Drinking for science: these people drank liters of alcohol for a hangover study
Well, we should certainly be grateful to these people: the test subjects who voluntarily got completely drunk as part of a study designed to determine which drink gives you the worst hangover, and whether the order in which you drink beer and wine makes any difference to the severity of your hangover.
That’s what AD writes, explaining the results of a study conducted by a British and a German university. The outcome may surprise you, and when thinking about your next hangover, spare a thought for those poor participants who sacrificed their morning (and perhaps the entire day) in the name of science so that we know which drink or combination we’d be better off avoiding…
Another round, please
The scientists created unusual research conditions: under strict laboratory conditions, they simulated a night out for the 90 test subjects, all aged between 19 and 40. They were divided into three test groups: the first group was given 2.5 pints of beer (almost 1.5 liters!) followed by four glasses of white wine, the second received the same quantities but in the opposite order, and the final group received only beer or only wine. For control purposes, they returned a week later to repeat the test, but groups 1 and 2 were then given the types of drink in the opposite order.
Order and factors
And what did they find? The order in which you drink these beverages has no effect on the severity of your hangover. Why people get hangovers is instead related to a combination of factors: the alcohol level in your blood, dehydration, immune responses, and disruptions to metabolism and hormone balance.
Multiple causes
You may also experience worse hangovers if you are sensitive to substances such as tannins, sulfites, and histamine in wine, or depending on the amount of ‘congeners’ in certain drinks. Congeners are by-products released when sugar is converted into alcohol, and they are found in greater quantities in red wine and rum, for example, and in lower quantities in lager and white wine.
In any case, this study may also show that the old ‘wisdoms’ “beer after wine brings pain” and “wine after beer brings cheer” can be consigned to the trash. What it does prove once again: enjoy, but drink in moderation.
Also read:
- 9 hangover tips from restaurant chefs
- Eddie’s food frustrations: having a hangover when you’re not supposed to have one
- Does taking paracetamol preventively help against a hangover?
Source: AD
