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2nd April 2025
03:30pm BST
Waking up the next morning with the weight of the world between your temples is never fun.
To help with that horrific morning after feeling, a doctor with a big following on social media has shared a top tip which could help reduce your risk of suffering after a big night.
The top tip is all to do with the food you consume before having alcohol – and there’s one thing in particular the expert recommends eating.
The influencer doctor, who goes by the name Neenz on TikTok and has 136.9k followers, explained:"If you are going for a night out on the town and you are going to drink alcohol, eating cheese before drinking alcohol can decrease your risk of having a hangover.
@neenziemd Things they dont tell you pt 298 Cheese before alcohol can help prevent hangovers #cheese #alcohol #hangover ♬ original sound - Neenz
"This is because cheese has a lot of protein, fat, and complex carbs that can coat the stomach, which decreases the absorption of alcohol."
She continued: "Cheese can help the body metabolise alcohol better and prevent liver damage. [It] also replenishes nutrients because it is full of Vitamin B and calcium, which are depleted from the body when drinking alcohol."
The doctor went on to say that calcium is important as it helps the body improve nerve and muscle function, while Vitamin B is needed for energy and metabolism.
Neenz added: "Just remember no alcohol is better than any alcohol, however if you are going to drink, try to remember to try some cheese before alcohol."
A couple of years ago, Dr Karan Rangarjan, who is a surgical doctor and lecturer at Sunderland University, took to TikTok to explained that the common practice of taking a paracetamol to treat a hangover headache is actually pretty dangerous, as both paracetamol and alcohol produce “toxic products” when the body breaks them down.
@dr.karanr Never do this! #schoolwithdrkaran #learnontiktok #science ♬ Runaway by Kanye Piano - Henry Cantu
If they are taken together, the body may not be able to produce enough of a chemical called glutathione which neutralises toxic compounds. This could have bad consequences for your liver.
The doctor says: "When you take paracetamol, it’s broken down by the body to various chemicals.
"One of these chemicals is a toxic compound that can damage liver cells. To prevent this damage the liver produces glutathione to neutralise this toxic compound.
He continued: "Glutathione also neutralises acetaldehyde, the toxic breakdown products of alcohol.
"If you mix paracetamol and alcohol, it’s just not enough glutathione to go round neutralising the toxic breakdown products alcohol and paracetamol."
Fear not though, because you can still turn to the other big name of the painkiller world, with Karan recommending ibuprofen if you need to treat that pounding post-night out headache.
