When is a hangover not a hangover?
Christmas is still another few weeks away, but I’m already dreading the requisite hangovers. From the dull headache and dry mouth after a ‘quick Christmas drink’ on a work night that spirals out of control, to the full on, can’t-move-can’t-think disaster zone that generally follows the office Christmas party. Sound familiar?
But before you (I) start panic-buying Berocca and paracetamol, there might be a way to avoid the dreaded H word (other than not drinking, are you mad?). According to scientists, hangover symptoms can actually be attributed to allergic reactions to the ingredients in your favourite alcoholic drinks. Step in the YorkTest DrinkScan programme, which offers you a mail-order blood test to see which ingredients you’re allergic to, and give you recommendations on how to avoid them on a night out.
Perfect – I’m definitely going to discover I’m allergic to one particular obscure type of wine, which has been the cause of all my hangovers to date. All I have to do is steer clear of that, and my life will one long line of clear heads and hangover-free mornings.
Erm, not quite. I send off my blood sample (almost painlessly extracted myself), and received my results in the post a couple of weeks later. It turns out I should avoid any drinks including cow’s milk, yeast, wheat and gluten. This all sounds fairly straight forward until I turn the page and check out which drinks this relates to.
For starters, all drinks contain yeast, which I’m meant to be avoiding at all costs. However, as my guide tells me, gin, champagne and vodka have much lower levels of yeast than wines and beers. Right, excellent, I’ll have those then. But wait a second, I’m also meant to be avoiding anything with gluten in it, and that includes vodka, so looks like that’s off the list after all.
My results also list some ingredients I’m allowed in moderation, including pineapple and anything including Chenin Blanc and Pinot Noir grapes (found in brandy-based drinks, sherry and port amongst others), and apart from that, I’m good to go!
So, this Christmas season I will be sticking to the drinks I’m not allergic to, in order to see if it impacts on my epic hangovers. Of course, in the interests of a fair scientific test, I’m going to be forced to spend an evening drinking all my ‘bad’ drinks so I can track this space. Watch this space to see what happens next (and keep the Berocca to hand…)
Bad drinks
Wine
Beer
Whisky
Stout
Any drinks containing milk
Good drinks
Gin
Champagne
Brandy based drinks (in moderation)
Port (in moderation)
Sherry (in moderation)
YorkTest DrinkScan Programme costs £219 for the full test which includes a drinks diary, guidebook and one telephone consultation with a BANT* registered Nutritional Therapist. Order via freephone 0800 074 6185 or visit YorkTest.
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