When it comes to hangovers, we’d all like to avoid them.
Unfortunately, the age-old myth that drinking water dulls those achy, nauseous mornings was disproven by a recent Dutch study.
Yes, you read that correctly.
The idea that drinking water can prevent hangovers is officially an old wives’ tale and can be crossed off a long list of things thought to remedy hangovers.
Of 826 Dutch students, 54 percent ate foods including the fatty, heavy breakfast variety after drinking alcohol in the hope of avoiding the dreaded nausea and headache that inevitably come with hangovers.
In similar efforts, while drinking alcohol, more than two-thirds of students drank water and more than half drank water before going to bed.
The results?
While students in these groups showed minimal improvement in how they felt after drinking compared to those who did not drink water, the severity of their hangovers showed no real difference.
So what is the only known way to really avoid next-day side effects of going a little too hard at Kilroy’s on Kirkwood or Kilroy’s Sports Bar the night before?
The answer is simple, said Dr. Joris Verster of Utrecht University: “drink less.”
Shocking, I know.
It’s not the exact answer everyone our age wants to hear.
But college students everywhere can rejoice, as researchers have not given up on finding a “cure” for hangovers.
However, this is unlikely to happen until the cause of a hangover is fully understood.
The only problem with this?
Researchers are referring to the remedy for a hangover as a “cure,” as if getting totally wasted and waking up feeling nauseous is comparable to having a serious disease such as cancer or HIV.
Hold up.
The last time I checked, people make the voluntary choice to go out and drink themselves silly.
People certainly do not choose to suffer from life threatening illnesses.
While I see nothing wrong with going out and enjoying a few drinks with some friends, I do see an issue with treating a hangover like an ailment that is out of a person’s control.
I do see an issue with putting so much time and resources towards finding a “cure” for something people choose to do to themselves.
Not to mention the risks that could potentially come with finding a remedy to hangovers.
Although it might be nice to dream of a world without hangovers without the burden of worrying about whether or not they would wake up with a hangover the next day, many people would probably indulge in even more drinking.
The obvious problem with this is people could push their limits and risk alcohol poisoning.
Six people die of alcohol poisoning in America every day, according to reports from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
A hangover is like the body’s less serious warning of the grave dangers that can coincide with drinking.
Don’t want a hangover? Know your limits.
tatadams@indiana.edu
