Scientists have confirmed what many people have suspected for years… if you need hangover relief, simply take some caffeine and a painkiller.
They found the caffeine in coffee and the anti-inflammatory ingredients of aspirin and other painkillers reacted against the chemical compounds of ethanol, or pure alcohol. Ethanol brings on headaches thanks to a chemical acetate it can produce and even low doses can affect some people more than others, said the study.
Of course lab rats were used, not actual hungover drinkers… so the rats could not say if they woke up craving pizza or a Bloody Mary. And although I have respect for science, I don’t know how you can tell if a rat has a headache… or that its cured.
Many people (including myself) think that drinking water or Gatorade (or some other electrolyte-hearty beverage) is slightly better than coffee because it rehydrates the body. A little hair of the dog after a cool, refreshing glass of water never hurt either. More from Brian’s Belly on the subject here.
The Telegraph, via Gawker
Water before bed, aspirin when you get up… wash it down with a V8 mixed with a little of the booze that bit ya.