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A doctor has revealed the five ways you can minimise your hangover this New Year’s Eve, and why you should steer clear of Champagne or ‘anything with bubbles’ if you want to wake up feeling fresh.
Leading Harley Street dietitian and King’s College research fellow Dr Megan Rossi, from Queensland, highlighted research that showed why alcohol with bubbles in it is a nightmare for your liver and bloodstream.
The Australian expert also shared her other tips to ‘maximise the fun and minimise the pain this New Year’s Eve’.
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A doctor (pictured) has revealed the five ways you can minimise your hangover this New Year’s Eve, and why you should steer clear of Champagne if you want to wake up feeling fresh
1. Prime your gut microbes
The first thing Dr Megan Rossi said will help you in your quest to have fun and wake up feeling good on January 1 is if you ‘prime your gut microbes so they can protect you’.
‘If your gut microbes are in good shape, they’re more likely to produce more butyrate, which may well help the body better withstand the anti-inflammatory effects of alcohol,’ Dr Rossi posted on Instagram.
To aid your gut, the doctor recommends that before and after any party, you enjoy ‘nourishing plant-rich dishes like gut-loving Greek baked beans’.
She said these will ‘also satisfy salty and carby hangover cravings’.
Dr Megan Rossi (pictured) said you need to prime your gut microbes by eating before; she recommends plant-based nourishing foods full of fruit and veg
2. Avoid bubbles
As well as this, Dr Rossi said it’s a great idea if you limit your drinking of anything with bubbles in it ‘as it will likely make you feel worse’.
‘Researchers from the HPRU Medical Research Centre in Guildford gave volunteers fizzy or flat Champagne. Those given the fizz got drunker more quickly,’ she said.
‘That’s because the bubbles cause the alcohol to be more rapidly absorbed into your bloodstream, overtaking your liver’s ability to digest it at such speed.’
Dr Rossi added: ‘The higher your blood alcohol concentration, the more toxic the impact.’
You’re far better off sticking to flat alcoholic drinks like wine, and limiting your consumption of Prosecco and fizz.
Dr Rossi (pictured) said mixers with artificial sweeteners are never a good idea; you’re far better off drinking alcohol with soda water and frozen berries
3. Be cautious of mixers with artificial sweeteners
Dr Rossi said mixers with artificial sweeteners are never a good idea.
‘A study from Northern Kentucky University found that if you drank vodka and diet soda or vodka and regular soda, the “diet” version actually led to a 25 per cent higher blood alcohol concentration,’ she said.
Even better, Dr Rossi said you could switch out the sugary sodas entirely for frozen berries and soda water.
‘Doing this [thanks to the water content] will even further slow the absorption of alcohol,’ she said.
4. Eat before you drink
It sounds simple, but still so many people fail to eat something an hour or two before a prolonged period of drinking.
‘Prioritise eating food before drinking and on a night out, always eat food first to slow the absorption of alcohol and give your liver a chance to keep up,’ Dr Rossi said.
Something that is high in protein is often a good call before a night out.
Finally, Dr Rossi (pictured) explained that staying hydrated before, during and after drinking is key to a successful night
5. Stay hydrated
Finally, Dr Rossi explained that staying hydrated before, during and after drinking is key to a successful night.
She recommends switching every other drink to non-alcoholic options like sparkling water with frozen berries or kombucha.
‘And if the worst happens and you do end up with a hangover, you could always try an electrolyte drink, which contains salts such as potassium and may help you better absorb fluid while you rehydrate,’ she said.
Previously, the doctor (pictured) said you should aim to eat as many as 30 different plant-based foods each and every week
Previously, Dr Megan Rossi shared the three biggest myths surrounding gut health that people believe to be true.
Dr Rossi said one of the biggest myths is that people often think they have to follow a restrictive diet to be healthy.
‘So many people think they need to eat a certain way, but looking after your gut health is all about inclusivity, moderation and plant-based diversity,’ she told Daily Mail Australia.
Dr Rossi recommends we try to eat 30 different types of plant-based foods each week as these contain ‘different fibres and chemicals that feed the different bacteria in your gut’.
‘From wholegrains to vegetables, fruits, legumes, seeds and nuts, research has shown that those who hit 30 have a more diverse range of gut microbes than others,’ Dr Rossi said.
‘This is a marker of good gut health and has also been linked to better long-term health.’
The second myth the expert is keen to bust is that cutting carbohydrates will help your stomach:
‘Carbs have been unfairly stigmatised when it comes to our health, but they are not to be feared,’ Dr Rossi said.
‘Cutting carbs means you also cut important types of fibre, and this can have a negative impact on your gut bacteria, as fibre is their favourite food and nourishes our gut microbes.’
The third thing the ‘Gut Health Doctor’ said she often hears is that sucrose (or sugar) is bad for you gut.
‘Actually, sugar is absorbed higher up your intestine, so it doesn’t reach your lower intestine where the majority of microbes are housed,’ she said.
‘This means you certainly shouldn’t cut out fruit because of its sucrose content.’
Dr Rossi is the author of the book Eat Yourself Healthy, An Easy-to-Digest Guide to Health and Happiness from the Inside Out.
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