10. Avoid drinks with congeners
Congeners are chemicals that are toxic to the body. They form during the fermentation process when sugars are converted into carbon dioxide and ethanol (we call it alcohol) or during the distillation process when ethanol (alcohol) is separated from water. The volume of congeners contained in alcohol depends on the nature of the alcohol. It is believed that when you drink alcohol that contains a lot of congeners, you increase the odds of experiencing a hangover or making the symptoms of a hangover more severe.
It is theorized that congeners slow the metabolism of alcohol in the body. This slowed metabolism will prolong the symptoms of your hangover, leaving you feeling worse for wear for longer. Drinks with larger volumes of congeners include tequila, whiskey, and cognac. Bourbon whiskey contains the most congeners of all alcohol types. Drinks that have few congeners include gin, rum, and vodka. Vodka, in fact, contains virtually no congeners at all.
Some studies have been done on the matter. In one of them, some participants drank 2 ounces of bourbon whiskey, while others drank 2 ounces of vodka. The next day, those who had drunk bourbon reported hangover symptoms like dizziness, nausea, severe headaches, and halitosis. Those who had drunk vodka did not report such symptoms. The conclusion is that drinks high in congeners cause hangovers. Further study is necessary.
Dark-colored drinks such as red wine, port, and brandy are associated with increased quantities of congeners. Avoiding these drinks when you’re out drinking has the potential to make you less hung over the next morning than your friends who didn’t. If they are your drink of choice, try to reduce the number of drinks you have. Or maybe it’s time to try something new…