There are few things more soul-destroying than a debilitating hangover. Head throbbing and throat drier than the Sahara Desert, sometimes hangovers can be so horrendously all-consuming it feels like they'll never end.
When the inside of your skull feels like it's being battered with a thousand tiny hammers, the last thing in the world you want to do is anything productive. Rather, a more typical course of action would probably be to lie in bed and contemplate the series of bad decisions that culminated in yet another hungover Sunday morning.
Now, a court in Germany has ruled the self-inflicted condition an 'illness' - much to the delight of alcohol enthusiasts.
[[imagecaption|| Credit: Pexels]]
The ruling came about after a company claimed to have created anti-hangover shots and drinks powders. It was taken to court because the claims it made were deemed to be illegal.
In the case, hangovers were described as illnesses because of the debilitating effects they can have on the body. And no food or drink product can be legally marketed as being able to prevent illness.
In the video below, Taylor Swift dances while intoxicated:
"Information about a food product cannot ascribe any properties for preventing, treating or healing a human illness or give the impression of such a property," the superior regional court's ruling said.
"By an illness, one should understand even small or temporary disruptions to the normal state or normal activity of the body."
[[imagecaption|| Credit: Pixabay]]
The company in question was not named in the ruling, which defined an illness as the tiredness, nausea, and headaches caused by hangovers.
Regardless, the ruling will be helpful to the countless revelers partaking in this year's Oktoberfest, which began on September 21 in Munich - especially as many will inevitably have to call in sick to work with debilitating hangovers!
These seven words are practically our mantra on a Saturday night out - but unfortunately for all of us who enjoy a tipple, it seems that it might not actually be true.
A recent study looked into whether the order of your drinks has an effect on the magnitude of your hangover. And, news flash: if you drink too much alcohol, you will be hungover no matter what.
[[imagecaption|| Credit: Getty Images]]
While this revelation may seem obvious to some, to other drinkers who relied on the idea that if they played their cards right with the order of their alcoholic bevvies, they could avoid 24 hours of torture the next day, it's fairly devastating news.
The study saw researchers ply 90 volunteers with beer and white wine to order to settle the debate once and for all. Those who partook were aged 19 to 40 and were given a standardised meal tailored to their individual energy requirements, then split into three groups.
The first group drank about two and a half pints of lager followed by four large glasses of white wine. The second had the same drinks but in reverse order, while the third and final group had beer or wine up to the same breath alcohol concentration. Every volunteer drank up to 0.11 per cent, so they would have the same alcohol level in their systems.
Throughout the night, researchers monitored and quizzed the participants on how drunk they felt. Then, before bedtime, each person was given a glass of water, the size depending on their body weight.
[[imagecaption|| Credit: Getty]]
After a night under medical supervision, they were asked to rate how awful their hangovers were and scored on the acute hangover scale, which takes into account factors including thirst, fatigue, headache, dizziness.
The next morning was seemingly vomit-filled, with those who threw up the ones most likely to rate their hangover as severe. Urgh - we've all been there!
After a week to get over their headaches, the volunteers returned and did it all again. This time, however, the people who drank beer before wine on their first visit started on the wine, and vice versa. In addition, those who had drunk only beer were given wine and vice versa again.
The results, published Thursday in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, showed that there was no difference in the intensity of a hangover brought on by drinking wine first followed by beer, or the other way around.
[[imagecaption|| Credit: Helena Lopes]]
Speaking about the study, Kai Hensel, a senior clinical fellow at Cambridge University, one of the researchers involved, confirmed that drink order had no effect on your sore head the next morning.
"Everyone knows the saying, “beer before wine and you’ll feel fine; wine before beer and you’ll feel queer," he said. "We thought there must be something in it, how can we test it? We debunked the saying, it’s not true. You’re going to be the same whatever order you drink these beverages in."
He made it clear, however, that the study only compared beer with white wine, and did not include red wine, spirits or dark beers.
"The truth is that drinking too much of any alcoholic drink is likely to result in a hangover," added Jöran Köchling, the first author on the study from Witten/Herdecke University in Germany. "The only reliable way of predicting how miserable you’ll feel the next day is by how drunk you feel and whether you are sick. We should all pay attention to these red flags when drinking."
So, there you have it, folks. If you do the crime, you do the time! Gutted.
If there's one thing more likely to put you off drinking than anything else, it's a hangover. Sure, having a few beers and letting loose on the dance floor is fun - but is it really worth the relentless nausea, debilitating headache, and overwhelming desire to crawl into bed and never get out again the next morning?
Well, seeing as we've been doing it for thousands of years - and still continue to do it even though we know better - it apparently is.
Thankfully, there are a few things you can do to ease of the worst of that morning after grossness. Drinking plenty of water and eating some carbs before bed will help to soak up some of the alcohol and reduce dehydration, and doing the same thing the next morning should alleviate some of your suffering, too.
There are also a number of things you should avoid when you've got the post-booze blues. Unsurprisingly (or surprisingly, if you love a bit of hair of the dog), more alcohol comes top of the list, followed closely by reading all the text messages you sent your ex while intoxicated. However, there's one seemingly-healthy thing you should steer clear of if you're hungover: working out.
How anyone could ever fathom climbing out of bed - let alone hitting the gym - after a heavy night out is probably beyond most of our comprehension, but it's surprisingly common amongst people who are more active than average.
According to Mark Leyshon, the senior policy and research officer at Alcohol Concern, people who play more sport also drink more alcohol. "The reasons for this are not entirely clear, but may be tied up around ideas of masculinity and peer influences (‘play hard, drink hard’ attitudes), and notions that we’ve ‘earned’ the right to drink heavily after vigorous exercise or that we are immune from the negative effects of alcohol because we regularly exercise," he said.
But jumping straight back into a regular, active routine just a matter of hours after getting trashed is a very bad idea.
“Our performance after drinking will be pretty underwhelming,” Leyshon explained. “Alcohol makes our kidneys produce more urine, causing dehydration which will only be made worse by exercising, leading to reduced performance.”
But that's not all.
On top of that, alcohol interferes with the liver's ability to release glucose into the body, so your blood sugar will be lower than usual after a drink. Obviously, this is not an ideal condition to workout in.
Worst of all, though, excessive drinking sometimes leads to irregular heart activity.
Dr. Sarah Jarvis, a medical advisor for Drinkaware, said that "drinking can increase the potential for unusual heart rhythms."
She went on to explain, "This is a risk which significantly increases during exercise up to two days after heavy alcohol consumption. This is because the activity itself already increases your heart rate and with a lot of alcohol in your system, you put extra stress on the organ.”
Dr. Jarvis also went on to say how intoxication itself - rather than the hangover which follows - will have lasting effects the next day.
“You process at a very rough estimate about one unit an hour, and sometimes less. So your co-ordination could be affected, and you’re more likely not to know your limits – for instance, if you’re lifting weights.
“That means you’re much more likely to suffer an injury or strain something, which could put you out of action for a much longer time.”
So there you have it, guys: if your pal asks you to come to the gym with them the morning after a particularly eventful night, don't just tell them you can't go because you're hungover - say you're staying home for the sake of your health and wellbeing.
When you're hungover after a night of heavy drinking, sometimes the only cure is to stuff your face with something fried and covered in cheese. I know I'm guilty of going crazy for burgers and tacos with extra fries on the sides when I'm feeling rough after a night of partying.
But now a woman has gone viral on social media after making a hilariously bizarre order at a McDonald's restaurant while suffering from a bad hangover.
According to a report by Fox News, the restaurant guest is a woman from Toronto in Canada named Kate Vandermark, who allegedly ordered a burger and decided to make some amendments to the food item.
Yes, Kate decided to order her burger without any mustard... or onions... or pickles... or a bun... or a patty.
In fact, according to the photo of her receipt, which Poole's husband later shared on his personal Instagram account, all she actually paid for were two little packets of ketchup.
[[imagecaption|| Credit: Instagram]]
[[imagecaption|| Credit: Instagram]]
[[imagecaption|| Credit: Instagram]]
Katie's spouse uploaded a picture of the receipt she kept from her trip to McDonald's, which he captioned:
"So we had a few drinks last night @katievandemark decides a McDonald's hamburger will cure her hangover. Now Katie is the type of person who will make modifications to a classic - 'no pickles, no onions' etc.
"So this is what she ordered 'no pickles, no onions, no mustard, no bun, no patty' ...they literally sent us 2 ketchup packets!!!! [sic]"
A number of social media users obviously found the post quite relatable and took to the comments to share their appreciation for Katie's order.
For instance, one person wrote: "I've heard of 'having it your way,' but you at least have to have it. [sic]"
Meanwhile, someone else chimed in: "This is my favorite thing ever. I am still laughing. Omg. [sic]"
But this is far from the first time that a McDonald's order has gone viral. In fact, back in a mom ended up sparking a serious debate on social media, after she admitted that she took her six-month-old baby to McDonald's as a "treat."
As we ring in the new year, it's probably fair to assume that some of us are feeling a little worse for wear today.
Many of us will have opted to drown our sorrows with plenty of booze over New Year's Eve and will have woken up up this morning a little worse for wear.
Take a look at this video of a German kid drinking 'beer' at a football game:
But if you're showing all the symptoms of major alcoholic overindulgence then I have good news for you: A doctor has gone viral on social media this week after sharing their "life-changer' tips to minimize the serious effects of a hangover.
Per a report from News.com/au, Daniel Fenton, a British GP and Clinical Director at the London Doctors Clinic, has put together this handy step-by-step guide showing how you can avoid worsening your hangover in the future. Scroll down to check out these genius booze lifehacks:
1. Take antiacid pills before bed:
Dr. Fenton recommends taking antacids to reduce nausea, heartburn, and indigestion caused by alcoholic drinks, stating: "These are an absolute lifesaver for reducing stomach acid and will help you to feel less nauseous the following morning."
[[imagecaption|| Credit: Pexels]]
2. Stick to clear spirits:
When it comes to what to drink, Dr. Fenton claims that red and white wines are the most dangerous, and that clear spirits are your best bet to avoid worse aftereffects, stating: "We’ve all experienced the red wine hangover.
"There are ingredients in many drinks called congeners which do contribute significantly to hangovers and red wine and fortified wines have a lot of them.
"You probably already know this from experience. Vodka, gin, and white rum have less so you may get less of a hangover per unit of alcohol consumed."
[[imagecaption|| Credit: Pexels]]
3. Avoid espresso martinis at all costs:
Dr. Fenton also cautions drinkers not to binge on espresso martinis, as their high caffeine content means that they can worsen the effects of dehydration.
Dr. Fenton states: "The addition of caffeine acts as a stimulant and can make you feel really lively while at a party. However, one too many martinis will leave you feeling dry as a bone, as caffeine acts as a diuretic and causes you to make more frequent trips to the loo.
"Dehydration is one of the factors contributing to that morning hangover headache. So it may be better to keep it simple and have a drink without the caffeine infusion."
[[imagecaption|| Credit: Pexels]]
4. Eggs are your new best friend:
When it comes to avoiding a nasty hangover, paying special attention to your diet is key. Make sure to line your stomach before boozing, and eating eggs may help as well.
Dr. Fenton states: "Raw eggs do contain some of the essential amino acids the liver uses to digest alcohol so it has a theoretical basis.
"Mixed with tomato juice, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, salt and pepper, and chili sauce, raw eggs have been glugged for many years after a big night out. Who knows if it works? The thought of it puts me off drinking, so that may be something."
[[imagecaption|| Credit: Pixabay]]
5. Hair of the dog does not work:
Many people mitigate the effects of a hangover by drinking the next day. But Dr. Fenton recommends against this, stating: "We’ve all heard of drinking through your hangover."
"While this always sounds like a great idea and undoubtedly does kill the pain for a short time but in practice, it only makes things worse in a few hours."
"It makes you more dehydrated, aggravates your stomach, and worsens the headache. It also means you’ve very likely got a serious drinking problem."
"It’s better to rehydrate and top up with electrolyte-rich sports drinks and tons of water to help you rehydrate and replace the salts and sugars lost by the diuretic effect of alcohol."
[[imagecaption|| Credit: Pexels]]
So there you have it: if you stick to these tips then you might find it easier to cope with the day after a big party. But please bear in mind that the best way to manage a hangover is to manage your alcohol intake from the start!
Unless you've never had a drink or somehow have an amazing constitution for alcohol, the chances are that you have experienced a hangover at some point in your life - and you'll know that they aren't fun. Between the deafening headache, the relentless nausea, and the overall sense of sheer dread, it's difficult to say what the worst part the 'morning after' is, exactly.
One thing's for sure, though: when you're hanging, you'd do pretty much anything to get out of it.
There are a few preventatives and cures that sort of work, albeit with varying success. Drinking lots of water before going to sleep helps some people alleviate the worst symptoms, as does loading up on carbs before hitting the booze. But now there's a slightly more enjoyable way of treating the hangover blues, and it comes in the form of an ice cream bar.
[[imagecaption|| Credit: Getty]]
Ice cream manufacturers in South Korea have come up with a treat called the 'Gyeondyo-bar', which roughly translates as "hang in there". Priced at just $1, the Gyeondyo-bar claims to be the first iced treat in the world with the capabilities of alleviating the effects of a hangover.
The "science" (and we use that term loosely) behind it is founded in the juice of the raisin tree fruit. The juice of these fruits has been used in Korea since the 1600s, and is reportedly quite effective when it comes to shaking off the post-booze blues.
It also has a tart, grapefruit-flavoured outer shell, making it a pleasant-tasting treat even for those who don't need to cure their hangovers.
"Mixing such ingredients with cold ice cream could be an effective way to lower body temperature for people whose body temperature has risen from drinking," said Dr. Lee Byeong Sam at KyungHee Korean Medical Clinic in Seoul. "But it is not recommended for people with naturally low body temperatures."
[[imagecaption|| Credit: Pexels]]
The hangover cure market is currently booming in South Korea, as their drinking culture differs greatly from the sort of attitude we hold in the likes of the UK and USA. Rather than only hitting the bottle as part of a celebration or on the weekend, many South Koreans will drink heavily on weeknights as part of standard work culture - so their need for a reliable remedy slightly more pressing than it is in the west.
However, if the Gyeondyo-bar ever does make it out of South Korea and onto supermarket shelves elsewhere in the world, we're sure it would be greatly appreciated. Preferably by the weekend, if possible.
.jpg_I4Ebof?tr=cr-0.338.2730.3068,f-webp,q-70,w-100)
.jpg_I4Ebof?tr=cr-0.338.2730.3068,f-webp,q-70,w-1024)
