How to handle Hangover

Year is closing by and this also bring festivities in the full swing . X'mas and New year  means partying hard. Party all the way,  today at  friends place, tomorrow  at home and day after  in a club or restaurant. It is very pertinent to know what will happen following day after heavy doses of alcohol , hangover behave differently with different people. In a survey it is found that in most of the cases of hangover people feel mild to severe headache day after, in other cases malaise, diarrhea, weakness and nausea is also felt :

Apparently reason for hangover is lack of water in the body. When alcohol enters in the blood stream, the pituitary gland stops the secretion of vasopressin - an anti diuretic hormone. And without the presence of vasopressin, the kidney send water straight to the bladder. That is why you must have observe pubs and bars are so overcrowded ! It is researched that 60 ml of alcohol leads to loss of 250 ml water from the body. With heavy urination salts such as magnesium, potassium and sodium are also expelled from the body with the result morning after the different organs feel thirst for water. You will have dryness in your mouth. So the body parts suck it from the brain leading to the brain shrinking and pulling the membrane that attaches it to the skull. And so the throbbing ache that marks hangover.



The feeling of fatigue is due to loss of salts.

A new research has knocked a hitherto belief of hangover for the older people as it states that the older people experience less hangover after drinking at night.

A Denmark study, published in journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research assessed the manner in which 52,000 people aged between 18 and 94 experienced hangovers. The researchers created a chart to observe and jot down points for the respondents after consuming more than five drinks in one go.

The hangover symptoms such as nausea, headache, heart racing and vomiting were checked by the researchers. The researchers finally came across the fact that the hangover after binge drinking was 11 times higher among men in the age group of 18 to 29 in comparison to the men above 60. The same was witnessed in case of women also.

So festive season, merry making, drinks are unavoidable, question is how to combat hangover ?

In different cultures and in different nations, people tried to innovate many potions,formulas.

For example in russia, where boozing is very high, their first method is usually to visit a Sauna and then a beating with birch branches.  And if it is not effective enough, they try a kvass, an alcoholic beverage made of dried rye bread soaked in sugar and yeast. In America, one of the most common cures comes from the land of the free land it is called prairie oyster. It is another version of dog's hair method, add a raw egg with the yolk intact, worcestershire sauce, a dash of vinegar and Tabasco, salt and pepper to the drink, gulp it down.

In the land of Rum Guzlers i.e. Puerto Rico too many pina coladas or diaquiris or for that matter mojitos may get bleary eyed the next morning, as a preventive step people rub lemon on their arm pits ! Lemon juice is good to check dehydration, but to this extend only Puerto Ricans can think of doing so.

Japanese knock back sake ( popular Japanese spirit) next day by eating extremely sour 

plum like ume. The pickled fruit is steeped in green tea and then had.  

 

Indians have also developed so many desi remedies for hangover. 

In case of a headache, having an apple on an empty stomach lends fast relief. 

Eating raw fruits or having a fresh and crunchy fruit salad is an effective way of treating hangovers. Apples and bananas in particular work as effective hangover cures.

A banana shake with a tablespoon of honey is a good option. It not only relaxes your stomach and nerves but the honey present in the fruit shake resumes the lost blood-sugar, while the banana helps in regaining essential minerals like potassium, which the body loses due to alcohol.

Honey is one of the simplest and easily available home remedies. It has potent powers to neutralize the harmful effects of alcohol, thanks to the presence of fructose, which competes with the metabolism of alcohol. Honey also helps in the digestion of alcohol inside a person's body. Taking 3-4 teaspoons of honey after an interval of one hour helps in digesting alcohol. However, the quantity of honey maybe increased if the hangover is acute and severe. You can also prepare a classic 'hot-toddy' with honey. Just boil one cup of water, add honey and lemon juice to taste and it's ready! This hot toddy works well to treat a hangover. At the same time it is easy to make and tasty. You can enjoy the toddy several times in a day as it replenishes fluids and sugar lost in a hangover.

Ginger is a tried and tested treatment for nausea and seasickness. And that's why it is considered as one of the best home remedies for a hangover. Ginger gives fast relief by assisting in the digestion of alcohol, thus soothing the stomach.

Chewing 2-3 small pieces of ginger or taking a cup of ginger tea lends fast relief. In addition, you can prepare a brew by boiling 10 to 12 slices of fresh ginger root in 4 cups of water for ten minutes. Now, add the juice of one orange, 1/2 lemon and 1/2 cup of honey to it. This concoction helps stabilise blood sugar, which is usually low after alcohol consumption.

Peppermint is a very helpful herb for hangover. Consume with your tea or chew it as this relaxes the intestines. Peppermint is a carminative, which is a substance that removes accumulated gas from the stomach and intestines.

  

But my point is , if the quantity of alcohol consumption is controlled and consumption is stretched for fairly long hour, chances are that there will be no hangover at all.