Whether it's a gathering with friends, coping with heartbreak, or work demands... many situations in life call for drinking. But what if you accidentally get drunk? Drunkenness is unpleasant, so various hangover remedies have emerged. But are you really using the right methods?
During a New Year gathering, a friend got drunk, so we searched online for hangover cures. One friend studying medicine stopped us.He explained that blindly following certain hangover cures not only fails to alleviate symptoms but may also harm your health. So, how many of these hangover misconceptions have you fallen for?
Misconception 1: Drinking strong tea cures a hangover
Many believe strong tea can cure a hangover after drinking (to be honest, I used to think so too). In reality, this claim lacks scientific basis and can actually be harmful.
Mixing strong tea with alcohol increases the burden on the heart, potentially causing arrhythmia or cardiac dysfunction. Those with heart conditions should absolutely avoid strong tea as a hangover remedy. Drinking strong tea after intoxication forces unoxidized acetaldehyde to enter the kidneys prematurely, where it can cause kidney damage.
Misconception 2: Drinking Vinegar to Sober Up
Vinegar is beneficial, but myths about its effects abound—such as the claim that drinking vinegar can sober you up. Rumors suggest acetic acid reacts chemically with alcohol to form esters, thereby alleviating drunkenness. However, esterification requires concentrated sulfuric acid as a catalyst, which is not present in the human body.
Furthermore, heavy drinking irritates the gastrointestinal mucosa, potentially causing gastric and duodenal congestion and increased gastric acid secretion. Consuming vinegar at this stage exacerbates mucosal irritation and may trigger conditions like gastric or duodenal ulcers.
Misconception 3: Drinking Soda to Sober Up
Don't dismiss this as nonsense—many people genuinely believe drinking soda after consuming liquor helps sober up. In reality, this practice is also harmful to health.
When alcohol mixes with soda in the body, it accelerates the distribution of alcohol throughout the system and produces large amounts of carbon dioxide. This can damage organs like the stomach, kidneys, and liver. For those with gastrointestinal conditions, drinking large amounts of soda after intoxication may cause gastric bleeding. In individuals with irregular blood pressure, alcohol permeating the central nervous system can trigger rapid blood pressure spikes.
Misconception 4: Inducing Vomiting to Sober Up
Many believe vomiting relieves drunkenness discomfort, leading some to induce vomiting as a "remedy." This is a dangerous practice.
Inducing vomiting increases abdominal pressure, forcing stomach contents upward. This can also cause alcohol or other substances from the duodenum to enter the pancreatic duct and bile duct. In severe cases, this may block the pancreatic duct, triggering acute pancreatitis.Therefore, doctors advise that vomiting should only be induced for occasional intoxication and must be done while the person is conscious and alert to prevent vomit from entering the airway and causing suffocation.
Here are some effective hangover-relieving foods:
In fact, several common fruits possess hangover-alleviating properties.
1. Pears
After drinking, eat a few pears or peel and dice them. Soak the pieces in cool boiled water for several minutes before consuming both the pears and the water. This approach not only eases intoxication but also protects the liver.
2. Persimmons
Persimmons contain high sugar content, which accelerates the elimination of alcohol from the body. Additionally, they contain a substance that acts as an alcohol antagonist, breaking down alcohol and speeding up the oxidation of ethanol in the blood.
3. Grapes
The tartaric acid in grapes reacts with alcohol, lowering blood alcohol concentration and alleviating intoxication. Grapes' unique flavor also eases post-drinking nausea and queasiness.
Additionally, radish juice, mung bean soup, and ginger help sober up. Holding ginger in your mouth can reduce post-drinking vomiting.