Good news for festive revellers – a full Irish breakfast and the hair of the dog are the most effective hangover cures.
Prof Luke O’Neill believes he has found the solution to the after-effects that follow a night on the booze.
The Trinity College Dublin biochemist said: “The hair of the dog works. We’re not encouraging you to drink in the morning, but it turns out your liver breaks down the alcohol into formaldehyde, which is toxic.
“But if you drink more alcohol, it slows down that process. So the formaldehyde levels fall and you feel less symptoms.
“So it’s a very clever thing to do. It delays the pain. The pain has to happen, of course, but it slows it down and it’s less intense.”
Prof O’Neill also backed long-held theories that a hearty fry-up is as good a hangover remedy as any, insisting: “The best food the next day is the full Irish.”
He told Virgin Media’s Six O’Clock Show: “The reason is eggs are very good for you the next day, as they help your liver metabolise all the toxins. A good feed will help your stomach along and slows down absorption, so a good, full Irish breakfast will help you feel better as well.”
Prof O’Neill whose new children’s book The Great Irish Science Book was released recently, also identified bananas and avocados as good morning-after foods.
While abstinence is the best policy, he advised boozers to drink plenty of water and stick to clear-coloured alcohol.
He added: “Drink something clear, then you’ll have much less of a hangover. Brandy’s terrible, tequila’s pretty bad and red wine is much worse than white wine.”
