Businesses suffering from staff over-indulgence over the festive period will be sorry to hear there is no miracle way to treat or prevent alcohol hangovers, according to medical research.
In the UK, hangovers account for about £2bn in lost wages each year, mostly due to sickness absence, and a plethora of “hangover cures” is on offer.
Investigators from the British Medical Journal searched medical databases and the internet, and contacted experts and manufacturers, for randomised controlled trials of any medical intervention for preventing or treating hangovers.
They tested eight different agents reputed to cure hangovers, including drugs for nausea and vertigo, painkillers and glucose, as well as various dietary supplements.
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“We are confident that our search strategy located all published trials on the subject,” the authors of the research said. “Our findings show no compelling evidence to suggest that any complementary or conventional intervention is effective for treating or preventing the alcohol hangover.”
Therefore, the most effective way to avoid the symptoms of alcohol induced hangover is to practise abstinence or moderation, the research concluded.
