Adding Oxygen to Booze Cuts Hangovers

New findings show music can make alcohol taste sweeter

(NEWSER) - Make sure you have a designated driver the next time you head to a rock concert: Booze tastes sweeter when it's drunk in an environment where loud music is playing, which means blaring tunes could lead to excessive alcohol consumption, finds a new study. "Since humans have an innate preference for sweetness, these findings offer a plausible explanation as to why people consume more alcohol in noisy environments," says the study's author. More»

If you eat a lot of refined carbs, a little bit of alcohol helps: study

(NEWSER) - Good news for you ladies who like a little bit of wine and a lot of carbs: A new study shows that middle-aged women who drink a moderate amount of alcohol but eat a large amount of refined carbohydrates are 30% less likely to develop Type 2 diabetes than women who eat similarly, but don’t drink. Refined carbs, of course, include such maligned foods as white bread and sugary drinks, Reuters notes. More»

Study finds cause, and cure, of hangover headaches

(NEWSER) - Forget about hangover remedies like raw eggs, hair of the dog, or yoga —simple caffeine and a painkiller are best for easing an alcohol-induced sore head, according to a new study. Neurologist Michael Oshinsky and colleagues used ethanol to induce hangover-like headaches in rats. They found that the caffeine in coffee and the anti-inflammatory ingredients of aspirin and other painkillers successfully blocked the chemical causing the headaches, the Telegraph reports. More»

Uganda is world's thirstiest country

(NEWSER) - Drinking cuts across all social, economic, and cultural lines, but who imbibes the most? Some answers, compiled by the Daily Beast :

• Men drink more than women (57.6% vs. 46.5%). The gender gap is all but nil for underage drinkers, then widens with age.
• New Hampshire drinks the most beer of any state. At 31.6 gallons per capita per year, New Hampshirites easily outswig New Yorkers (16.7 gallons).

Doesn't mean drinking causes good health: study

(NEWSER) - People who drink in moderation tend to be healthier and more successful than both heavy drinkers and people who abstain from booze completely, according to a wide-ranging French study. The researchers warn, however, that you can't drink your way to health and success. The findings, they say, indicate that people who control their drinking are likelier to come from higher socio-economic groups and are more inclined to exercise and generally look after their health. More»