Are you looking to reduce the horrible hangovers associated with this holiday season?
Hangovers are not just dependent on how many drinks you’ve had, they also depend upon the kind of drink you chose that night.
Mulled wine is an annual festive favorite, but it can make you feel more miserable than other beverages. It’s sweet and can lead to fatigue and dizziness due to fluctuating blood sugar.
Due to the Mexican manufacturing process, tequila does not cause hangovers.
This is all you need to know about what type of drink can cause your next-day hangover symptoms.
DARK SPIRITS – MUSCLE ACHES AND SEVERE NAUTIA
Congeners can be a side effect of fermentation, which is what goes into dark drinks such as whiskey, dark rum, and red wine. Congeners are known to cause more severe symptoms, such as nausea, headaches and muscle aches.
Zenon Andreou is a doctor and an online doctor at Asda’s Zava. He said drinking lighter spirits like vodka or gin will help you consume less congeners per glass.
Congeners come from the fermentation of dark beverages like whiskey, dark rum, and red wine.
For 15 years Steve King, Bottled and Boxed’s managing director, stated that dark spirits could prolong the effects of hangover symptoms. This is because alcohol and its congeners must be broken down by the body.
Congeners are known to increase the severity of symptoms such as nausea, headaches, and muscle aches.
Dr Andreou stated that toxic substances can cause cell damage and hinder the body’s ability to heal itself.
HEADACHES: RED WINE
Dr Andreou says that red wine contains natural substances, such as tyramine or histamine, which may cause blood vessel restrictions in your body. This can leave you feeling headache-inducing in the morning.
The red wine headache refers to a hangover that’s specific to red wines. It can cause nausea and migraines, as some drink just one glass of red wine.
Dr Andreou says that darker wines contain natural substances such as tyramine or histamine, which may cause blood vessel restrictions and headaches in the body.
He also said, “These substances may be as high as 200 per cent in red wine than in white wine. This is why it’s possible to feel worse after having a night drinking red.”
Kerry Beeson from Optibac Probiotics, a Nutritional Therapist said that organic red wine could be a more appealing option.
She said: ‘Alcohol can reduce friendly bacteria levels in our gut but so too can those foods that tend to go hand in hand with alcohol – high sugar, high fat and heavily processed – creating a double whammy assault on the gut and the friendly microbes that live there.
“However, it is a good idea to choose organic red wines that have been shown to be healthy in smaller quantities.
MULLED WAINE: DIZZINESS SHAKINESS & FATIGUE
Mulled wine is a Christmas favourite, but it can also cause sugar cravings in the following day.
Mulled wine may have a lower alcohol level, but if consumed excessively, natural and added sugars can quickly spike blood sugar levels, leading to headaches.
Hyperglycemia (or reactive hypoglycemia) is a condition that causes an excessive or inadequate glucose tolerance. It can also cause dizziness, shaking, and fatigue.
Yalda alaoui (celebrity nutritionist) stated that calories are affected by alcohol choices. It can have a significant impact on how your body feels the next day.
While a 125ml glass of wine contains around 125kcal, dry champagne averages around 95kcal, a sugary glass of mulled wine averages at 235 calories each, causing sugar cravings and a worse hangover the next day.
According to her, “I advise staying away from sugary alcohol beverages. I recommend choosing dry wine or champagne instead. This will minimize the disturbance on blood sugar levels as well as reduce your cravings.
“Vintage wines have bacteria that may be good for your health.
TOO MUCH OF ANY ALOCHOL: DEHYDRATION
Wines are 125kcal per 125ml, while dry champagne has 95kcal. A sugary glass with mulled wine is 235 calories. It can cause sugar cravings as well as worse hangovers the following day.
Kathryn Basford also works as a doctor on Asda’s Zava online medical portal.
She stated that alcohol can enter the bloodstream, inhibiting the production of vasopressin (a pituitary hormone that tells your body to keep water in the kidneys) and cause you to drink.
Without this water will go directly to the bladder, which is why people who drink a lot make frequent trips to the toilet and leave the body dehydrated.
The headache, which is often a sign of a hangover, is the brain’s reaction. However the nausea and loss of energy that accompany headaches are the body’s reaction to low blood sugar and loss of minerals and electrolytes that help to regulate the body’s function.
The more alcohol you consume, the more you will feel the effects and how long it might take for you to get them under control.
TEQUILA: “NO HANGOVER” IF YOU DON’T GO OVERBOARD
A different method of fermenting pure quality tequila from 100% agave results in less sugar and fewer congeners that can make it worse.
According to Dr Andreou, Tequila is often the preferred drink on night outs.
Made from pure, high-quality agave, this tequila is made with a new type of fermentation. This means that less sugar and congeners go into the drink.
He stated, “When you consume alcohol in moderation with water to keep your body hydrated, it may not be as bad as a hangover the following day.”