Irish scientists have revealed the three drinks to avoid if you want to avoid a brutal hangover the next day.
According to experts, drinking red wine, whiskey or brandy can result in worse hangovers compared to after consuming other tipples.
Scientists Carol McCarthy and Abina Crean, both from UCC, and Sarah Hayes from UL, will explain the reasoning for this in one episode of a new RTE series.
Brainstorm, which airs from May 2, will feature expert analysis on a range of interesting topics.
Writing in The Irish Sun on Saturday, the three scientists shared some useful information for people thinking of enjoying a few drinks this weekend.
"It’s worth pointing out at the beginning that a number of factors can affect the severity of a hangover including genetic factors, health, age, sleep and (of course) the amount of alcohol consumed," they write.
"Alcohol is a diuretic (which is why the queues are always so long in the toilets in pubs) and inhibits the pituitary secretion of anti-diuretic hormone (ADH; vasopressin).
"The reduced levels of ADH prevent the kidneys from reabsorbing water and results in dehydration (symptoms of dry mouth, thirst and headache).
"It’s a good idea to drink water while you’re out or before going to bed as it will help reduce dehydration symptoms."
They add that another "hangover suspect" is a compound produced by the metabolism of alcohol.
"Alcohol, or more specifically ethanol, is broken down by enzymes in the liver into acetaldehyde, which is subsequently broken down by another enzyme into acetate," they say.
"Acetate can be broken down into carbon dioxide and water.
"Your body is capable of breaking down alcohol at a rate of around one unit (8 grams or 10 millilitres of pure alcohol) per hour, though this rate will vary marginally from person to person, depending on a number of factors such as their weight, height, metabolic rate etc."
Get breaking news to your inbox by signing up to our newsletter .
