Myth Busters: The New Year's Hangover

By
ABC News
January 6, 2006, 6:20 AM ET
3 min read

Jan. 1, 2005 -- -- New Year's Eve is a time of celebration for billions of people around the world. For many, the celebration comes to an abrupt and nauseating end when they wake up the next day and experience the "New Years Hangover."

People have always tried to cure the hangover with homemade or over-the-counter treatments in an effort to alleviate those nasty symptoms of overindulgence. Yet, health officials all say the same thing, "Those things don't work."

Laurin Sydney joined us on "Good Morning America" on Saturday to talk about the myths and facts on how to cure a hangover.

Myths And Facts

Myths and facts about sobering up and "curing" hangovers, from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism:

Myth: Drink coffee. Caffeine will sober you up.

Fact: The body needs time to metabolize alcohol and even more time to return to normal. There are no trick cures; only time will help.

Myth: Take aspirin and drink a lot of water at bedtime to prevent a hangover.

Fact: Water helps with dehydration, but aspirin can make your stomach hurt, and acetaminophen (Tylenol) can be toxic to a liver soaked with alcohol.

Myth: Eat before going to sleep to soak up the alcohol and prevent nausea.

Fact: Food does more the morning after, especially foods with complex carbohydrates (such as cereals and breads) that help replenish blood sugar and ease an upset stomach.

Myth: A morning drink will help cure a hangover (the "hair of the dog" theory).

Fact: This short-term "cure" only feels good because your brain is reacting to alcohol. You can get back to normal only by getting alcohol out of your system.

How To Avoid Hangovers

MedLinePlus.gov offers these tips to avoid a hangover:

The obvious: don't drink alcohol.

Drink slowly and on a full stomach.

Drink only in moderation. (The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism recommends that women have no more than one drink per day and men no more than two drinks per day. One drink is defined as a 12-ounce bottle of beer; a 4-ounce glass of wine; or a 1 1/2-ounce shot of liquor.)

Drink a glass of water in between drinks containing alcohol. This will help you drink less alcohol and will also decrease the dehydration associated with drinking alcohol.