Want to avoid that nasty Holiday Hangover? Read on to see what types of alcohol are most and least likely to leave you with a head-pounding hangover.
Although DrClay.com is about fitness (especially the physique-enhancement component), the fact remains that alcohol consumption in t
he U.S. is highest in November and December due to the holiday season. Whether that’s due to the cold weather, holiday parties, or the stress of seeing your crazy family member(s) (we all have at least one!) is a topic for another day.
So instead of giving you a motherly lecture about your alcohol consumption, I’m going to tell you about a new study which shed some light on what type(s) of alcohol tend to give us that ran-over-by-a-truck feeling the morning after.
Surprisingly, not much research at all has been done on the hangover component of consuming alcohol. Just in time for New Year’s Eve, Dr. Damaris J. Rohsenow at Brown University comes to the rescue!
The new study evaluated almost 100 people after consuming Absolut Vodka or Wild Turkey Bourbon to the point of legal intoxication. (I bet it wasn’t hard to get people to participate in THIS study!)
The Choice is Clear
They found that people who consumed the darker alcohol (bourbon) tended to have a worse hangover than those who consumed the clear alcohol (vodka). It’s speculated that the reason for this is the number of congeners or impurities in the alcohol. Wild Turkey Bourbon has about 37 times more impurities than does Absolut Vodka!
These congeners aren’t totally evil, however. They are a natural part of the fermentation process and are actually responsible for the unique taste of each alcohol. Regardless, unless having your head feel like it’s going to explode the day after imbibing appeals to you, then you may be better off sticking to clear alcohol choices like vodka as opposed to darker bourbons and whiskeys. Wine drinkers would likewise be better sticking to white wine as opposed to red wine due to the abundance of congeners in the latter.
If you do consume alcohol this holiday season, please do so responsibly. That doesn’t mean you can’t dance on tables or say things you regret (and wish you could forget) the next day…that’s part of the fun! By responsible I mean don’t drink and drive and don’t drink so much you get alcohol poisoning. That’s all I ask. 
Yours in responsible fun, health, and fitness…
Dr Clay
