By Dr. W. Gifford Jones
December 24, 2001
Here's a good Trivial Pursuit question to start 2001. How many of you know that thousands of people will be suffering from "Veisalgia" as they begin the New Year. Veisalgia is the littleªknown scientific name for hangover! So what can you do to prevent or cure this malady? And how much does veisalgia cost this nation?
Most of us think the price of a hangover is sheer personal punishment. But if you owned a company it also cuts a deep hole in your financial pocket.
Dr Jeffrey Wiese and his colleagues at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center and the University of California in San Francisco recently reported on the huge cost of hangovers.
They say that the combined cost of poor job performance and absenteeism is measured in billions of dollars every year. But their report contains a particularly surprising fact.
Most people believe it's the heavy drinkers that we all know who cause the most trouble. Rather, 70 percent of hangovers occur in light-to-moderate drinkers. And since there are more of these drinkers in the country, they trigger the most social and economic cost.
Hopefully you will have recovered and be in reasonable shape as you head back to work this January. But during 2001 how can you decrease the chance of suffering from veisalgia?
It's engorged blood vessels in the brain which stretch nerve endings that cause throbbing headaches. Then add nausea, burning eyes, tremor and general exhaustion. This is not a good combination for the start of the year.
The cause of a hangover is more complicated than just the amount of alcohol consumed. Magnifying the effects of alcohol are substances called "congeners". These non-alcoholic substances are the by-products of fermentation and distillation. And they contribute to the taste, aroma and colour of wines and spirits.
Maybe you think you'll escape a hangover by purchasing an expensive liquor. Well, think again. Bourbon and brandy cause the most veisalgia. Both these beverages are aged in wooden barrels during which they absorb large amounts of congeners.
Several experiments have been done in the U.S. and England to determine the effect of congeners. But I give top marks to one enterprising researcher. Dr. Gaston Pawan, of the Middlesex Hospital Medical School in London, England, must be a jolly fellow who likes a party. He invited groups of men to weekly drinking sessions. A meal was served and then the drinking began.
Each week the men drank an equal amount of alcohol, the equivalent of almost a pint of 70 proof whisky, but from different liquors. Dr Pawan says most left inebriated, but not drunk. The next day they all recorded the extent of the hangover.
Brandy and bourbon triggered the worst handovers. I was sorry to learn that red wine was a close second followed by dark rum. (Now I know why I can never write a column New Years day!) Next in line were sherry, scotch whisky, beer, white wine and gin.
The Russians win the contest. Vodka is lowest in congeners and is colourless, almost odourless, tasteless, an unaged distillate made from either rye, barley or potatoes.
Lastly, Dr Pawan gave his party-goers congeners in pure form. They refused to take them. The taste was awful. But he didn't want to send them home on a sour note. So he finally gave them liquors from which all congeners had been removed. The result? Fewer hangovers.
So you haven't taken any of this advice and you've imbibed too much? Aspirin and cold compresses will help to constrict swollen blood vessels in the brain. Caffeine in black coffee and tea will also cause vessels to constrict.
But forget about having another drink. "The hair of the dog" that bit you will just bite again.
You can also cross off the raw eggs and Worchestershire sauce that your relative advised. If you don't feel nauseated now you will after you take this remedy.
The best remedy is to combat dehydration and get painful congeners out of your system. Any packaged broth is a good start as it provides fluid and salt which you need.
Fructose will also help to rid toxins from the body. Tomato juice is the old stand-by. Honey, apples and grapes in either solid or liquid form are also high in fructose. But ordinary sugar won't help.
One last bit of advice. Eating a little before you arrive at the party can deter veisalgia. The best snacks are high in protein such as meat, milk and cheese. Happy New year everyone!
W. Gifford-Jones M.D is the pen name of Dr. Ken Walker graduate of Harvard. Dr. Walker's website is: Docgiff.com
My book, �90 + How I Got There� can be obtained by sending $19.95 to:
Giff Holdings, 525 Balliol St, Unit # 6,Toronto, Ontario, M4S 1E1
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