1284- Sprite and soda water

Researchers at the Sun Yat-Sen University in Guangzhou, China, report in the journal Food and Function that Sprite is one of the best drinks to relieve hangover symptoms.

Hangover is not caused by the drink itself; instead, by how it is metabolised by the body. Ethanol is broken down into acetaldehyde, which has the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) that causes the hangover. It then turns into acetate, which does not cause hangover symptoms because of the presence of aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH).

The key to reducing hangover symptoms is to reduce the amount of time acetaldehyde is present in the body.

The researchers tested 57 different beverages including various carbonated drinks, teas and herbal infusion to analyse how the drinks affected ALDH activity.
Sprite and soda water boosted ALDH activity, thus speeding up the conversion of acetaldehyde to acetate and reducing hangover symptoms. Herbal teas, however, slowed down the process and prolonged the symptoms.
(The Week, 10:11:2013)
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