A watery cure for your hangover

Throbbing head, nausea, blurred vision, dry mouth? Suffering a hangover?

Drink plenty of water, says Christchurch dietitian Lea Stening.

Then treat it like morning sickness.

"You have the same feeling of nausea, but the best thing you can do is to have a high GI breakfast," she said.

An energy boost was needed, so food with a high GI, or glycaemic index, released sugar quickly into the bloodstream.

"Try Corn Flakes, peaches and bananas."

Stening also recommends outdoor exercise. "Just get out there and get walking."

She said the high-energy hangover breakfast should be followed by a healthy lunch, such as salmon, salad and wholemeal bread.

The term hangover, to describe the morning-after effects of excessive drinking, was coined in 1904, says Wikipedia.

The Japanese know it as "futsukayo", or "two days drunk".

In France, it is known as "la gueule de bois", or wooden mouth.

Whatever the language, the worldwide search for a cure has met with little success.

In fact, a British Medical Journal review concluded there was "no compelling evidence" any cure worked.

However, many swear by their own remedies:

A big fry-up with lots of bacon and eggs. "Hair of the dog", or more alcohol. Large quantitites of vitamin B6. Sugar – excess alcohol stunts the body's normal release of sugar, so give yourself a boost.

- © Fairfax NZ News