You might have your own theory about which alcohol gives you the worst hangover, and that theory may now be backed up by science.
DNews has put together a video explaining why some drinks make you sicker than others – and it’s bad news for people who enjoy dark spirits.
How does alcohol dehydrate you?
When you drink alcohol it stops your brain from producing something called vasopressin. Without vasopressin your kidneys don’t absorb water, it just passes through to your bladder and you urinate it out. This makes you dehydrated, and means you are washing out a lot of needed potassium, sodium and magnesium.
DNews’ Anthony Carboni said that alcohol also breaks up the stuff in your liver into glucose which floods you with sugar.
Unfortunately you can’t do anything to minimise these effects. But some drinks have extra toxins and make your hangover worse than others.
The key to this are things called congeners. When alcohol is fermented it gets congeners, which are impurities. Congeners give alcohol its flavour and colour – but they’re also toxins.
This means the darker your alcohol is, the harsher your hangover will be, News.com.au reported. (Read:
Which alcohol gives you the worst hangover?
The alcohols with the most congeners are
- Brandy
- Red wine
- Bourbon (Bourbon has eight times the congeners of gin and 30 times the congeners of vodka.)
- Dark rum
- Whiskey
High sugar drinks are also bad news – so steer clear of cheap wines, cocktails and flavoured liquor.
Which alcohol is the best to avoid hangovers?
Hangovers have a lot to do with how much you drink and the quality of alcohol you drink. Still, whiter spirits like vodka and gin will give you less intense hangover as compared to whiskey or rum. However, the key to avoiding a hangover is to drink less. You can also eat healthy food and drink lots of water to avoid hangovers. (Read: Practical tips to prevent a hangover)
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