Hangover survey results & cures for festive season

If you think your festive hangover is lasting longer than ever, you’re not alone. The two-day hangover is on the rise, with people increasingly suffering from gruelling hangovers lasting 25 hours or more. According to research from sparkling water maker SodaStream, nearly a tenth of people have revealed their hangover can stretch to two days – or even longer.
 
With December’s hectic Christmas party season in full swing, one fifth are likely to be suffering from a hangover this week alone. Nearly a third[1] of people surveyed admit they are more likely to suffer from the aftermath of boozy overindulgence during the festive season than any other time of the year.
 
It seems the common hangover is an all year round epidemic though, with 12% of people admitting to pulling at least two ‘sickies’ a year due to hangovers, according to the survey of 2,000 people across the UK. Revellers are clearly finding it hard to bounce back from these hangovers, with nearly a quarter[2] revealing that a hangover feels worse than having the flu.
 
For some, hangovers are worse than feeling overweight[3], having acne, being dumped and even childbirth. More alarmingly, 6% said that having a hangover felt worse than being kicked in the genitals.
 
Despite over a third[4] thinking a fry up is the best way to nip a hangover in the bud, British expert nutritionist Azmina Govindji shares her best remedy to prevent a hangover.
 

Photo courtesy of The PR Shop

“Dehydration is one of the main causes of hangover symptoms, so it’s important to rehydrate. When you’ve been drinking alcohol, your body craves fluids and drinking water before, during and after a night out drinking is one of the best ways to address this. Your potassium and sodium levels also go down, so having some fresh lemon wedges and a bag of salted peanuts with your drink help to replenish this.”
 
Mark Stephenson, Marketing Manager at SodaStream NZ comments, “With this week set to be the most popular for office Christmas parties, it’s likely that some will be feeling the pain well into the weekend.
 
“It’s not surprising that more and more people are suffering from hangovers that last two days, with 15% admitting that they find water boring to drink during a hangover. However, water needn’t be lacklustre and by adding a little sparkle people can help themselves stay hydrated so they can enjoy the Christmas frivolities.”
 
Azmina Govindji has come up with the formula to staying hydrated and reducing your hangover during the Christmas party season:
 

• Water - Rehydration is key. If you don’t like plain water, try still or sparkling water infused with either fresh mint or basil leaves, or try cucumber, lemon or orange slices with a dash of lime juice!
• Porridge - Reduce fatigue by waking up to porridge, which is slowly digested, helping your blood sugar rise steadily – try adding some berries for a sweet boost and extra potassium
• Greek yogurt - Try a pot of Greek yogurt with granola or fruit as a late night snack or morning pick-me-up. The live bacteria in the yogurt give your sensitive gut a helping hand
• Oranges - Enjoy the citrus tang of freshly sliced orange wedges. This will give you a healthy dose of vitamin C and potassium, as well as much needed fluid
• Banana - Refuel by having a banana, packed with potassium
• Salted peanuts - Try salted peanuts as they'll replenish sodium levels and also give you a healthy dose of protein and fibre
• Eggs on toast - Foods containing the amino acid cysteine, can help take some of the strain off your liver, as it tries to mop up all the toxins from alcohol. Try a cysteine-provider like fried or poached egg on seeded toast
• Eat before you go out - Have something to eat before you head out to slow alcohol absorption. It could be a meal or even something as simple as a slice of whole grain toast or a banana
• Plan ahead - Plan ahead to reduce the severity of hangover symptoms. Drink some water before you go out drinking, intersperse alcohol with water, and enjoy a large glass of refreshing water before you go to sleep
• Ginger, honey & lemon - Feeling nauseous from too much alcohol is common. If you vomit, you’ll lose even more fluid and electrolytes, so try freshly grated ginger, 1-2 teaspoons of honey and a generous squeeze of lemon in a mug of hot water. This can help to reduce symptoms of nausea and rehydrate you. The added bonus: the honey gives you some sugar for energy and you’ll get potassium from the lemon.

[1] 29% of people usually suffer from the most hangovers during the Christmas period
[2] 24% of people thought that a hangover felt worse than having the flu
[3] The percentage of people that claimed that hangovers felt worse than: Feeling overweight - 20%; Having acne – 16%; Being dumped – 7%; Childbirth – 5%.
[4] 36% of people believe the best hangover cure is a fry-up