Pros and cons of hangover 'cures'

Washington, Jan 2 (ANI): Hangovers are inevitable when it comes to New Year celebrations. A lot of products tout the ability to help you get back on track but few of them work.

Now, according to Live Science, experts have revealed some pros and cons of purported cures.

Hair of the dog:

Drinking a little more alcohol in the morning - be it a bloody Mary or otherwise - might provide the mild numbing effect. But it is necessary to fight that temptation. Those who routinely revelled in the hair of the dog that bit them drank 2 to 3 times more alcohol than other adults in the study, and they had significantly higher rates of alcohol dependency.

Good breakfast:

A good meal can do wonders, particularly if you have it while drinking. But there's still hope the next morning. Eggs contain cysteine, which in theory could help the liver breakdown the toxin acetaldehyde, a byproduct from the previous night's abuse. Bananas and kiwi replenish the body with the potassium it craves, lost during the many trips to the toilet the night before. The fructose in fruit and juice doesn't seem to be a magic bullet, but juice does hydrate, which is helpful. Burnt toast won't work.

Headache pills:

Aspirin can be helpful before sleep and upon rising with plenty of water, but only in moderation. Aspirin, a blood thinner like alcohol, spares your liver but increases the risk of bleeding in your stomach and gastrointestinal track. If your body is sensitive to aspirin, it will hate it while drunk.

Coffee:

Coffee can temporarily improve your headache by decreasing the size of blood vessels. This counteracts the effects of alcohol, bringing you closer to equilibrium. Then again, coffee can make you edgy and actually can cause headaches for some people. Like alcohol, coffee is a diuretic, making you even more dehydrated and increasing the severity of the hangover. When the caffeine wears off, you will be even more tired.

Better genes:

Studies have shown that 23 percent of the human gene pool has a natural resistance to hangovers, according to a study published in 2008 in Current Drug Abuse Reviews. Then again, you might be worse off without the protective warning that hangovers offer. The same study found that people who overestimate the level they can drink without getting a hangover are more prone to alcoholism.

Propranolol:

Propranolol is beta-blocker drug for hypertension that also is commonly used to relieve hangover pain. However, studies have shown it doesn't work.

Sleep:

Sleep is the best cure for a hangover, but for many people this is a luxury. (ANI)