Nutritionist reveals why prosecco gives you a worse hangover than any other alcohol – and the seven steps for preventing a sore head the next day (Excerpt)
Prosecco is notorious for triggering intense and long lasting hangovers
Nutritionist Lee Holmes explains why it leaves you more fragile than other drinks
It comes down to carbon dioxide carried within bubbles in the alcohol
This causes the body to absorb alcohol faster, causing more extreme symptoms
Headaches, gripping nausea, tired eyes and dry mouth are common side effects
Source: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/
By ALICE MURPHY
28 January 2020
An Australian nutritionist has revealed why prosecco leaves you with a worse hangover, involving stronger waves of nausea, drier mouth and a more intensely pounding headache, than any other alcohol.
The answer lies in the bubbles, according to Sydney dietitian Lee Holmes, who says the carbon dioxide carried in the ‘fizz’ of sparkling wine causes alcohol to absorb faster and deeper into the bloodstream.
The cookbook author told Daily Mail Australia that higher blood alcohol levels cause more severe inflammation of the brain, which is the reason drinkers experience crippling hangover symptoms like fatigue, vomiting and migraines the morning after.
Studies show over two thirds of people get drunker faster when they drink prosecco, Champagne or other sparkling wines compared with other alcohol.
‘When you drink, alcohol is absorbed through cell membranes which line the gastrointestinal tract, moving into blood capillaries until it enters the bloodstream,’ she said.
The faster the rate of absorption, the higher the blood alcohol level will be, which determines the intensity of a hangover the next day.
‘Hangovers are caused by two things. The first is inflammation of the brain, and the second is the brain’s overcompensation due to the depressant mechanism of alcohol,’ she said.
‘Because prosecco is absorbed faster than other drinks, it leads to more severe hangover symptoms the next day, such as headaches, gripping nausea, increased sensitivity to light, gritty eyes and an extremely dry mouth.’
But Ms Holmes said the intensity of a hangover also comes down to the quantity of alcohol consumed.