Do you know your hangover? Morning-after myths busted before the New Year binge

Those who believe that large amounts of alcohol are synonymous with holiday celebrations are also quite aware of the harrowing effects a night of excesses can have the day after. Hangovers are as much a part of the holiday season as the partying and decorations.

With the New Year on the horizon, most of us are preparing to kick off a night of celebrations fuelled by the spirits. Some of the more cautious party-goers are bound to try to take precautions against the morning-after disaster, but do any of those hangover preventive measures or cures really work?

IBTimes UK takes a look the age-old (or from our college days) recommendations and lets science decide if they really stand a chance against tequila.

Coffee to the rescue?

A hot mug of coffee tastes especially good after a night of partying hard. You even feel a bit more charged after that first sip, then why is it that five cups down, you still feel like the world is off-tilt? According to Science Alert, alcohol makes us sleepy, while coffee is a pick-me-up. Java does not, however, have the power to stop that dizzy feeling. Instead, too much coffee may actually increase the feeling of nausea and wooziness as it dehydrates you even further.

Mixing alcohols is not to blame

It is always recommended that you choose one alcohol for the night and stick to it as if it were your date. People claim that you are bound to suffer a worse hangover if you chase down a glass of wine with beer or vodka. The issue is not with the two alcohols meeting in your body to later create a neuro-armageddon — but the fact is that your body may be more used to one type of spirit.

A tequila shot, for example, packs a powerful punch and delivers the same amount of alcohol as a large beer, but in one-tenth the time.

Water to wash away the headache

Water is a marvellous drink, but it is not a miracle-doer. Consuming water in between alcoholic drinks does help stay hydrated, and slow down the process of getting drunk, but ingesting a tank full after a night on the town will not make the hangover disappear. The morning after, you are bound to feel dehydrated, so yeah, water will help with that. However, it cannot eradicate some of the other side effects of drinking, including the dizziness and nausea.

At the end of the day, the best way to avoid a hangover is to not drink alcohol or consume it in moderation.