Hangovers — Here’s What You’re Doing Wrong

This story was originally published on July 6th, 2015.

Whether it’s one-too-many beers at a BBQ or a night of serious celebration, many of us have experienced the debilitating effects of being “over-served.” Hangovers continue to plague the masses (see: Fireball shots), but any legitimate prevention methods seem to be nothing more than old wives’ tales. So why can’t we crack the case?

The truth is, up until now, hangovers have largely been ignored by science. In journalist Adam Rogers' recent book, Proof: The Science of Alcohol, he notes that there are “658,610 cites over the last five decades on the subject of alcohol...Hangovers got 406 studies.”

What do we know? Are hangovers preventable? Curable? Or is this just another one of drinking’s many myths? And more importantly, are the preventative measures you're taking actually doing more harm than good?

Here, we’ve compiled some common theories to hangover prevention and the sobering truths behind them.