The science of hangovers

It's been a rough week. It's time to relax, go out with friends and have a drink. Or two. Or four. Soon the rough week turns into a blurry memory ... until the next morning begins with a pounding headache, a queasy stomach, cotton mouth and a single thought wildly rushing through that spinning head: a promise to never drink again. \nIn simple terms, that fun night involved too much alcohol and the splitting headache signals a hangover. While there's only one certain method of prevention -- abstinence -- there's always the possibility of hangover cures.\nSenior Samantha Groff usually combats her hangovers with a home-cooked tomato and feta cheese omelet. She also takes two Advil pills, drinks a huge bottle of water and eats buttered toast after a night of drinking in an effort to prevent a hangover. \n"I don't know if it's effective, but I do it," Groff said.\nGroff's story signifies the importance of separating the myths of hangover cures from the realities. With the semester's end and the holidays just around the corner, many IU students will celebrate with alcoholic beverages, often reaching for their own hangover remedies. A closer look into the science of hangovers will reveal which cures work and which ones don't. \nH20 hangover help\nMost literature agrees on the symptoms for veisalgia, the scientific term for alcohol hangover (from the Norwegian kveis, or "uneasiness following debauchery," and Greek algia, or "pain").\nIt's often characterized by a headache, dehydration, fatigue, muscle aches and shakiness. The key to understanding hangovers begins with knowing what happens when that first gulp of beer is swallowed. Alcohol passes through the stomach and small intestine into the bloodstream, a process called absorption, which distributes it throughout the body.\nMost alcohol is then metabolized -- converted into other compounds -- in the liver. A small quantity remains unmetabolized, which is how alcohol concentration can be measured in breath and urine. But the liver can metabolize only a certain amount of alcohol per hour, regardless of the quantity consumed. Because the absorption rate is slower than metabolism, intoxication occurs when alcohol accumulates in the body.\nBacktracking through this process reveals two ways to ease hangover effects. One is simple: drink in moderation. The other is to drink on a full stomach, which slows the absorption process. Food, especially complex carbohydrates, is more useful to the hungover body the next morning instead of right after a night of drinking.\nIn a telephone interview, Dr. Jeffrey Wiese of Tulane University, also recommended maintaining hydration while drinking. An associate professor at the University's School of Medicine, Wiese researches hangovers and their effects.\nSince alcohol is a diuretic, the more people drink the more they have to go to the bathroom, which can lead to dehydration and those pounding hangover headaches. Drinking water between alcoholic drinks can reduce alcohol consumption and is usually more effective in lessening headaches than drinking water at the end of the night.\nFood and medicinal remedies\nIn ancient times, plants were used to both ward off and cure hangovers. The Romans wore garlands of celery while the Greeks used parsley, according to "The Hangover Handbook," a 1980s "helpful and hilarious guide to preventing and curing hangovers." Ancient Egyptians and Romans used cabbage to treat hangovers. And one story claims eggs Benedict was invented by a man trying to fix his hangover.\nBut food isn't the remedy for all hangover victims. \n"When I first wake up with a hangover, usually my first thought is, 'Now I have to work out,'" said senior Julie Kedzie, who doesn't eat when she has a hangover. Although working out may feel good, it isn't a proven hangover cure either.\nAnother myth involves those over-the-counter pills that claim to eliminate hangovers. \n"Most are a combination of vitamins and caffeine. The vitamins aren't bad for you, but caffeine is a diuretic," Wiese said.\nSince caffeine makes dehydration worse, Wiese recommends avoiding coffee as well, dispelling another myth.\n"It may give you a little rush, but a pot of coffee won't cure a hangover," he said.\nBut according to the National Headache Foundation, caffeine can relieve some hangover pain. NHF also recommends taking ibuprofen instead of aspirin or Tylenol. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism agrees, because aspirin can irritate the stomach, and in some people, acetaminophen (Tylenol) can be dangerous to a liver soaked with alcohol. Kedzie has found that Aleve helps her hangover headaches.\nMore myths\nExperts agree that the "hair-of-the-dog" solution is another myth. This long-standing theory suggests that the way to cure a hangover is to take a hair from the dog that bit you -- essentially, to drink more alcohol. But "The Hangover Handbook" offers many other hangover remedies, including rolling around naked in the snow (perfect for the upcoming winter).\nKnowing which alcohol causes the worst hangovers is always helpful. In general, the darker the alcohol the more congeners, or impurities, and the worse the hangover. Alcohols such as cognac, brandy, whiskey and red wine have more congeners than vodka, gin and white wine.\nAn important thing to keep in mind is that waking up feeling fine after a night of heavy drinking might be an illusion. The NIAAA says alcohol can impair judgment and coordination for more than 12 hours after drinking. Heavy drinking can inhibit REM sleep as well, causing sluggishness. \nMost hangovers disappear within 24 hours, but for some, it can be a long 24 hours.\nGroff knows all too well. She said a night in a Paris tequila bar a few years ago still haunts her. Less than two hours of drinking turned into a nasty hangover that lasted until the next evening.\nHer experience reveals the sobering truth about hangover cures; there's really only one -- time.