Men's Corner

To save your liver the abuse it would take to try them all, here's a list of the good (prevention), the bad (don't work) and the just plain ridiculous (No, I will not eat pickled herring!).

An Ounce of Prevention...
"The best way to contend with a hangover is not to get one, by practicing abstinence or moderation," according to Dr. David L. Katz, director of the Prevention Research Center at Yale University School of Medicine.

Thanks doc, but that plan -- as foolproof as it seems -- won't work for those who have already tied one on. Try a few of these tips to make the next morning less miserable.

Choose wisely. Hangovers are caused by ruthless chemicals called congeners that occur naturally in fermented alcohol, dehydration and malnutrition (you tinkled away a lot of important nutrients). The general rule is that the darker the drink the more hangover inducing congeners (because of the filtering process involved), according to a study by The British Medical Journal.

So try to avoid red wine, bourbon, scotch, rum and brandy; and opt for lighter drinks like white wine, vodka and gin. Also remember: The cheaper the potion, the more potent the poison. Red wine contains a unique hangover-inducing poison all its own called tyramine. Just avoid cheap red wine altogether and go top shelf, you'll thank yourself tomorrow.

Alternating alcohol. This is an easy way to help limit consumption and prevent dehydration. Simply alternate between alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks (preferably water or juice). Don't want to be a wet blanket? Don't tell anyone. If you're drinking a clear drink -- which is a good idea -- just refill the glass with water when your cocktail is complete. You'll save money and protect your melon.

Food for thought. You should eat before you go out, snack during your drinking and grab some greasy Chinese food on the way home. Pizza is also a fine choice since cheese is a good source of amino acids. Food doesn't absorb alcohol, but it does increase metabolism, activates alcohol absorption and increases the speed with which the body processes alcohol. Another good trick is to pound as much water or Gatorade as possible before you pass out.

If I survive this, I'll never drink again -- I swear. You already had too much fun, so it's too late for prevention. Now you just wish someone would put you out of your misery. Does any of this sound familiar?

Your eyes open, but you're still not awake. Everything seems blurry, you struggle to recognize your surroundings, and the room's still spinning from last night. Someone needs to turn this carousel off. Your mouth tastes like you licked an ashtray and washed it down with rubbing alcohol. Then, it hits you: the mother-of-all-headaches; it feels like elephants are slam-dancing on your cerebellum. You, have a hangover. Now what?

Powerful pills? Not exactly -- though there's a truckload of over the counter hangover preventions and cures -- according to a report in the British Medical Journal, "No compelling evidence exists to suggest that any complementary or conventional intervention is effective for treating or preventing alcohol hangover."

With any type of hangover pill (or powder), the buyer should beware because the claims made by the manufacturers aren't scrutinized by the Food and Drug Administration. Additionally, these products are made for "light to moderate" drinkers so it won't do any good for a boozehound to take four chaser pills while slamming 16 shots of tequila.

Hangoverreview.com reports that most of these "meds" are some combination of vitamins, minerals, herbs and organics. "There are no over the counter drugs that prevent or cure a hangover," according to the site. Most of these aren't much more effective than a multivitamin. If you want to learn more, visit www.hangoverreview.com, where they give a detailed breakdown of 52 "hangover healing" products and rate Sob'r-K HangoverStopper as the best.

While drugs such as ibuprofen can alleviate a headache, be careful because studies show that mixing an acetaminophen (Tylenol, Excedrin, etc.) pain reliever with alcohol can be hazardous to the liver. Wait until the morning to take any type of pain reliever and stay away from acetaminophen products if you've been drinking.

Eat, drink and be lazy. There are an immeasurable number of morning-after meals that some people swear by, such as: a cheeseburger and milkshake, a big greasy breakfast with all the fixings, a peanut butter, honey and banana sandwich on white bread, beans and rice, a sour herring with a beer chaser, a fried egg sandwich, and, of course, the hair of the dog that bit you. If you can handle food, then you should eat to replenish the nutrients you lost the night before.

Many drinkers believe in having a cocktail to cure your hangover, with the most popular being the Bloody Mary. There are a million variations (with hot sauce, Worcestshire, a raw egg, the list goes on and on), but the constants are alcohol and a V8-type mixer. The reason it's so popular is because it replenishes nutrients through the tomato juice and postpones the hangover with liquor (read: delays the inevitable, not cures).

If you're not up for drinking in the morning -- or whatever time you managed to crawl out of bed -- drink sports drinks, fruit juices or soda (the bubbles make your belly feel better). All of these will help to rehydrate, and the fructose helps burn up the alcohol left in your body. Water is also acceptable, but lacks sugar.

Dr. Guy Ratcliffe, medical director of the Medical Council on Alcohol, admits that time is the only 100-percent effective healer for hangovers. Time, rest and relaxation. But if you don't have the time for the resting and relaxing, you might want to try one of these crazy cures from around the world:

Labels: alcohol, beer, calories, cheating, cheese, coffee, food, health, smoking