The drinker's guide to hangover cures

The splitting headache, the parched mouth and the overwhelming desire to vomit.

It's the morning after the night before. Sweating and retching, you drag your weary limbs to the bathroom and, staring through the speckled rim of the lavatory bowl, you swear never, ever, to drink again.

Sadly though, a good time is often hard to have without a little alcohol.

The majority hangover "remedies" merely attend to one or more of the symptoms and don't really provide a cure as such.

The hangover won't end until the alcohol is entirely out of your system, but here are a few things that will alleviate the suffering:

Drink unlimited fluids

According to Dr Paul Stillman, a member of the Expert Group on Hydration, a panel of experts that raises awareness about the importance of drinking enough fluids, alcohol being toxic, causes dehydration and metabolic disturbance, especially of the kidneys.

Stillman says rehydration is the simplest solution: "Most of us don't drink enough water anyway, so if you then add loads of alcohol, it's going to make it a lot worse. Drink any fluids you like and it will help." A sports drink contains everything you need and is a convenient alternative.

Morning breakfast

A breakfast of toast and honey is the ideal hangover cure, suggested by the Royal Society of Chemistry.

Honey, or alternatively golden syrup, provides the body with the essential sodium, potassium and fructose it needs after a good night out, say connoisseurs.

A toast can be relaxing to your wobbly trembling feeling and settle your stomach too. In essence, whack up your blood sugar level by eating, well, almost anything!

Prevention is the best cure.. Enjoy your one drink and let others look for hangover remedies.

Gaurav Gupta

Beware of coffee

Don't blindly stretch out a shaky hand for the coffee cure-all based on the hypothesis that it usually rouses you up in the morning.

Those in the know, however, largely recommend you to stay away from caffeinated beverages, since they are diuretic, and will aggravate dehydration.

Opposing the kill-joys are those who tout coffee's headache-fighting power. The decision is yours, but it's probably better just to take an aspirin instead.

Get some fresh air

This is usually a positive cure for hangover. If it's safe for you to walk home and have other people to walk with you, then fresh air will help you sober up and feel better in the morning.

You'll also get some exercise, assisting with your do-it-yourself hangover cure.

New inventions

Since the dawn of civilization, man has suffered the consequences of having a bit too much to drink.

Now, a Blackburn-based British company 'Phytofoods' claims to have concocted the ultimate hangover cure - a drink called Hedstart that will have you wide awake and raring to go in just 30 minutes.

Experts say "Hedstart combines various vitamins, amino acids and carbohydrates with the rehydrating properties of an electrolyte drink to quickly alleviate the symptoms of a hangover."

Rest is on you to test and judge the healthy innovation.

In a nutshell, prevention is the best cure. Enjoy your one drink and let others look for hangover remedies.