Dec. 31, 2005
 
How to Combat That Holiday Hangover
 
By Lee Bowman
Scripps Howard News Service
 
Cups of holiday cheer have a way of sneaking up on us, and few holidays generate the morning-after remorse of New Year's Day with a hangover.
 
In fact, for many people, a hangover is not even necessarily payback for overindulgence. A survey done for the Bayer Co. found that young people can be hung over after just three drinks; for 1 in 10 people, it can just take one or two.
 
This makes more sense in light of recent revelations from scientists at Cornell University, who found that even experienced bartenders tend to pour about 20 percent more alcohol into short, squat "highball" glasses than tall, skinny containers.
 
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism recommends that women have no more than one drink a day, and men no more than two drinks a day. This mostly has to do with the fact that the effects of alcohol are greater on smaller people than larger people, and men are statistically bigger.
 
One drink is defined as 12 ounces of beer, a 4-ounce glass of wine or 1 1/2 ounces of whiskey or liquor.
 
So if the measuring is off, or not done at all, consumption goes up. Dr. Jacqueline Hart of Newton-Wellesley Hospital in Newton, Mass., notes that drinking a glass of water between alcoholic drinks will help you drink less and help reduce the dehydration that often accompanies booze consumption.
 
And while it may not be a good dieting strategy, eating something a little fatty or greasy before drinking alcohol can help slow down absorption. "In other words, a burger or burrito before your beer or Bloody Mary might be beneficial,'' said Suzanne Simons, executive director of the National Headache Foundation.
 
Although alcohol itself can be poisonous if consumed to great excess, the damage from most drinking comes from a chemical called acetaldehyde, a byproduct produced as the body metabolizes alcohol.
 
There's some evidence that by consuming foods and drinks that contain fructose, such as fruit juice or honey, the body will burn the alcohol away faster and produce less acetaldehyde as it does.
 
Drinking fluids containing minerals and salts can also help. For instance, a cup of bouillon or broth is useful in replacing salt and potassium lost to drinking alcohol. Some people turn to sports drinks for the same reason.
 
The Headache Foundation says drinking coffee or hot tea the next day can also provide some relief, as caffeine acts to constrict blood vessels that have become dilated from booze.
 
Much as the head may ache, watch out for those pain relievers, especially aspirin and Tylenol, which can increase absorption of alcohol and possibly damage the liver. Ibuprofen or Motrin is easier on the stomach, but can still cause bleeding if taken in large doses with a lot of alcohol over the course of a day, studies suggest.
 
The good news is that most hangovers are gone in 24 hours. Extra rest is a good idea the next morning, too.
 
But even if you feel OK the day after some moderate to heavy drinking, Hart reminds "your ability to perform at your best will be diminished due to the residual effects of alcohol."
 
Some studies have shown that there are residual effects from booze that continue for up to 48 to 72 hours after the body's eliminated all traces of alcohol.
 
On the Net: http://www.headaches.org
 
www.niaaa.nih.gov
 
(Contact Lee Bowman at BowmanL(at)SHNS.com)