Sprite for Hangovers: Study Concludes Popular Soft Drink Best Cure
A new study concluded that the best remedy for a hangover is the popular soft drink Sprite.
The research was carried out by scientists in China with the results recently being published in the September 2013 issue of Food and Function.
The study showed that chemicals in the non-caffeinated beverage can minimize the physical effects of a hangover.
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The authors point out that when the liver processes alcohol creates several chemical byproducts, one of which is called acetaldehyde. Acetaldehyde – known to produce the effects a hangover – is eventually converted into acetate – a compound that provides energy.
The study also states that as the body processes the alcohol it produces more urine leading a person to become dehydrated. Alcohol is also known to irritate the lining of your stomach, cause blood sugar to fall and expand blood vessels, leading to headaches.
The researchers tested 57 different beverages including Huo ma ren (a hemp-seed based beverage), various teas and different carbonated drinks.
Herbal teas were observed to slow down the process. However, Sprite and soda water were shown to speed up ALDH activity, which would theoretically curb the hangover.
"These results are a reminder that herbal and other supplements can have pharmacological activities that can both harm and benefit our health," Edzard Ernst, a medical expert at the University of Exeter in the U.K., told Chemistry World.
There is also another new service being offered in Las Vegas that claims it will cure any hangover that partygoers might be left with the next morning.
The new service is called Hangover Heaven, which was developed by board certified anesthesiologist Jason Burke, who uses his own combination of vitamins, medications and fluids which are then administered to "patients" on his mobile bus.
The procedure was approved by the Food and Drug Administration and Burke claimed that he can cure almost any type of hangover in 45 minutes.
"No matter what you drank the night before, if you are feeling like you want to curl up and die the next morning, Hangover Heaven can get you back to feeling good in about 45 minutes," according to a post on Burke's website.
