If You Do Not Want a Hangover, Drink Less Alcohol, Study Reports

Preventing hangovers is a very easy feat - just do not drink in excess!

According to a new study, the researchers from The Netherlands concluded that eating food and drinking water will not prevent hangovers. Instead, people who want to avoid hangovers should just drink less.

For this study, the researchers led by Joris Verster from Utrecht University polled 825 Dutch students about their last big drinking outing. They were asked about the hangover they experienced the following morning. The researchers' goal was to see if eating food or drinking water during the drinking bout helped the hangover.

The researchers found that even though roughly 55 percent of people reported eating food before bed, there were no differences in how they rated the severity of their hangovers. The researchers also found that 45 percent of people who ate a big breakfast did not experience a reduction in the severity of their hangovers. Hangover symptoms, however, varied.

"There is a big difference between severity of hangovers and the symptoms people experience during hangover," Verster said. "For example, some people have headaches, others are nauseous, others are just tired. Given this, there is no clear definition of a hangover."

Verster added, "The more you drink, the more likely you are to get a hangover."

The team concluded that food and water do not prevent hangovers or make them any less severe. The researchers are set to present their data at the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ECNP) in Amsterdam.

Prior to this poll, Verster was a part of a Canadian research team that set out to examine whether or not people can be immune to hangovers. The team recruited almost 800 Canadian students and asked them about their last big drinking experience. They were asked how much they drank, the amount of time they spent drinking and the severity of their hangover.

The researchers found that nearly every single person from the top-drinking group reported suffering from hangovers. The researchers concluded that there is no way to avoid a hangover if you are drinking excessively.