German court's definition of hangover as an illness calls for a guilt-free Oktoberfest sick leave

A court in Frankfurt ruled over the case of anti-hangover supplements. The plaintiff filed the case against the company which marketed supplements as a cure for the after-effects of alcohol consumption. The court recognised that a hangover is an illness which cannot be cured with the help of food and drinks.

The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition conducted a study in February, on the after-effects of alcohol on the human body. The study concluded that a hangover is defined as "unpleasant physical and mental symptoms that occur when elevated blood alcohol concentrations return to zero."

It concluded that there were no known medical remedies for the illness. Thus, the study rendered all anti-hangover tips, tricks, and "medication" redundant against alcohol hangover.

Deutsche Welle reported the judgment passed by the court in Frankfurt. The plaintiff's claim of the company's marketing of the product as illegal was upheld by the court. The court defined an illness as "even small or temporary disruptions to the normal state or normal activity of the body."

Based on the study by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the court concluded that it is illegal for companies to sell cures for something that has been scientifically proven as an ailment. No food or drink can even be capable of curing any of the symptoms associated with a hangover. There are medicines which can help with nausea and headaches but these only fix a symptom of the illness, not the illness itself.

With Oktoberfest being celebrated around the world, waking up the next day with nausea and a splitting headache is going to be a common global phenomenon. Home-remedies or supplements which claim to be anti-hangover may not be the savior revelers will be looking for. However, with a hangover being defined as an illness, there is no reason to feel guilty when taking a sick leave to nurse your throbbing headache.