Dr. John's Top Tips for Beating Hangovers

Eat before you drink
A light meal is ideal before you set out for a few drinks; a carbohydrate-based meal is probably best to slow down alcohol absorption, and make sure you drink plenty of non-alcoholic fluids as well before you go out.

Boost your body's chances
Some people take B complex vitamins, particularly B6 (pyridoxine), to assist the body in breaking down the alcohol in your system. Others take a vitamin supplement containing an amino acid called N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC). NAC boosts levels of a liver enzyme called glutathione, which mop up nasty chemicals called free radicals, which can build up in the liver when we drink large quantities of alcohol.

Rehydrate
Drinking a lot of alcohol over the course of an evening turns on your urine flow to the max. In an ideal world, try to space out alcoholic drinks during the evening with water. If you match each tipple with a big glass of water you're likely to hardly suffer at all the next day. But failing that, before turning in, try to drink some water (at least 250 ml / ½ pint and not more than 850 ml / 1½ pints or you'll feel bloated and nauseous) to help your body rehydrate as you sleep.

Pain management
You might want to consider taking a soluble aspirin (assuming you're not allergic to this medicine) or an over-the-counter hangover remedy before turning in to get some pain relief on board. Alternatively, if you wake very early, have an aspirin handy by the bedside, drink some more water and try to get some more sleep.

The aftermath
You may not feel like it, but having some food is a good idea; something basic like toast or a bacon sandwich will settle your stomach and give you some welcome energy. Do not consider trying ‘hair of the dog': resorting to another alcoholic tipple first thing in the morning might make you feel slightly better at first, but you'll just be delaying the inevitable, so deal with it!

Taken from Live Well...Be Healthy: The Ultimate Guide (BBC Books, £12.99).