Hangover Myths That Won’t Cure Your New Year’s Eve Choices
New Year's Eve is one of the most notorious holidays for heavy drinking. With all of that drinking, you're guaranteed a hangover. So which hangover cures work and which don't?
We've all heard them. You're about to take the first drink of the evening and reminisce on last year's hangover. That one friend pipes up with the perfect, fail-proof hangover cure.
"You have to spin in 5 circles, pet an orange cat backwards, and drink half a bottle of soy sauce!"
Here are five of the most common hangover cures debunked.
- 1
Have One More Drink In the Morning
A morning beer or bloody mary at brunch will NOT cure your hangover. The alcohol will dehydrate you even more, making the hangover worse. You're just adding a "hair of the dog" that bit you to your dog bite.
- 2
Take a Tylenol Before Bed
If you want to cure the hangover headache, take aspirin or ibuprofen. The liver processes acetaminophen (Tylenol), just like it processes alcohol. After a night of drinking, your liver will be too stressed to process the acetaminophen, so you won't get any pain relief.
- 3
Drink Coffee To Sober Up
Adding caffeine to alcohol is bad news. That's why you should avoid rum and Cokes, but if you just can't, don't run to the coffee afterwards. Caffeine dehydrates the body, making your hangover worse. However, if you consume plenty of water, Coke or coffee can help with your hangover headache.
- 4
Eat Something Greasy Before Bed
This only works if you eat BEFORE you drink. Eating a heavy meal at the end of the night does nothing to stop the alcohol from getting in your bloodstream, because if you're drunk, it's already there. It will also increase your stomachache in the morning.
- 5
Beer Before Liquor, Never Been Sicker; Liquor Before Beer, You're In the Clear
Ahh, the age-old saying that dictates when you take shots and when you play beer pong. Bad news: it doesn't make a difference. Your body doesn't care what you put in first. However, mixing alcohol is always bad news. Stick to just beer or one kind of liquor for a smaller chance of being hungover.