, dream about future plans and...drink. Cheers to the New Year! Cheers to us! Cheers! Cheers! Cheers!
Well, at some point, you may have one to many "Cheers!" and those drinks you've been chugging down all night will come back to haunt you the next day. Science may be the last thing on your mind this time of year, but it can actually be of great help.
It's the last day of 2015 and many of us are already thinking about that awesome party tonight, but it might be a good idea to think about the next day as well, particularly when it comes to drinks and hangovers. Science can help both with explaining why that hangover feels so awful and how to handle those dreadful symptoms so we don't feel like 2015 just ran us over.
With this in mind, the American Chemical Society came up with a neat new video (embedded below) to explain how alcohol breaks down in our systems and how we can prevent nasty hangovers.
Of course, the best advice is to drink in moderation, don't mix up too many types of alcohol, and don't go to sleep mind-numbingly drunk. It doesn't always work out like you plan to, however, so if you cross that drunkenness line you might want some tips to help you out afterward.
The latest "Reactions" video from the Chem guys aims to do just that, help ease those ungodly hangovers with the help of science. The video is called "How to Prevent Hangovers (With Science)" and while it may overstate its power a bit, it does have some good tips nonetheless.
Alcohol is broken down in your system by a liver enzyme called ADH, then metabolized into a toxin called acetaldehyde. As some studies have found, acetaldehyde found in high levels can cause some memory loss, tiredness, cognitive impairment, and a few other issues.
To counter the unpleasant effects of excess acetaldehyde, you might want to have some eggs in the morning after the party. You may not feel like eating if you have a severe hangover, but eggs are rich in L-Cysteine, an amino acid that helps the body break down acetaldehyde. Consequently, it can help ease the hangover symptoms caused by those high levels of acetaldehyde.
Alcohol also causes dehydration, and drinking lots of water plays an essential role in avoiding hangovers. Dehydration is one of the main reasons hangovers feel so awful. Drink plenty of water before and throughout that party night so your body won't be seriously dehydrated the next day.
It's also highly advised to eat a heavy meal before you start drinking, otherwise your body will absorb the alcohol way faster and result in an epic hangover. The video also tackles the matter of drunken sleep and REM, and how you can make the most of what little bad sleep you can get.
Going to sleep right after you've had your last cocktail and the whole room is spinning around you is not a very good idea. You may fall asleep, but that sleep will not get you the rest you need. To make those few hours of sleep count more, you should stop drinking alcohol at least one hour and a half before going to bed. Again, drinking plenty of water before falling asleep should help as well.
The video explains the effects of alcohol on the body from a biochemical perspective and it could make a great difference in how you spend your Jan. 1. Lying in bed and holding on for dear life or waking up just slightly tired, but still up for a jog?
Check it out below and let science help you out.
