Celebrate these holidays with ease and look after your health at the same time. Photo / Getty Images
Celebrate these holidays with ease and look after your health at the same time. Photo / Getty Images
As we reach the depths of party season, one doctor explains how to lessen the effects of the night before.
If the morning headaches are making too much of an appearance, then you may have reached peak party season. And, while clearly no hangover is a good hangover – there are virtually no benefits to drinking alcohol – there are ways to minimise the sore head the next day. Here’s what happens to our bodies when we experience a dreaded hangover, with tips on how to dampen the after-effects of the night before.
Why do we get hangovers?
Science shows us a number of ways in which drinking too much alcohol causes hangovers, along with all the consequences of tiredness, headache, nausea, thirst, stomach upset, mood changes and increased blood pressure.
Firstly, alcohol is metabolised by the liver into breakdown products such as acetaldehyde, which is a short-lived, toxic chemical which causes inflammation of the liver, brain, gut and other organs, causing symptoms such as headache, nausea and bowel changes the next day.
Alcohol causes an inflammatory response in the body which, alongside a late night, contributes to the feeling of fatigue the next day. It’s similar to the fatigue we experience when recovering from an illness, usually as a result of the immune system’s inflammatory response.
The festive season typically comes with more celebrations. Photo / 123RF
While you may think you have consumed plenty of fluids, the compounds in alcoholic drinks interfere with water reabsorption in the kidneys, having a diuretic effect with increased urination, dehydration, dizziness and headaches.
Importantly, while alcohol is a depressant and may make you feel drowsy, it actually interferes with sleep quality and the normal cycling through the various stages of sleep, meaning sleep is less restorative. This can influence how you feel the next day in terms of energy levels, feeling snappy and irritable, and can even influence your food choices, cravings and how likely you are to be active.
So how to minimise the effects of increased drinking?
1. Carry water around with you, even in colder weather
During the summer months, we get into the habit of carrying water with us. Even on days you’re not drinking, or a couple of days after drinking, keeping extra hydrated with water will help compensate for the diuretic effects of alcohol and minimise the dehydration and headache. It depends on your body weight, height and how active you are, but general guidance is to drink two litres of water a day. Your urine should be a light straw colour.
2. Try to have some non-drinking days in the week
While the weekly alcohol limit is 21 units, over the festive period it can be easy to exceed this with a few social nights out. It’s important to drink in moderation, but also to have at least two non-drinking days per week.
Liver cells have the capacity to regenerate, and so it’s important to give them some time to do so and repair from the inflammation caused by alcohol.
Non-alcoholic drinks such as mocktails or sparkling water are a great way to avoid drinking and still be social. Photo / 123RF
3. Don’t let your diet go out the window
Alcohol interferes with parts of the brain involved in decision-making, which can result in more spontaneous and disinhibited behaviours. This can affect food choices such as that late-night takeaway, but also can spill over to the next day. Particularly if sleep quality is compromised; we are more likely to pick convenience foods that are higher in sugar and salt and less nutritious the next day. We have less control over our food choices at social events and work Christmas parties, but on the days it’s up to you, fill your fridge with healthy whole foods, especially plant-based foods, to make it easier to grab them the next day instead of ordering a greasy takeaway.
4. Opt for longer drinks and alternate drinks with alcohol-free options
While the alcohol itself has a diuretic effect, the mixer you choose can also affect how dehydrated we become. For example, that espresso martini containing caffeine will further promote excess urination and contribute to dehydration. Try to moderate the amount you drink by pacing yourself and opting for drinks that contain mixers (and therefore some hydration) compared to pure wine. Having a gin and tonic or vodka and orange juice – anything that has a non-alcoholic mixer in – means you are more likely to consume less alcohol over the night.
5. Don’t let your new drinking habits roll over into the new year
If you do have an indulgent festive period, then make sure to set an end date before you get back to your normal routine. The negative effects of excess drinking compound over time, so as long as you don’t make it a regular habit, the effects can be reversed.
If you feel you have a problem with the amount of alcohol you are consuming and the festive period has triggered that, please do consult your own doctor.
