Drinking water doesn't help with hangovers, new study says

A lot of us know all too well the feeling of a hangover, as we try different things in order to hopefully recover quicker after drinking too much alcohol the night before.

One of those things is to ensure your body is hydrated by drinking plenty of water, however, a new study has revealed there is no evidence this gets rid of the hangover symptoms, according to a new study.

Data from 13 previous studies was analysed to search for a link between dehydration and alcohol consumption or if drinking water impacts the strength of a hangover.

So why do we assume drinking water helps with our hangover?

When we drink this increases how much we urinate, as alcohol has a diuretic effect on our bodies which results in an increased chance of being dehydrated.

Therefore, it is easy for us to assume that our thumping headache, dry mouth and general nausea from a hangover have everything to do with our dehydration as chugging a glass of water feels like it helps to alleviate those symptoms.

What evidence is there that drinking water doesn't help with hangover symptoms?

An international team of researchers led by Utrecht University pharmacologist Marlou Mackus has found no evidence within the data, of dehydration and hangovers being directly linked - and instead are two things happening at the same time, separate from one another.

One of the studies involved 826 students who attempted to diminish their hangovers by drinking water, which ultimately wasn't hugely effective. In a different study, 29 participants aged between 18 and 30 shared the intensity of their hangovers and their thirst throughout the day after drinking. Out of the symptoms, dehydration was the one which lasted the shortest amount of time.

Though, it's worth highlighting that these studies are carried out on a relatively small number of people, and also not all the research analysed solely looked at drinking water as a hangover remedy.

While drinking water helps us hydrate, it doesn't help with our hangoveriStockphoto by Getty Images

So basically there is no causal link meaning that unfortunately knocking back the water isn't going to negate the worst symptoms of your hangover.

What have the researchers said about their findings?

In their paper published in Alcohol, researchers described hangover and dehydration as "two co-occurring but independent consequences of alcohol consumption," as reported by Science Alert.

"While hangovers were typically relatively enduring, dehydration effects were usually mild and short-lasting," they wrote. "Survey data revealed that water consumption during or directly after alcohol consumption had only a modest effect in preventing a next-day hangover."

"Also, the amount of water consumed during a hangover was not related to changes of hangover severity and thirst."

Mackus and her researchers concluded that "...the consumption of water during or directly after the drinking session is not effective in preventing hangovers, and that the amount of water consumed during the hangover day is not significantly related to changes in hangover severity."

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