health

Sorry to break it to you, but Coca Cola just won't cut it for your NYE hangover today.

It’s New Year’s Day and chances are you’re waking up feeling a little something like…

Habit and instinct will have you turning to ice-cold ginger ale and Coca Cola, but research says the sodas aren’t so therapeutic after all.

Speaking to The Wall Street Journal,Alexandra Gutierrez , a gastroenterologist at Washington University in the US, said the benefits of fizzy drinks on hangovers are actually all in our head.

Yes, the caffeine in Coca Cola and the effervescence of anything bubbly might kickstart your gastrointestinal tract and help you digest last night’s alcohol. But most of those benefits are undone by the extreme levels of sugar.

What do you mean "it's not going to work" ?!
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Oh. Okay then.

"The power of persuasion can be strong," Dr Gutierrez said, meaning you expect to feel better when drinking soft drinks, and this belief can manifest physically so you believe it's actually the case.

LISTEN: What's the word you want to live by for 2018?

But sometimes - like, for example, New Year's Day - such "powers of persuasion" just won't cut it.

What could work, Dr Gutierrez suggests, is a few slices of REAL ginger added to water or club soda. Real ginger has anti-inflammatory and anti-nausea benefits. As well as this, turmeric or saffron can be boiled as a tea to help sooth a sorry feeling stomach.

Anti-acids from the pharmacy can also work and, for the headache, opt for ibuprofen, another anti-inflammatory.

Or, alternatively, just spend your day in a dark room and don't emerge for anyone or anything. Hello, 2018!

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