For years people have argued over what
they believe is the essential remedy after
a heavy night – from a strong coffee to a
hair of the dog.
But now it has been revealed that
revellers who go for the healthy option
and console themselves with a herbal tea
could actually be making their hangover
worse, whilst a can of fizzy pop – in
particular Sprite – could speed up
recovery.
Edzard Ernst, Professor of
complementary medicine at the University
of Exeter, told Chemistry World: “These
results are a reminder that herbal and
other supplements can have
pharmacological activities that can both
harm and benefit our health.”
A team of Chinese scientists found in
tests on 57 drinks that Sprite performed
the best in relieving the alcohol-related
symptoms.
Some symptoms, such as nausea and a
headache, are thought to be caused by
the process of the body breaking down
the alcohol.
Our livers release an enzyme called
alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), which
breaks down the ethanol in alcohol into
a chemical called acetaldehyde. This is
then broken down into a chemical called
acetate – which is linked to some health
benefits of alcohol – by an enzyme called
aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH).
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