Tag: hangover

What causes hangovers? A biochemical mystery

Infographic on the chemistry of a hangover. The graphic shows the breakdown of ethanol to ethanal and then ethanoate. It then looks at the evidence for four potential contributors to hangovers: dehydration, acetaldehyde, congeners and the immune system.
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After yesterday’s New Year celebrations, you might well be nursing a sore head this morning after a few drinks too many. This is a chemical consequence of consuming alcoholic beverages, but it’s one that, surprisingly, we still don’t fully understand. There are, however, a number of chemical suspects that have been identified as contributing to the symptoms of a hangover; here, we take a look at each in turn and the evidence for their contribution.

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