December 18, 2006

Health Tip: Hangover Help

(HealthDay News) -- If you've overindulged at the office party and are nursing a holiday hangover, the University of Alabama at Birmingham offers these helpful do's and don'ts:

• Don't have another drink the next day to make yourself feel better. The "hair of the dog that bit you" theory doesn't hold water.
• Coffee, greasy food, or a cold shower won't help your body metabolize the alcohol any faster.
• Do eat foods high in complex carbohydrates, like bread or crackers, that may help prevent low blood sugar and may soothe nausea.
• Do get plenty of sleep to help feel more rested.
• Do drink plenty of water or fruit juice -- but nothing caffeinated -- to help rehydrate yourself.
• Don't take acetaminophen (the active ingredient in Tylenol) to help your hangover, as it may harm the liver when combined with alcohol.

-- Diana Kohnle

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