1 Eat before a night drinking: alcohol without food gets absorbed much more (as if it was poured directly in the bloodstream) and while the liver works hard to deal with it, it cannot metabolise glucose well with the result that blood sugar levels drop producing shakes and sweats. The heart pumps harder, resulting in a rise in blood pressure (which is also why some people suffer heart attacks the morning after).
Munching on fatty food (kebabs, hot dogs etc.) on the way home will only worsen the situation.

2 Do not underestimate genetics: there is a different quantity of enzymes in the stomach to break down alcohol between sexes (women have less therefore they get drunk quicker).
The good news on that is women as they get older catch up with men in terms of fat-muscle (and enzymes) ratio and their brain shrinks slightly too making them less prone to headache.


3 Prevent dehydration: alcohol has diuretic properties, so while drinking kidneys produce more urine than normal which will deplete the blood levels of sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium.
Alcohol causes swelling in the brain which results in the typical headache. This can be avoided by alternating an alcoholic drink with a soft drink to maintain hydration. Drinking a pint of water before going to sleep actually works.

4 Know what you are dealing with: despite brands and types all alcohol works the same way when it comes to hangover. What counts is actually what is mixed with it: browner drinks (such as rum, brandy, whisky and port) generally cause heavier hangover than transparent spirits (vodka in particular is least likely to cause a heavy hangover because it’s repeatedly filtered to remove impurities). Beer is the least dangerous to drink but the most calorie-rich (1 pint equals more or less 170/200 calories)

5 Know that taking painkillers to cure hangover is dangerous: aspirin irritates the stomach and can cause bleeding while paracetamol triggers liver damage if combined with alcohol.

Apparently there is no evidence of the effectiveness of artichoke extract and yeast (main ingredients in hangover pills).

The best way to avoid hangover is taking the precautions above the night before as the only cure for it is waiting until it goes .

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CHLORINE:
Chlorine started to be used in water experimentally in the ‘90s to prevent water-borne diseases (e.g. cholera and typhoid). It was widely accepted because of its low cost and efficiency in killing bacteria found in the water.
But chlorine is a poison itself and the safety of drinking this poison over the long term is uncertain. Also, chlorine, by reacting with water-borne decaying organic materials such as leaves, bark, sediment creates chemicals called trihalomethanes and other highly toxic substances. TrihaloMethanes (or THMs), include chemicals such as chloroform, bromoform and dichlorobromethane, all of which are extremely carcinogenic even in minute amounts. To avoid chlorine it would be best to drink mineral water instead of tap water.

TABLE SALT:
The salt refining process removes 82 of the 84 minerals found in sea water. Refined salt, called sodium chloride, also has harmful additives to prevent moisture absorption and caking. This adulterates salt. To make matters worse, alumino-silicate of sodium is added to complete the job. Aluminum compounds are highly toxic and have been associated with Alzheimer’s Disease and other health conditions. Table salt has got also 20% refined sugar (dextrose) added to keep it free-flowing.

REFINED SUGAR:
One of sugar’s major drawbacks is that it raises the insulin level, which inhibits the release of growth hormones, which in turn depresses the immune system and exposes the body to diseases. Insulin also promotes the storage of fat, so that when you eat sweets high in sugar, you’re promoting rapid weight gain and elevated triglyceride levels, both of which have been linked to cardiovascular disease. Complex carbohydrates tend to be absorbed more slowly, lessening the impact on blood-sugar levels.
Simple sugars have been observed to promote and aggravate asthma, mood swings, personality changes, mental illness, nervous disorders, diabetes, heart disease, gallstones, hypertension, and arthritis.
Because sugar is devoid of minerals, vitamins, fiber, and has such a deteriorating effect on the endocrine system, major researchers and major health organizations (American Dietetic Association and American Diabetic Association) agree that sugar consumption in America is one of the 3 major causes of degenerative disease. There are 4 classes of simple sugars which are regarded by most nutritionists as “harmful” to optimal health when prolonged consumption in amounts above 15% of the carbohydrate calories are ingested: Sucrose, fructose, honey, and malts.
Some of you may be surprised to find honey here. Although honey is a natural sweetener, it is considered a refined sugar because 96% of dry matter are simple sugars: fructose, glucose and sucrose. Honey decays teeth faster than table sugar. Honey has the highest calorie content of all sugars with 65 calories/tablespoon, compared to the 48 calories/tablespoon found in table sugar. Pesticides used on farm crops and residential flowers have been found in commercial honey. Honey can be fatal to an infant whose immature digestive tracts are unable to deal effectively with Botulinum Spore growth. The nutrients or enzymes raw honey does contain are destroyed by manufacturers who heat it in order to give it a clear appearance to enhance sales. Honey should be consumed raw and unheated. Honey is not much better than white or brown sugar.

SOFT DRINKS:
Soda pop contains phosphoric acid. The pH of most soda pop is 2.8, which is very acidic. You want your diet to alkalize your body and ingesting a highly acidic drink like soda pop does the opposite and is very detrimental to your health. Ingesting acidic foods is known to provoke tooth decay. Phosphoric acid is also responsible for a major increase in osteoporosis as it appears to promote the loss of calcium, thus weakening bones. With less calcium available, the bones become more porous and prone to fracture. There is growing concern that even a few cans of soda pop per day can be damaging when they are consumed during the critical bone-building years of adolescence and childhood. Soft drinks in the diet are one of the major causes for osteoporosis and obesity.

MARGARINE AND NON COLD PRESSED OILS:
Hydrogenation is a process used to make vegetable oil thicken at room temperature. This process destroys the essential fatty acids (EFAs) in the oil and replaces them with deformed trans fatty acids. These trans-fats formed by hydrogenation are unnatural and our body is not well-equipped to deal with them. They also compete with essential fatty acids for absorption in the body. This blocks or delays the work of the essential fatty acids, creating imbalance throughout the metabolism, including the presence of fatty deposits in the arteries. Oils kept on the shelves in supermarkets are heated and refined and consequently their natural content of EFA is removed. Oils without EFA are not harmed by light and can be preserved in transparent bottles. Margarine and heated oils typically contain the most dangerous fats.

ASPARTAME:
Aspartame is made of 3 components, 50% phenylalanine, 40% aspartic acid and 10% methanol (or wood alcohol). In our body methanol breaks down into formaldehyde (embalming fluid) and formic acid (ant sting poison) both of which attack your central nervous system and every organ of your body.
Formaldehyde enters the cells and binds to the proteins and to the DNA. Exposure to formaldehyde can produce changes and damages to the DNA. Formaldehyde is a stimulant for cancer and genetic damage in the cell and increases in malignant brain tumors are associated with the use of aspartame.
An average person’s daily intake of methyl alcohol from natural sources averages less than 10 mg. Aspartame beverages contain 55 mg of methanol per liter, and nearly double as much in some carbonated orange sodas. Persons ingesting 5 liters per day can therefore consume over 400 mg of methanol.
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