Tension…dry mouth…throbbing headache….these are all symptoms of something most everyone has experienced at least once- the dreaded result of pounding a few too many the night before and paying the price the next morning. Otherwise known as a hangover, these symptoms can make one regret previous decisions and make often unkept promises not to repeat the decisions in the future.
Eliminating a hangover has multiple prescriptions ranging from a pair of aspirin to black coffee, and sometimes even more booze. But research scientists at the Sun Yat-Sen University in Guangzhou, China have conducted a study that finds one cure superior to all others, and it might be in your pantry right now. That cure is the popular, bubbly, lemon- lime beverage known as Sprite. Yes, Sprite- that product from the Coca- Cola Company with the great taste of lymon is also great at eliminating the day after, head pounding, thirst quenching, post- drinking blues.
Most of us have tried the classic remedies at least once and most have given into the fact that hangovers simply take time to cure. But these scientists have found that Sprite is key to hangover relief. Their study, titled “Effects of Herbal Infusion, Tea, and Carbonated Beverages on Alcohol Dehydrogenase and Aldehyde Dehydrogenase Activities” came to the conclusion that Sprite offers the best and fastest relief. Here is the scientific explanation given:
Alcohol is metabolized into acetaldehyde by the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH, which makes you feel bad) and then into acetate by aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH, which makes you feel good). Unlike acetaldehyde, acetate is innocuous and may even be responsible for some of the positive health benefits of alcohol consumption. Therefore the key to reducing alcohol-related damage lies in minimizing the amount of time acetaldehyde is present in the body.
What the researchers discovered is that certain beverages help to breakdown the acetates more quickly, thereby shortening the duration of a hangover. And the beverage that performs best? Sprite. Yes, other beverages, like simple carbonated water, also work. But they are less tasty and refreshing than a glass or two of sweet, lemon- lime accented Sprite.
In all, the study tested 57 different beverages, including teas, caffeinated beverages, carbonated drinks, and more. Herbal teas were actually shown to slow down the acetate breakdown process, but carbonated beverages speed it up and those that are caffeine free perform best. It all points to Sprite as the best means to quick relief.
So, the next time a nasty hangover has you in its grip, don’t spend excessively on the latest herbal remedy or brew a pot of hot coffee. The best cure is also one of the least expensive and easiest to find- a bottle or can of Sprite. Who would have thought that something so cheap and readily available could be the cure to one of nature’s most unfair curses? Forget the advice your grandfather gave you or what you were told would work well in college. Leave the popular remedies behind and drink more Sprite.
The best cure was right there, all along.
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