Coffee and painkillers are best hangover cures, say scientists
Steaming hot coffee and a painkiller are the best ways to cure a hangover, scientists have found.
Coffee: may be your only hopeForget a giant fry-up, hair of the dog or organic honey, it seems the old ways are still the best, according to research by neurologists at Harvard University in the US.
They found the caffeine in coffee and the anti-inflammatory ingredients of aspirin and other painkillers reacted against the chemical compounds of ethanol, or pure alcohol.
Ethanol brings on headaches thanks to a chemical acetate it can produce. Even low doses can adversely affect some people. In the Harvard study, small amounts of ethanol were given to laboratory rats to induce headaches.
When the skin around their eyes became sensitive to touch, the team knew they had hangovers.
Four to six hours after getting the ethanol they were given doses of caffeine and anti-inflammatories.
Both were found to have blocked the acetate and relieved the headaches. ‘So the best time to take them would be about four hours after drinking, when acetate levels begin to spike,’ said lead researcher Michael Oshinsky.
The research will spark a new debate over just what is the best cure for a throbbing head.
Some advise against using painkillers, particularly the stronger ones such as aspirin and ibuprofen, as they can cause stomach upsets after a heavy night out.
Others say drinking water is better than a caffeinated drink because it rehydrates the body. Others will always swear by the restorative powers of a full English breakfast.
Read more: http://www.metro.co.uk/news/852935-coffee-and-painkillers-are-best-hangover-cures-say-scientists#ixzz1BOKVTCHc
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