It is often suggested that eggs can help with a hangover because they are rich in an amino acid called cysteine bind to acetaldehyde and neutralize some of its effects. But because the role of acetaldehyde itself in hangovers is questionable, the benefits may not be as great. Indeed, one study was found that gave participants a cysteine supplement there was little improvement in their hangover scores (although it was found that women benefited more than men, intriguingly).
In many cases, however, the The quality of research in this area itself is poorwhich means it is difficult to draw firm conclusions. Relying on people’s self-reported experience with hangovers can be clouded by other factors, and asking them to make comparisons with previous hangovers is prone to bias. So it might be best not to rely too much on some quick fixes the next day.
Read more about why you can’t eat out of a hangover in this feature film by Veronique Greenwood.
Conversations with friends can influence how much we drink
Our decision to drink more during social occasions is often driven by the behavior of our friends and family. Our brains are constantly picking up signals from other people to determine our course of action.
“Everything our friends do affects us in ways that we are aware of or not. Their presence can decide whether we act on that health information or ignore it,” says Christin Scholz, assistant professor of persuasive communication at the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands. .
In a 2019 survey, Scholz asked students in the US if they had spoken to anyone about their situation recent experiences with alcoholand whether those conversations were positive or negative. They drank more alcohol the next day if they had a positive conversation, while sharing negative drinking experiences with their peers led them to drink less alcohol in the future.
“Say I’m having a conversation with a friend the day before about some of the negative sides of alcohol, but the next day I’m at a bar with other people – I’d still argue that the conversation has some form of influence on has me,” says Scholz.
Read more from the BBC about how our friends change our habits – for better or for worse.
So, the best way to prevent a hangover? Well, it’s drinking less alcohol. But there are some tricks to make this easier, such as discussing the ill effects of drinking with friends beforehand, and managing your expectations to experience some of the pleasurable social effects you seek with less – or perhaps even no – booze . If you have a rough night planned, clear steering or whiskey or red wine can also help.
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