It’s scientifically proven: the older you get, the less severe your hangover
Hangovers. I hate them. And that’s despite the fact that it all started out so innocently. (Or, well, actually it didn’t. My first hangover was from ouzo. In Greece. It was hell). But apparently there is also some positive hangover news! Those terrible hangovers become less severe as you get older. Say whut? Yes, really!
The older, the… better!
All the studies on hangovers and partying really teach you only one thing: your hangover gets worse as you get older. Well, apparently not. I read a study claiming the opposite. Your hangover actually becomes less severe as you get older, because, according to the main conclusion, you drink less as you age because you can’t handle alcohol as well. You simply get tipsy faster when you go out for drinks (despite ouzo: hobby) at, let’s say, forty instead of twenty.
Your hangover grows with you
A scientist from Boston University School of Medicine explains it perfectly: ‘Not everyone experiences the same kind of hangover. Most studies focus on hangovers among younger people under thirty, but few studies examine how a hangover develops with you throughout your life. Moreover, more than 50,000 people took part in this study, so now we can really say something meaningful.’
Binge drinking
And what’s so important about these new findings? It’s not just that as you get older, you may not hit the bottle quite as often as when you were still young, fresh and sprightly. Here’s the thing: the older you get, the less often you engage in binge drinking. You may drink just as much as a twenty-year-old, but spread a few glasses dutifully throughout the week, rather than downing nine tequila shots in one evening. That’s why you get a less severe hangover as you get older: your liver is more accustomed to that serving of wine. And scientists especially find that binge drinking is never a good idea, while the occasional glass of wine here and there doesn’t do quite as much harm to your body.
Going out for drinks tonight?
According to lead researcher Stephens: ‘Younger drinkers get worse hangovers that also last longer. Twenty-somethings who enjoy a drink are up to twice as likely to get a hangover as older, more experienced drinkers. So be especially careful if you’re young.’ Ha. All those studies saying you should drink less as you get older can therefore go straight in the bin. Go ahead and laugh at those teenagers and twenty-somethings. You know better: you have experience. Drinking wine, that is. Cheers!
Source: Science Daily
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