After testing 57 beverages ranging from herbal teas, to strong coffees, to traditional alcoholic remedies, Chinese scientists have determined that Sprite is the most efficient drink to cure a hangover.
According to Daily Mail, the team first examined the initial cause of the hangover’s most painful symptoms, which is the body’s breakdown of significant amounts of alcohol.
They found that our livers release an enzyme called alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) when we drink. ADH breaks down ethanol into a chemical called acetaldehyde, preventing more than just a little alcohol from entering the bloodstream.
Acetaldehyde is then broken down into another chemical called acetate by an enzyme called aldehyde dehydrogenase, or ALDH.
With this in mind, the researchers at Sun Yat-Sen University in China’s Guangzhou province tested a wide range of beverages to see how they affected levels of ADH and ALDH.
They discovered that many herbal drinks actually increase levels of ADH and ALDH, making the hangover last even longer.
Sprite, however, speeds up the ALDH process, causing the alcohol to be broken down more quickly than most other drinks.
“These results are a reminder that herbal and other supplements can have pharmacological activities that both harm and benefit our health,” Edzard Ernst, Emeritus Prodessor of complementary medicine at the University of Exeter, told Chemistry World.
Then the researchers each smoked a joint after a night of heavy drinking and realized their entire beverage study was a huge waste of time.
Just kidding.
While Sprite may be the most effective liquid cure for a hangover, let it be known that we at Elite have unanimously agreed that nothing gets rid of a hangover faster and more pleasantly than our lady, sweet Jane.
Consultant hepatologist Dr. Rajiv Jalan of University College Hospital London added that young, regular drinkers produce more ALDH than older people. Our brains also shrink when we age, so there is more room for it to swell before hitting outer bones and causing headaches.
This means that with age, hangover headaches become much less of a problem.
Via: Daily Mail, Top Photo Courtesy: The KDU
