Welcoming the New Year with champagne is (for some) a strongly held tradition, but the bubbly beverage also has a reputation for causing lethal hangovers. Why does the drink lead to such a killer morning headache?
Boris Tabakoff, a pharmacology professor at the University of Colorado, explained the science behind why too much champagne can leave one feeling so sick the day after a night of drinking.
"The carbon dioxide in carbonated beverages like champagne helps absorb the alcohol. You get a faster rate of absorption, higher blood alcohol levels -- and brain levels -- if you drink champagne as opposed to something non-carbonated," Tabakoff told ABC News.
Hangovers are caused by both brain inflammation triggered by alcohol consumption and a need to overcompensate for alcohol's depressant mechanisms. Tabakoff told ABC News these factors are what lead to excruciating light and sound sensitivity after a night of partying.
The professor explained that about one-third of people who drink carbonated alcoholic beverages get intoxicated faster than they would have if they had chosen a flatter drink. Since carbonated drinks tend to get people drunk more quickly, they also tend to lead to more severe hangovers.
Drinking in moderation is the only way to avoid a painful hangover, but there are other tricks one can use to help soften the blow. For example, eating while consuming alcohol can slow its absorption, making the morning a little more bearable.
"It is also best to eat beforehand," Dr. Noah Rosen, Director of the Headache Center at North Shore-LIJ's Cushing Neuroscience Institute told Forbes. "[Having] food in the stomach slows the absorption of alcohol in the body. High fat foods are particularly good in absorbing alcohol. Also, it is a good idea to snack throughout the party to keep blood sugar levels up."
