Why a hangover is much worse for one person than for another

It just happens that looking too deeply into a glass can lead to this. One moment your wine tastes like water, the next moment you're upside down in a karaoke bar singing Bieber hits.

Whatever you get up to after a drink or thirty-six, the day after we all feel the same. Awful. Nauseous, dizzy, weak, unstable. The ultimate hangover. Oh well, it is what it is. You know it will eventually pass, but you can't remember what life was like when you felt fit. When you had fewer urges to vomit or tasted Flügeltjes in your mouth. But there is something that makes your hangover even worse. And that is: receiving a message from the friend you were partying and dancing with the night before, who cheerfully tells you that ‘she feels fine‘, while you see stars on the toilet. You can't physically get out of bed. You don't want to mentally leave your couch. Even though the sun is shining, it's stormy inside. No, no, she is fresh and fruity, already out shopping for her dinner tonight. She has already gone for a run. And done laundry.

Why is the hangover much worse for one person than for another? There is an explanation. First of all, a hangover is less severe for people who regularly consume alcohol. That's not a recommendation, but it has been factually proven. People who drink a glass almost daily are less likely to have a dry mouth and a heavy head after a night out gulping down wine. People who, for example, drink once a month will notice it right after that one night in the month.

Then there's something else. It also depends on what you drink. Beer gives you less severe hangovers than wine. Pure alcohol, which you find more in mixed drinks like a gin and tonic or vodka and apple juice, also leads to less intense hangovers. Of course, you can still feel hungover, but it's not as bad as those sweet cocktails with a ton of different liqueurs, shots, or wines. And if you have to choose between red or white: red wine gives you slightly less severe hangovers than white.

Do you want to approach partying completely professionally? Being sporty has a positive effect on hangovers. If you are physically fit, you will really feel better the next day after a night of drinking. Your fit body simply breaks down the alcohol faster. And it also holds true that the fitter you are, the less fat you have. The less fat you have, the less alcohol you ‘need’ to get drunk. So you stop drinking much earlier than others, and that is still the best way to avoid your hangover. So, don't drink too much.

Okay, next week just get back at your friend. Have a beer, go work out four times first, and quit in time. You can bet you'll be doing your grocery shopping at the market on Saturday morning.

FACTS

• To prevent your hangover, it's best to drink a glass of milk before going to sleep.
• You get drunk faster from drinks with bubbles in them.
• There are about 3.6 million hangovers in the Netherlands. In the form of an animal, yes.

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