This is sobering news. Experts are concerned about a potential pitfall of Dry January, saying it could cause unhealthy withdrawal symptoms in participants who may not realize they have a drinking problem. “Events like Dry January don’t work for everyone because many people don’t realize that they are drink dependent,” UK-based addiction specialist Lester Morse … Read more
Happy eww year! New Year’s Eve is one of the booziest holidays — it’s common to usher in a hangover along with the new year. You’ll typically feel the worst of it — the headaches, muscle aches, nausea and anxiety — the morning after heavy drinking when your blood alcohol concentration is near zero. Alcohol … Read more
It was a fun night — but you wake up the next morning with a sense of dread, feeling anxious about what you said and did the night before. You may not have even done anything to be embarrassed about, but that “hangxiety” is no joke — and it’s comes down to how alcohol affects … Read more
Scientists have developed a hand-y way to spot a lush. Researchers in the UK have found that someone’s love of the sauce may be linked to testosterone exposure in the womb — which has a distinct effect on a baby’s hand development, per a boozy study published in the American Journal Of Human Biology. “It … Read more
Most likely to be overserved? High schoolers with higher IQs are significantly more likely to be moderate or heavy drinkers as adults, according to a new study from UT Southwestern Medical Center. “We’re not saying that your IQ in high school controls your destiny,” said senior study author Dr. E. Sherwood Brown. “But IQ levels could … Read more
Monkey see, monkey brew. A boozy monkey proved that we’re possibly more alike than once thought after it downed a beer it had scavenged from the garbage as stunned onlookers looked on. A video of the plastered primate is currently blowing up online. In the clip, filmed in Parana State, Brazil, shows two capuchin monkeys … Read more
Be still your heart — we’re heading into holiday heart syndrome season, the time of year when binging and boozing at boisterous bashes can leave your heart racing. While heart palpitations can be “startling and very unsettling,” a Georgia-based heart surgeon assures that they are very rarely dangerous or life-threatening. “Normally the palpitations are brought … Read more
Here’s another reason to try “Sober October” — a UK psychiatrist is warning about a “middle-aged drinking epidemic” that can raise the risk of cancer and even early death. “I see many men and women in this category in my clinic,” Dr. Max Pemberton wrote Sunday in The Daily Mail. Pemberton recommends undergoing the four-question … Read more
One airline exec’s anti-alcohol request might be a tall order for boozing travelers. After Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary’s comments about the need to impose a two-drink limit at airport bars due to an uptick in violence among plane passengers, frequent flyers aren’t too pleased with the proposal. “We don’t want to begrudge people having a … Read more
QUESTION: Hi Dr. Zac, I’m a regular drinker, and thinking of having one month sober. Some of my friends did Dry July and wouldn’t shut up about it. If I were to go a month sober, what would happen to my body as I go through this sober month? What will I notice straight away? … Read more
Take heart — scientists say they may have found a way to prevent irregular heart rhythms caused by binge drinking, a phenomenon so common at Christmastime that it’s called “holiday heart syndrome.” They will present their research this week at an American Heart Association conference in Chicago. Binge drinking — defined as five drinks within … Read more
She’s a real potty animal. Popping bottles at the club left this partygoer flushed with embarrassment. “When you go too hard on Saturday night and wake up locked in the nightclub toilets at 8:30 a.m. Sunday morning,” said Eloise Paull, 19, in a trending TikTok tell-all, admitting that she’d drunkenly fallen asleep in the bar’s bathroom. Viral … Read more
Blackout drinking at a young age can have lasting effects on learning, memory and our ability to recognize faces, new research finds. “Alcohol-related blackouts tend to occur when an individual drinks a large amount of alcohol in a short period of time, resulting in a rapid increase in blood alcohol concentration (BAC),” said Sara A. … Read more
Being a barfly can land you on the “no-fly”. Knocking back a few brews, shots or bubbles before takeoff may sound like a sweet way to take the edge off. But one flight attendant warns that overly plastered passengers will be forced to make an early exit. “This is a PSA to everyone who likes … Read more
A pounding headache and stomach-churning nausea are hallmark signs you had a few too many — but experts say it could mean something more dangerous to your health. While a post-holiday hangover is to be expected after downing copious cocktails or brews, health professionals say you should be concerned if the symptoms come on after only … Read more
As the weather warms and the days lengthen, many among us head to the nearest body of water — and reach for the booze when we get there. Be it a beer, a seltzer, a shot of warm whiskey, or a poolside margarita, few things sound as enticing as unwinding under the sun with a … Read more
Raise a glass to science. Researchers have developed a protein gel that neutralizes alcohol before it enters the bloodstream and essentially makes it harmless. Scientists at ETH Zurich created a gel that, when given to mice, reduced blood alcohol levels by up to 50% and protected their bodies from damage, according to SciTechDaily. More studies … Read more
He crossed the finish wine. A wine merchant raised the bar for boozers and runners alike after blind tasting 25 glasses of vino during the London marathon — nearly one for each mile. The som-mile-ier’s running performance currently boasts 3.9 million views on TikTok. “I was totally exhausted, totally cooked, but it was just such … Read more
So, you had a few too many and now you’re left with a pounding headache and unrelenting anxiety. What gives? Often referred to as “hangxiety” — the one-two punch of anxiety coupled with the physical consequences of drinking alcohol — that pit-in-your-stomach unease the morning after drinking isn’t all in your head. While it can … Read more
It’s an old wino’s tale. We’ve got bad news for those who believe that drinking “liquor before beer” mitigates hangovers. German scientists have debunked this popular college student hypothesis, proving that the hooch headache hits the same no matter which order one imbibes their beverages. “Our findings dispel the traditional myths,” researchers wrote in the … Read more