HEALTH BEAT 6-1-2003

Meetings & Conventions: Short Cuts June 2003
June 2003
Short Cuts:
HEALTH BEAT

The Wrath of Grapes

As long as there have been fermented brews to drink, there have been hangovers and arguments on how best to relieve them. Consider the following advice.

Suzanne Simons, executive director of the Chicago-based National Headache Foundation, recommends bouillon cubes. Rich in minerals and salts, they help the body retain water and cancel out the ill effects of dehydration, a major cause of hangovers. A cup of coffee helps, too. “Caffeine allows the veins to reduce in width and helps relieve pounding heads,” says Simons.

Another good tactic: Fill up on water before falling into bed. Water allows the body to balance itself while you sleep. For the morning after, San Diego-based Tim Mudd, who manages www.all-about-hangovers.com, an online help site, recommends “a big, greasy breakfast.”

While perhaps less scientific, Mudd also swears by a little jingle: “Beer before liquor, never sicker; liquor before beer, never fear.”

• Bruce Myint