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A Shot of Hangover Prevention: Drinking in Moderation is the Only Sure Hangover Cure.

Posted on: Friday, 30 December 2005, 12:00 CST

By Rhoda Fukushima, Pioneer Press, St. Paul, Minn., Pioneer Press, St. Paul, Minn.

Dec. 30--Bartending school owner Richard Lange pages through a bartending book and finds the recipes for hangover drinks. They come from the Ritz Bar in Paris:

Corpse Reviver No. 1, with vermouth and brandy.

Corpse Reviver No. 2, with licorice liqueur and champagne.

Corpse Reviver No. 3, with bitters and crème de menthe.

"Everyone has a remedy, but which one works?" says Lange, a bartender for 45 years. "It's hard to say."

This weekend, spirits will flow generously, forcing people to face that question. Depending on what, how long and how much they imbibe, they'll greet 2006 with great glee or a throbbing headache. Savvy drinkers will have taken precautions, but for those who do not, the best remedy is time.

"It's the same-old, same-old," says Dr. Donald Hensrud, associate professor of preventive medicine and nutrition at the Mayo Clinic. "Time will heal all wounds."

The most common hangover symptoms are malaise, headache and nausea. Other lesser-known symptoms include irritability, decreased attention and concentration, muscle aches, sleeping problems, vomiting, depression, tremors, sweating and increased blood pressure, Hensrud says.

Headaches occur with a change in the blood supply to the brain; the throbbing is the body's attempt to push more blood into the brain, says Julie Miller Jones, professor of food safety and nutrition at the College of St. Catherine. Jones says alcohol is poisonous and dehydrating to the system.

"As with anything that is toxic, the first line of defense it to throw it up -- get rid of it," Jones says.

No one knows exactly how the hangover mechanism works, but various theories offer possible explanations, Hensrud says.

One theory says the symptoms are the direct effects of alcohol. Another says the hangover reflects mild withdrawal symptoms. Other theories attribute hangovers to the metabolism of alcohol, other chemicals in alcohol and personal characteristics that may predispose some people to hangovers.

"It is probably a mixture of some of all of these," Hensrud says.

The larger the person, the more alcohol he or she can drink without impact, Jones says. Menstrual cycles can also play a role. The effects of alcohol are likelier to be more devastating right before a woman gets her period.

Here are some strategies to consider, the experts say, before you raise a glass:

Don't drink on an empty stomach. Preferably, eat first, then drink. Food slows the absorption of alcohol into the system, Jones says.

Alternate alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks. Jones recommends drinking 8 ounces of water for every ounce of alcohol. It takes the body about an hour to process an ounce of alcohol, so the next hour, try switching to a juice or tonic water, says Dr. Brent Bauer, associate professor of internal medicine at the Mayo Clinic.

Slow down and be sociable. Instead of guzzling your drink, sip it and work the room.

Some people take ibuprofen before they start drinking. There is no scientific proof that this works, and they may be trading a hangover for stomach problems, Bauer says.

Jones and Hensrud place little stock in so-called "hangover pills." After a 2004 study found a reduction in hangover symptoms with a cactus extract, several new products hit the market. Bauer says people should take a "buyer beware' attitude, because the government does not require dietary supplements to be safe or effective.

"It's intriguing at best," Bauer says.

What are your options when you wake up with the telltale headache and cotton mouth?

Drink plenty of water. You are dehydrated. Some people also drink cola or coffee for the caffeine, which may help headaches, Bauer says. Hensrud tells people to avoid Tylenol or acetaminophen, because the interaction with alcohol may cause liver problems. Ibuprofen is fine, but watch out for stomach problems. Hensrud also recommends sleeping and eating foods that are easy on the stomach, like crackers. Stomach preparations like Pepto-Bismol also may soothe upset stomachs, Jones says.

Lange, the bartender, offers alcoholic suggestions: a Virgin Mary (Bloody Mary without alcohol) to a Dull Shot, beef bouillon with vodka or gin.

Then, there's the sure-fire way.

"The best way to prevent a hangover is prevention," Bauer says. "And the best prevention is not to drink to excess."

Rhoda Fukushima can be reached at 651-228-5444 or rgfukushima@pioneerpress.com.

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Copyright (c) 2005, Pioneer Press, St. Paul, Minn.

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Source: Saint Paul Pioneer Press (St. Paul, Minn.)

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