WHAT IS A HANGOVER

Millions of people suffer from hangover symptoms every weekend. However, few understand the physiological causes of a hangover. Many believe that a hangover is simply dehydration. This is usually not the case.

The reality is that a hangover and its symptoms are the result of complex physiological processes. In simplified terms, its main components are:

• Inflammation : Inflammation is a natural response of the body's tissues to the toxins produced by alcohol metabolism. Most of the inflammation during a hangover occurs in the brain.

• Dehydration : Dehydration during a hangover affects you in two main ways. On the one hand, it increases the concentration of toxins in the blood. On the other hand, it reduces the amount of important nutrients (vitamins, electrolytes, and glucose) that are rapidly eliminated through urine.

There are hundreds of hangover "remedies" and treatments, the vast majority with little evidence of effectiveness, and some that can even be dangerous. Medically, it makes sense to treat hangover symptoms based on the mechanisms that cause them. This is why treatments that focus on replacing fluids and nutrients lost through dehydration and quickly alleviating symptoms are more effective. Intravenous administration, using vitamin-enriched fluids, is the fastest and most efficient method since it doesn't require absorption by the digestive system, which typically takes 3 to 6 hours.