Why red wine and brandy might give you awful hangovers… but sticking to beer and vodka could help you avoid the dreaded day-after headaches
Hangover? Sorry, you have no one to blame but yourself.
Because we all know that the severity of the headache the next day is mainly due to the amount of drink we have forced down our throat.
But have you ever wondered why the morning after tasting a few Merlots and Malbecs you feel so much worse than, say, vodka?
Researchers say congeners lurking in dark drinks, and sulfites in red wine, could theoretically make you feel worse. Here, MailOnline investigates why…
Many people claim that they feel the effects of red wine or dark drinks more than beer the next day. This may be because drinks such as brandy, red wine and rum contain a large amount of congeners.
What causes the different hangovers?
A hangover is not pleasant, no matter which drink you choose.
But anecdotally, many people claim that they feel the effects of red wine or dark drinks more than beer the next day.
The theory is that the darker the drink, the worse the hangover. This is what Dr Sally Adams, who researches the effects of alcohol at the University of Birmingham, says.
'Different drinks contain different amounts of substances called 'congeners'. These are added during the fermentation process to improve the taste, aroma and color of a drink,” she said.
'A small amount of evidence suggests that drinks with higher levels of congeners (e.g. dark spirits and red wine) may lead to greater hangover severity compared to drinks with lower congeners (e.g. gin, vodka).'
Research shows that vodka and beer contain the least.
For example, according to a 2009 study, bourbon contains 37 times more congeners than vodka. article published in Nature.
A study in 2010 confirmed the dark drinks theory, showing that bourbon can indeed cause worse hangovers than vodka.
Researchers from Brown University in Massachusetts asked participants to drink caffeine-free cola, vodka or bourbon and later asked them questions about their hangover.
Those who drank the bourbon had more severe symptoms than those who drank the vodka.
'In terms of conspecifics, methanol is the most likely to influence the severity of a hangover,' said Dr Adams.
'When methanol is metabolized in the body, it breaks down into formaldehyde and formic acid, both of which are highly toxic and likely contribute to vomiting and heart palpitations.'
Another congener that can make your hangover worse is histamine.
It is found in cheese, meat, fish and fermented foods such as sauerkraut, but it is also found in red wine.
It is believed that an intolerance to histamine is due to a deficiency of the enzyme diamine oxidase.
It can cause headaches, flushing and even bowel discomfort in those sensitive to it, says Allergy UK.
For some, it makes the hangover worse.
Histamine has been linked to “adverse hangover symptoms,” but the exact science is still shrouded in mystery, Dr. Adams said.
Sulphites are in all wines, either because they occur naturally or because they are added. They act as a preservative, but can also make your headaches worse, according to Dr. Adams.
She said: 'There is no scientific evidence to support their contribution to hangovers.
'However, it is possible that some people are sensitive to sulphites, which can contribute to hangover symptoms and especially headaches.'
But it's still the alcohol's fault…
It will come as no surprise that the more alcohol you drink, the worse your hangover will be.
Beer has an average lower alcohol content than wine, 4.4 percent and 13 percent respectively. The spirits are even higher, at 40 percent ABV.
According to Drinkaware, drinking two pints of beer costs a total of around 4.5 units, two 175ml glasses of wine are 4.6 units and two double spirits and a mixer contain around 4 units.
The average adult takes about an hour to process one unit of alcohol, which is equivalent to 10ml or 8 grams of pure alcohol, says the NHS
The average adult takes about an hour to process one unit of alcohol, which is equivalent to 10ml or 8 grams of pure alcohol, the NHS says.
'The greater the amount of alcohol consumed, the greater the chance of a hangover,' said Dr Adams.
'The direct effects of alcohol or ethanol are most likely the cause of hangovers.
'The problem is that so many factors influence a hangover, for example what you have eaten, your genetics, your age, your gender.'
Does mixing drinks make a difference?
'Beer before wine and you'll feel good; wine before beer and you feel queer', is an age-old saying.
Along with: 'Beer before spirits, never been so sick. Booze before beer, you're clear.'
But research shows that mixing drinks doesn't make much difference. Instead, it's purely the amount of alcohol you drink that causes the hangover.
The adage 'beer before wine' was put to the test in 2019 by a group of 90 adults aged 19 to 40 in a University of Cambridge study.
Volunteers who were given two and a half pints of beer, followed by four large glasses of wine, were as hungover as those who drank the drinks the other way around.
Although levels of congeners can contribute to headaches, Dr. Adams says the amount you drink is the biggest reason for a hangover.
Dr. Adams said: 'Ultimately these different aspects of drinks may make a small contribution to the severity of a hangover, but the most important predictive factor is unsurprisingly the amount of alcohol consumed.'
DO YOU DRINK TOO MUCH ALCOHOL? THE 10 QUESTIONS THAT REVEAL YOUR RISK
A screening tool commonly used by medical professionals is the AUDIT (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Tests). The ten-question test was developed in collaboration with the World Health Organization and is considered the gold standard in determining whether someone has alcohol abuse problems.
The test is reproduced here with permission from WHO.
To complete it, answer each question and record the corresponding score.
YOUR SCORE:
0-7: You are within the reasonable drinking range and at low risk for alcohol-related problems.
More than 8: Indicate harmful or dangerous drinking.
8-15: Medium risk level. If you drink at your current level, you risk developing problems with your health and life in general, such as at work and in your relationships. Consider cutting back (see below for tips).
16-19: Higher risk of complications from alcohol. At this level it can be difficult to cut back on yourself because you may be dependent and therefore need professional help from your GP and/or a care provider.
20 and older: Possible dependency. Your drinking is already causing problems, and you could very well be dependent. You should definitely consider quitting gradually or at least reducing your alcohol consumption. You should seek professional help to determine your level of dependence and the safest way to quit alcohol.
Severe dependence may require medically supervised withdrawal or detox in a hospital or specialized clinic. This is due to the likelihood of severe alcohol withdrawal symptoms occurring during the first 48 hours, requiring specialist treatment.