Sprite for hangovers: What is the best remedy for a hangover? Scientists say it is Sprite

Sprite for hangovers was the subject of a research study by Chinese scientists at the Sun Yat-Sen University in Guangzhouwho who tested 57 drinks to find out what worked best for a hangover. To their surprise, it turned out that Sprite performed best as a remedy for hangovers.

As most people know, a hangover is quite an unpleasant experience after a night of too much alcohol. A hangover can last more than 24 hours and the typical symptoms of a hangover may include headache, drowsiness, concentration problems, dry mouth, dizziness, gastrointestinal complaints, sweating, nausea, hyper-excitability and even anxiety.

Despite the familiarity of hangovers, the causes of a hangover are still poorly understood. The most common causes for a hangover are assumed to be acetaldehyde accumulation, changes in the immune system and glucose metabolism, dehydration, metabolic acidosis, disturbed prostaglandin synthesis, increased cardiac output, vasodilation, sleep deprivation, and lack of quality food. 

Many remedies against a hangover advise therefore to make sure to stay hydrated and to have sufficient food intake while drinking,

Acetaldehyde accumulation turned out to be a major factor for a hangover as discovered by the Chinese scientists who explained that it was not the alcohol or Ethanol that caused the hangover symptoms but that it was ethanol’s metabolite, acetaldehyde, that caused the trouble.

“The key to reducing alcohol-related damage lies in minimising the amount of time acetaldehyde is present in the body.”

Sprite breaks down acetaldehyde and the sooner it is taken, the less time it stays in the body, and the less likely it is that hangover symptoms will endure.

The study on the effects of Sprite on hangovers surprisingly discovered that drinking herbal teas had the opposite effect; it slowed down the breakdown of acetaldehyde, meaning that hangover symptoms were prolonged.

The Chinese study on the effects of Sprite on hangovers published by Chemistry World on Oct. 7, 2013, is being perceived by the scientific community as interesting but also to be taken with caution.

Edzard Ernst, a leading expert in medicinal science from the University of Exeter in the UK described the works “as interesting” and emphasized that “these results are a reminder that herbal and other supplements can have pharmacological activities that can both harm and benefit our health.”

Whether or not Sprite for hangovers is the best remedy should be confirmed by replicating the experiment on a broader basis.

So, the next time you feel a hangover, was Sprite really the best remedy for your hangover or did you use something else that helped?