Did you drink too much last night? Headaches, dry mouth, do you have nausea? It sure is a hangover. But why is that? Let’s take a scientific look at why hangovers occur and how to cure them.

A hangover is caused by a combination of the toxic byproduct of alcohol metabolism (acetaldehyde), dehydration, and depletion of vitamins A, B (particularly B6), and C brought about by the chemical action of alcohol on your system.

Some drinks give you a worse hangover than others due to the action of the impurities it contains. These impurities are called congeners. It’s ethyl alcohol (ethanol) that gets you drunk, but amyl, butyl, methyl, propyl, and isopropyl alcohols are also found in most drinks (more or less), and the concentration of these congeners determines the severity of your hangover be.

White (clear) spirits have fewer congeners than colored spirits (vodka, gin, tequila vs. whiskey and cognac) as they are filtered. Another special “impurity” that really gives you a sick feeling after drinking is acetaldehyde, a byproduct of ethanol’s natural oxidation. This usually contributes to the super headache one feels.

What can you do about it?

There are many folklore cures and every country and culture seems to have their own. Below you can read the result of extensive research and the popularity of the cures among the published articles found all over the world.

Special rule: if you forget to do it at night, take two oils containing isobrufen. There are several names for this medicine, but DO NOT take aspirin or other similar medicines. Only Isobuphen seems to work, and other pain relievers with acetaminophen can damage the liver.

General Rule: It is often called “hair of the dog that bites you”. a Bloody Mary cocktail seems to put you back on track. Paired with Isobuphen, a Bloody Mary can work spectacularly. Here is my recipe, taken from a famous Japanese restaurant in New York;

o A glass of vodka (use the best you can find)

or a squeeze of lemon juice

or Worcestershire sauce

or 2-3 drops of Tabasco sauce or more if you can handle it

o Pepper, salt and celery salt

or 5 oz tomato juice

Over ice in a tall glass, add the spices, then the vodka.

Fill with tomato juice and stir.

Garnish with a celery stick and a lime wedge.

Special rules:

1. Take a hot shower

2. Do deep breathing exercises in front of an open window

3. Walk in place until your heart rate is about 115 beats per minute, then stop.

4. As you feel better, drink plenty of clean, pure water.

5. Eat bananas. Bananas contain high volumes of fructose and potassium, which is one of the things you lose a lot of when you drink. Bananas are also a natural antacid that helps with nausea and are high in magnesium, which can help relax the pounding blood vessels that cause your hangover headache.

Obviously, one would not want to drink too much and suffer the consequences of a hangover the next day, but following the above rules will alleviate most or all of the symptoms.