Researchers Have Bad News for People Experiencing Hangovers
Recently, a team of European researchers disproved the age-old proverb, “Beer before wine and you’ll feel fine; wine before beer and you’ll feel odd.” The team conducted a study to determine if consuming alcoholic beverages in a particular order reduced hangover severity. However, researchers have bad news for the 76 percent of Americans who experience hangovers after drinking. According to their study, no matter how a person attempts to alter the order in which they consume alcoholic beverages, they will still experience a hangover if they consume too much alcohol.
The order of drinking has no effect on the severity of a hangover
In order to determine a cure for hangovers, the researchers recruited 90 Germans between the ages of 19 and 40 to consume wine, beer, or both as part of this study. The researchers asked the first group to consume 16 ounces of lager beer after randomly dividing the participants into three groups. They were then instructed to consume four large glasses of white wine. The second group was instructed to consume four glasses of white wine initially. The participants were then required to consume two and a half pints of lager beer. The third group was given either white wine or lager beer to consume. Overnight, all three groups were under medical supervision.
The researchers waited until the alcohol hangover symptoms had completely subsided and everyone had fully recovered. The scientists reassembled the following week for a second round of drinking. They instructed the groups to drink in the exact opposite order from the previous occasion. For example, the group that previously drank beer first was made to drink wine first and the group that previously drank wine first was made to drink beer first. The third group, which had previously consumed either beer or wine, was required to consume the beverage they had not previously consumed.
There was no discernible difference in the intensity of the hangover caused by consuming beer or wine in any particular order, according to the findings of the study. According to the study’s lead author, a researcher at Witten/Herdecke University named Joran Kochling, the old wives’ tale that drinking beer before wine reduces the severity of a hangover is refuted.
Vomiting and the perception of intoxication are symptoms of a severe hangover.
Even after adjusting for variables such as age, gender, body weight, frequency of hangovers, and drinking habits, there was no significant difference in hangover scores. It was observed that women experienced a more severe hangover than men. Blood and urine tests were also conducted, without success, to predict the severity of hangovers.
However, two factors appeared to influence the severity of hangover symptoms the following day. These included the level of dizziness people experienced while drinking and whether or not they vomited. Those who scored higher on a scale from 1 to 10 for how drunk they felt at the end of the drinking binge, as well as those who threw up while drinking or afterward, rated their hangovers as severe.
Observe the red flags while drinking.
Kochling asserts that excessive consumption of any type of alcoholic beverage is likely to result in a hangover. He stated that the only way to predict the severity of a hangover is to assess one’s level of intoxication and sickness. He added that everyone who is drinking must be aware of these warning flags. In the form of a hangover, dehydration, fatigue, headaches, sensitivity to light, and digestive issues would occur the following day if these warning signs are disregarded during drinking.
Even though the number of drinks that lead to a hangover varies from person to person, a hangover indicates that a person has significantly exceeded their body’s and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) definition of moderate drinking. The CDC defines moderate drinking as one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men.
Hangovers are nature’s means of shaping future behavior.
The researchers acknowledged that there are limitations to this study. For example, they were unable to assign a control group to consume a non-alcoholic beverage because the participants did not want to be a part of a group that did not consume alcohol.
Dr. Kai Hensel, a senior clinical fellow at the University of Cambridge and co-author of the study, stated that despite the fact that hangovers are unpleasant, they do have one significant advantage. They serve as a barrier that would likely influence people’s drinking habits in the future.
Seeking assistance for alcoholism
It is possible for anyone, regardless of age, gender, or social standing, to develop alcoholism. Detoxification is a prerequisite for an effective recovery from alcoholism. The detoxification process helps the body eliminate all the toxins accumulated over years of alcohol abuse, manages withdrawal symptoms, and prepares the body and mind for alcohol addiction treatment.