What type of alcohol gives the least hangover

Congeners are found in larger amounts in dark liquors, such as brandy, bourbon, darker beer and red wine, than they are in clear liquors, such as vodka, gin and lighter beers.

One particular congener — methanol — breaks down into the toxins formaldehyde and formic acid, which can worsen a hangover. While lighter colored drinks may slightly help to prevent a hangover, drinking too many alcoholic beverages of any color will still make you feel bad the morning after.

Drinking large amounts of alcohol can cause dehydration, low blood sugar, digestive irritation and disturbed sleep — all factors that lead to hangover symptoms.

In several studies, no effective method of hangover prevention was found. The only sure way to prevent a hangover is to drink in moderation or not drink at all. For healthy adults, moderate drinking means up to one drink a day for women of all ages and men older than 65, and up to two drinks a day for men 65 or younger.

Women who are or may be pregnant should not drink at all. Be careful, though — some drinks may contain more alcohol than you realize. Often drinks are larger at bars and restaurants. And some drinks of the same size may contain more alcohol than others. For example, some light beers contain almost as much alcohol as regular beers, and some liquors contain a higher percentage of alcohol than others do. Daniel K. Hall-Flavin, M. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission.

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If you know you need to rise bright and early the morning after going out and cannot risk a debilitating hangover, Crofcheck says that beer is the way to go, while Waterhouse says white wine or congener-free spirits are your best bets.

Like all good things in life, the key is moderation. Skip to main content Drink. Blame It on the Bubbly. Make Fun. Thrillist Serves. Enter your email address Subscribe. Lewis Nelson, chair of the department of emergency medicine and chief of the division of medical toxicology at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, echoes this ambiguity.

How do they work, though? Neurons are surrounded by a fatty membrane, Nelson explains, and they communicate by conducting electricity, which arises from changes in the flux of electrolytes across the membrane. Since alcohol dissolves in fat, it can pass through the membrane, enter the neuron, and alter this flux — and, in turn, how the neuron conducts electrical impulses.

This disruption seems to underlie that oh-so-fun constellation of symptoms known as a hangover. While the cause of hangovers remains unclear, molecules known as congeners play a role, Hammond says. Nelson notes that you can break down any booze into three ingredients: alcohol, water, and congeners.