Brits should ditch fry-ups as hangover cures – and go bananas instead.
Medics say a greasy spoon special is exactly the wrong sort of grub to turn to the morning after as salty bacon will make you thirsty when you are already dehydrated.
The hair of the dog is also a no-no as it simply prolongs recovery.
Instead revellers should consider a post-party breakfast of bananas, avocados, nuts and sweet potatoes.
They will help replace lost electrolytes – essential minerals in blood, sweat and urine which help maintain proper nerve and muscle function, acid balance and hydration.
Doctors at Spire Healthcare – one of Britain’s largest private medical providers – said healthy recovery grub was best as bacon and eggs do nothing to help hangover recovery.
They said: "You can usually replace any lost electrolytes easily through food — bananas are a good source of potassium, and avocados, nuts and sweet potatoes are a good source of magnesium.
"Avoid foods that will be harder for your body to digest – dairy products, refined sugar and fatty meat.
"Instead eat fresh fruits, vegetables, soups and broths.
"If you have lost a lot of fluids and consequently electrolytes, you’ve been vomiting or have diarrhoea, you may want to try a low-sugar electrolyte drink.’’
The medics said it was important to drink water to stave off dehydration – but it would not stop a hangover.
"The rate at which your body clears the toxins produced by drinking alcohol — which is what causes your hangover — can’t be changed,’’ they said.
"However drinking water is still important to prevent or reduce the effects of dehydration caused by alcohol.
"Drinking coffee, drinking more alcohol or eating deep-fried, salty foods also won’t help cure your hangover.
"If you have been drinking heavily it is important that you wait at least 48 hours before drinking again to give your body time to recover.’’
Doctors said the best way to dodge a hangover was to avoid binge drinking which can have serious short and long-term health effects.
"In the short term it can cause dehydration, nausea, poor coordination, poor judgement, diarrhoea, and in more serious cases, hearing and vision problems, difficulty breathing, blackouts, alcohol poisoning and even coma,’’ they said.
"In the long term binge drinking can cause high blood pressure, weight gain, heart problems, nerve damage, liver damage and bowel problems, as well as increasing your risk of diabetes and in serious cases, causing brain damage, infertility and stroke.
"Quitting alcohol for even a month, such as during Dry January, can help to reduce some of the effects of binge drinking, specifically helping lower your blood pressure, and reduce your weight and risk of diabetes.
"Many of the short-term effects of binge drinking are unavoidable and many of the long-term effects are irreversible, which is why it’s best to drink in moderation.’’
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