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Subscribe to RSSSome people swear by bacon. Or Red Bull. Or a big bacon cheeseburger with fries -- the greasier the better.
Thanks to new research out of Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, though, we now know the exact cause of the hangover headache and the Absolut … er … absolute best way to get rid of them. (And no, it’s not a hair of the dog that bit you.)
Turns out, the scientifically-proven best hangover cure may be plain old coffee and aspirin.
As Dr. Michael L. Oshinsky explains, alcohol in the body is metabolized to acetaldehyde, and then to acetate. “The dogma has always been that acetaldehyde causes the headache because it’s poisonous,” says Oshinsky, assistant professor for the department of neurology at Thomas Jefferson University. “But there’s been no direct evidence to demonstrate that.”
So Oshinsky and his colleagues decided to investigate what actually causes hangover headaches -- by throwing a series of parties for their lab rats.
“We used 190 proof, medical proof alcohol and gave them the equivalent of one shot,” says Oshinsky, director of preclinical research at the Jefferson Headache Center. “It was like drinking one beer or one mixed drink or one glass of wine. It was a very small amount of alcohol – we just gave it to them in a pure form.”
In order to pinpoint the exact cause of the hangover headache, the researchers separated the strings of the alcohol metabolism process.
The first step was to block the breakdown of the alcohol, but that didn’t have an effect, i.e., the rats continued to party, headache-free. Then they blocked the breakdown of the acetaldehyde by giving the rats antabuse, the drug given to chronic alcoholics. (Antabuse prevents the breakdown of acetaldehyde to acetate, which causes shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting and other unpleasant side effects.)
“The rats didn’t get a headache,” he says, explaining that they do sensory testing around the head and face of the animal to detect the presence of a headache. “Although there was a decrease in the analgesic response. We couldn’t tell if they were nauseous, though. Rats don’t throw up.”
Finally the researchers shot the rats full of acetate, the final step in the alcohol metabolism chain.
“Sure enough, they got a headache,” says Oshinsky. “Then we gave them a higher dose and they got more of headache for a longer amount of time.”
Oshinsky says their research disproved other commonly held beliefs such as hangover headaches are caused by dehydration or congeners, substances produced during fermentation that are responsible for the taste, aroma and color of the alcohol.
Once the source of the hangover headache was located, the researchers then set about figuring out how to get rid of the pesky things, using known headache blockers. Turns out the combination of caffeine and over-the-counter inflammatory drugs (i.e., NSAIDs – things like aspirin and ibuprofen) were best at blocking the head-pounding effects of the acetate.
Although as with everything, timing is crucial.
“If you drink a small amount of alcohol, three or four hours later, drink some coffee,” he says. “Or take caffeine in some form, like an Excedrin that has caffeine in it. If you take the caffeine at the same time as you drink, it will be gone when the acetate levels are high.”
As for those greasy hamburgers, he says, they’re definitely not the way to go.
“I don’t see what the mechanism for that would be,” he says. “It’s a lot easier to take an NSAID with a cup of coffee or tea.”
Marina Frykholm says the caffeine and aspirin route sounds feasible, but she’d rather stick with her tried and true hangover cure -- frozen mango.
“I lay flat on my back and put part of a frozen bag of mangos on my forehead,” says the 29-year-old TV advertising/promotions associate from Seattle. “And I only move to put partially defrosting chunks of mango in my mouth.”
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Two Jack-In-The-Box tacos and a diet Coke is the best cure I've found!
More alcohol cures/prevents a hangover.
And when they want to start conducting this experiment on humans, email me PLEASE!
Umm explain your reasoning behind that Bebop, one would figure that adding addition amounts of the base substance would result in more severe effects in the long run. I do thoroughly agree with that study though I have been using coffee and excedrin extra stregnth on my hangover headaches for a long time now, works without fail, and usually within about half an hour.
Up Uranus
You got the taco statement right. That's exactly where I was headed when I clicked on this story. You beat me to the punch.
When I used to drink extremely heavy I'd always have a pan of buttermilk bisquits waiting when I came thru the door. Eat a couple of them and then hit the hay, get up the next morning feeling right as rain. All the many years of heavy drinking I never had a hangover if I ate the bisquits.
I like the Irish solution. "Well we're going to be smashed in a few hours anyway so might as well put the coffee right in with the alcohol."
I have to agree with the Excedrin part, but not the coffee. Best way to never get a hangover - Take 2 Excedrin before drinking, drink however much you want, then before passing out, drink a 20oz Gatorade. Me and my friends have followed this method and no hangover the next day.
A good spicy Bloody Mary works every time!
I hate to break it to the "scientists", but they didn't prove that there are no other factors in a hangover other than acetate.
1. A hangover is not just a headache.
2. Proving acetate causes headaches does not mean they disproved other factors causing headaches. Let's not forget that we don't even have a medical explanation for all headaches that happen (with or without alcohol).
3. Their study does nothing to address the fact that different beverages/mixes produce different hangover levels even when the alcohol content was identical. (This may just be anecdotal, but it is an extremely common occurrence, and they tried to side step the issue by using pure alcohol).
Let me give you an example: Even similar products such as Busch Beer and Budweiser have very different components. Busch uses corn, Budweiser uses rice. Various people are known to digest and react differently to corn and rice.
Then you factor in the overall sugar content of the drink. I think there is such a thing as a sugar "hangover". This would mostly apply to mixed drinks which frequently have very high sugar content.
So no, this study doesn't prove why we get worse hangovers from some drinks but not others (don't believe me, switch to the really cheap beer, and if you can get it down...you'll see what I mean the next morning.
It doesn't prove what the "best" hangover cure is. We already knew aspirin works good on headaches and that caffeine makes it more effective at that job.
But I will end with this: if you drink, especially more than one or two at a time, do not use acetaminophen ever. It is proven to damage livers. In fact, while no one has ever overdosed on marijuana, hundreds a year die from acetaminophen overdose. And that does not include the thousands that die from the damage to the liver from that drug.
It's best to tell your doctor that you drink, so they can avoid prescribing anything with acetaminophen in it (you would be surprised how many products have it, NyQuil mixes alcohol and acetaminophen in the same bottle!).
I'm a little skeptical of the research...How can you tell that a rat has a headache? Sensory testing around the head and face of a lab rat? What does that mean? Looking at the facial expression of a rat to see if he's squinting?
Wow, man. I can't get over some of the conclusions they've come to, given the specific tests they actually ran. Two big problems with this article (note to researchers, if you read this please respond)
1 - The following statement:
Oshinsky says their research disproved other commonly held beliefs such as hangover headaches are caused by dehydration or congeners, substances produced during fermentation that are responsible for the taste, aroma and color of the alcohol.
How was this disproven?? How can you claim so when only 190 proof alcohol, and no other form/type fo alcohol, was given to the lab rats? Having partied hard all through college and much of my 20's, I can guaran-frigging-tee you that drinking a couple 40s of Olde English or Budweiser will destroy you the next day. Heck, even drinking red versus white wine. There's been considerable research done on "hangovers" that directly link higher congener levels in red wine and dark liquors which result in much worse hangovers compared to clear wine/liquor such as white wine or vodka.
2. As for those greasy hamburgers, he says, they’re definitely not the way to go.
“I don’t see what the mechanism for that would be,” he says. “It’s a lot easier to take an NSAID with a cup of coffee or tea.”
Where did this guy get his doctorate from, online from Phoenix University? Again, it's an established fact that hangover remedies such as greasy fries, burgers, etc actually work to varying extents due to the endorphins (nature's natural pain killer) the brain releases once the fat/salt/sugar levels are digested in the stomach. This effect is similar to what fast food addicts always chase; the same "rush" of endorphins from consuming this type of food.
Awful article all around.
How inhumane to test on poor innocent creatures -like people can't be tested on in this situation. I think there are so many needless experiments on animals for some rediculous study as this. Hope karma catches up with you and you have a long suffering death!
Best cure for a hangove: PREVENTION. Stop getting drunk - you aren't funny, its not a good time, and you are a potential harmer of others.
Its not socially acceptable and we shouldn't glorify it.
What a waste of time & money. Not to mention torture of defenseless animals. I have found the perfect foolproof way to cure a hangover, DON'T DRINK. A hangover is nature's way of telling you that you have abused alcohol. And if you drink enough to get regular hangovers and have to worry about hangover cures then get some help. Try AA, it's simple, it's cheap and it works! 21 years for me without a hangover, and a much better way of life.
hangovers is why I quit drinking.
Lisa, I try to avoid "me too" responses, but.... me too. This article was silly. As with so many others on this list, I have way too many years of drinking experience, and have endured perhaps a thousand hangovers, so there's not much anyone can tell me about hangovers. In fact, I consider myself an expert on hangovers. In my vast experience there is nothing that can cure a hangover. I do believe that drinking a lot of water whilst drinking alcohol can help to mitigate a hangover the next day. That's about it. Don't drink alcohol at all, or stop at two on a big night, and drink water. Anyway I now drink a six-pack every two weeks instead of a six-pack per day and life is better.
One more thing -- since drinking usually occurs at night, the advice to take caffeine 4 hours after drinking is about as worthless as worthless can be. Sheesh! Regards....
This is why I like rum & coke - cause and cure, all in one neat bubbly package!
(Yes, I did read the part about needing to take the caffeine four hours later. I'm using poetic license. Sue me.)
The end of the article says, "I lay frozen mangos on my forehead and only move to put them in my mouth". Hangover is one thing, unable to really move screams "alcoholic". Not to be a hyprocrit cause Im a drinky drawers myself - but dude that sounds a little problematic. LOL
The article doesn't say she CAN'T move. . it only says she doesn't move. . .mostly likely to help the headache (instead of taking asprin . . which when mixed with booze damages your liver).
I don't care for coffee. A vitamin B-Complex +B-12 tablet and a tall glass of cold tomato juice gets me up and running in no time.
Excedrin has acetaminophen in it which is extremely damaging to your liver when taken with alcohol. As a doctor I would think that Mr. Oshinsky would know that and not be telling people to take these two things together. Although interesting, this is a very irresponsible article.
I thought the article said to take the Excedrin at least three or four hours later. Wouldn't the alcohol have been mostly processed by then? He followed that statement by saying that if you take it at the same time as the alcohol, it would be gone by the time you actually needed it (when the acetate levels are high). So he's telling people not to take the Excedrin at the same time as the alcohol, as it wouldn't do any good.
And wouldn't most people be taking their hangover cures the morning after, anyway? I don't see anything irresponsible here.
Kdev, depends on the type of excedrin. Yes it has acetaminophen, but certain types also have asprin, and caffine, as well. And as lynn said, who the heck would take it the night before. Yes someone who is plastered enough to have a hangover is going to think it is a brilliant idea to take something for pain, when they are too drunk to even comprehend the feeling of pain.
lynn
It depends on the amount of alchohol consumed. If it was enough for a good pisser, three or four hours won't do it. You could stop drinking at midnight and the next morning have enough alchohol in your system to be legally drunk.
My husband was a bartender for 19 years & he advocates two aspirin or ibuprofen & a full 8 oz glass of water right before bed. Has worked for me!
Roger that NoBody59: Ibuprofen and lots of water. Works for me every time. Older now and don't do that anymore, except at deer camp...The wife's not around...
Excedrin has acetaminophen in it which is extremely damaging to your liver when taken with alcohol. As a doctor, I would think that Mr. Oshinsky would know this and not be telling people to take these things together to prevent hangovers. Although interesting this article is very irresponsible.
he didn't say take acetaminophen - he said aspirin or NSAIDS, and caffeine -
Actually, he did - he said "Or take caffeine in some form, like an Excedrin that has caffeine in it" and since Excedrin contains acetaminophen, advocating taking Excedrin is the same thing as advocating taking acetaminophen.
Excedrin has acetaminophen in it which is extremely damaging to your liver when taken with alcohol. As a doctor, I would think that Mr. Oshinsky would know this and not be telling people to take these things together to prevent hangovers. Although interesting this article is very irresponsible.
Scooter Dude
Third time's the charm. (#7 & #9)
My best solution for a hangover - or rather to prevent a hangover - drink all you want but begin drinking lots of water toward the end of your binge. Then drink lots more water before going to bed. You may have to get up to pee during the night, but it works. I wake up with a clear head and no headache when I do this, no matter how much alcohol I've consumed.
Yep - if I can drink a quart of water within 2 hours of going to bed, I feel good as new in the morning.
I concur.
A pitcher of good ol H2O before bed really works. Couple that with an aspirin and you're good to go the next morning.
Yep, right before bed, works every time!
Doesn't hurt to be in your 20's or 30's either.
Medicinal marijuana works wonders for my chronic hangovers.
Also not mentioned in the article: the age of the drinker is a definite factor in the development of a hangover. In college, I could use Smlfry2's method and stave off an Everclear and grapefruit-juice hangover. Now, an extra glass of red wine at dinner gives me a headache that no amount of drowning before bed will prevent. The curse of Anno Domini!
The red wine headache is not just a hangover, it's probably a migraine. Read up on it. Red wine is one of the known triggers for migraines. I, myself, cannot drink one glass without triggering a migraine. Too bad because I love red wine.
So you're supposed to wake up in the middle of the night and start drinking cofee????....dumb article.
If you don't want a hangover but still want to drink try vodka. I like mine with fresh squeezed grapefruit juice.
Yeah, the headache is a problem, but really, the nausea is the bad part of a hangover.
I agree. Heachaches are definitely not the worst part of a hangover. This article should be called "This just in from the no-@!$%# department: Aspirin cures headaches!"
You are right, Pop, but I think that they were trying to address the most common symptom of hangovers, which is the headache, and to see what really works, and what does not. I mean how often do you have both the headache and nausea, vs just having the hangover headache. In doing so, they found out certain things, such as NSAIDS, and caffine, work, where something like straight acetominophen, without caffine, like Tylenol, does not work.
True. I can deal with the headaches better than the stomach problems.
...which is why the truly best cure for an all-around hangover is...Alka-Seltzer. It has asprin ('nuff said) as well as sodium bicarbonate which does wonders for the quesy stomach. Follow it with a cup of black jo and you're good to go...back to bed. LOL!
I prefer the alka-seltzer shot with a Jack daniels chaser. Works wonders for me. :)
I do agree, but don't fully understand why drinking more beer when you have a hangover does put the headache to bed. It does work, believe me. It does seem to me that drinking mixers that have energy drinks in them like cherrybombs (Red Bull + Three Olives cherry vodka) don't give me nearly as bad a hangover (or one at all) as excessive amounts of just straight alcohol or beer does.
Old freind of mine long ago swore by taking two uncoated asprin before crashing out after a night of drinking. I tried it once and it worked like a charm, no hangover at all. I guess these researchers proved what my buddy had been doing for a long time, even though he was taking it while still intoxicated.
Hey Hu Phlung Pu (great screen name btw!)
I totally agree that 2 aspirins + 2 large glasses of water works wonders for feeling great the next morning after a nite of relentless, or even modest, consumption!
I may have to modify my routine to include a cup of Joe tho too!
phlung pu, funny, I'm still laughing.....phlung pu lol
Master Pu,
How is someone that creative participating here ?
Well I waste time here, so I guess I get it, but good chuckle.
Wow this is pretty deep. I just drink 12-18 ounces of water and toss in a 2-3 200mg IB and go to bed when i am done drinking. I have found a useful bit by doing this. So this is my process and it works great for Henneseey Priv, which must have less hangover making agents in it. I have noticed consuming less of other types of drank i feel more burned out int he morning than when i drink cognacs...
Either stop drinking altogether or limit yourself to the recommended maximum of ONE drink per DAY for women or TWO drinks per DAY for men.
Any more than that and you are increasing the danger of harm to your organs and brain.
It's time to make the one/two drink maximum part of our social culture and deglamorize "partying," e.g. drinking multiple drinks over a period of hours.
So let me get this right, you are trying to reverse a trend that has been going on for thousands of years? I wish you luck.
Thats no fun at all.
Thanks for the tip, Susie Buzzkill.
OMG, that's funny!! Cheers to that.
Debbie Downer
ttMadison: Does tt stand for "teetotaler"? There's something about your BOLD FACING the amount you decree we should drink that makes me want to pop a cork.
Vitamin B Complex before I go to bed works like a charm!
Orange Gatorade.
WWJD everybody! What Would Jesus Drink!
Jesus was into wine. It was the only beverage consumed in the bible.
What? Jesus didn't drink Four Loko???
Best thing is to chug a bunch of water before you go to bed. In the morning, chug more water, eat a banana or take a B-Complex vitamin, then go out for french toast or a cheeseburger. I always feel like the grease just cuts right through the remaining alcohol. Mmmmm, burger.
The water takes care of the hangover. It keeps your veins full. The burger settles your tummy if you've been drinking acidic booze. I thought everybody knew that. These "scientists" must not get out much. Too much time partying with rats.
Mine is to not drink any alcohol at all, and then wake up feeling great the next morning.
You know what they say Bob. Never trust a person who doesn't drink.
Bet you're a real barrel of laughs on a Saturday night, Bob.
Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy. -- Ben Franklin.
I know where to go for a designated driver in Chicago! You can party with me any day, Bob!
Obviously that doctor doesn't know anything except what he is told. I have 50 years of experience. Yes the Water trick before bed works wonders. The asprin (plain asprin) before bed works great also. Coffee, bacon, buttered toast, all work great the next morning to get the bathroom blow-out happening. Cheeseburgers, and Monster tacos from Jack help after a heavy night before bed. BUT The very best thing you can do is to not mix while drinking or mix very little. For example if you like rum (and I hope you dont drink the cheap stuff) try small splashes of Coke. The less mix the better. Stay away from wheat vodkas, potatoe vodkas with very little club soda. Takes longer to drink them because they are much stronger but you eventually get used to it. Straight up is even better. If you drink beer or wine forget it because you will feel bad the next day, want to barf and be blowing chunks out your rear end. Drink a lot of water and take an asprin before bed it will help a lot. If you drink until you pass out you are an amature and need more practice (you will wake up hurting bad and think your brain is going to explode- and it might) You can drink mass quantities and still be in CONTROL if you practice-practice-practice. The key to practice is control likewise the key to control is practice. Think of it as the kamasutra of alcohol. Don't be a spaz or nimrod act like an adult and keep your shi* together. No one likes an a-hole and no one like to babysit anyone if you start feeling woozies STOP and get some cold water - puking on people, their car, or floor is way un-cool, this will earn you nimrod status. Don't be idiot and try to drive or anything. DUI's are a major downer for days and weeks and months. You could hurt yourself or someone else. So be an adult and not a jerk-wad. Learn how to drink.
Yessir!! I'm a drinker with only 10 years under my belt, compared to you but...... SPOT ON...haha
AMEN! and further, the doctor is NOT dumb regarding popping a couple of Excedrin. Yes, there's acetaminophen in Excedrin, HOWEVER, unless you have end stage liver failure or have already drank yourself into full blown cirrhosis, a one time dose of acetaminophen is NOT, I repeat, NOT going to kill you. For pete's sake, stop drinking the proverbial kool-aid....even people who have liver issues can still take up to 4 grams of Tylenol in 24 hours without any problem....it's what your liver DOES...it's your liver's JOB! STOP THE MADNESS....and stop trying to use scare tactics to traumatize people.....have fun! Get your party on! If you wake up with a headache, take a couple Excedrin, a cup of coffee, a nap...and get out there and ENJOY LIFE! NAYSAYERS BE DAMMNED! : )
How do they tell when the rats have a headache? Imbibing minds want to know.
I know -- weird, right? But we answer that in the post, actually:
Just catching up on this. When I spent 10 years in Chicago in my 20-30's beer was a food group. I did the research and determined that alcohol depletes your B vitamins while smoking (did that for 42 years but have quit over a year ago) depletes vitamin C. My formula to cure the hangover became a BIG B-Complex with vitamin C (always good to have a little) tablet with a 12-oz. glass of water and two aspirin. Best at bedtime, but OK if you wake up, take it and nap a couple hours before you need to leave home in the AM.
As someone who works in nightlife media, I have the pleasure of drinking often and trying to solve that issue the next day. I'd argue that the "best" hangover cure varies person-by-person (not rat-by-rat). There are also a lot of interesting anti-hangover products that really do help out if you can remember to take them around the time you are drinking. I've found the effervecent (sp?) ones to be the most effective.
Regardless. Sleep and plenty of water work the best for me. If not, more booze. :-)
A huge bowl of some massively spice laden chilli burns it right out of me. (Preferably with venison, but I will accept beef.) I know what you're thinking, and yes, it burns that too!
The absolute best, fastest working hangover cure is Regular Alka-Selzer! Try it, you'll like it...
It quickly delivers the asprin to your system and voila!
I've always heard that stuff works good but I cant stand to drink it.
jble, just guzzle it as fast as you can. it does indeed work and it's a small amount of liquid, but if you really can't drink it, then drink water before bed, alcohol will dehydrate you.