Sprite for Hangovers? Study Points to Soda Cure, Researchers Say

Chinese researchers may have done legions of college students a huge service: they discovered that Sprite might offer an excellent hangover cure, Popular Science reported.

Research is in initial stages, but scientists at Sun Yat-Sen University in China see potential in Sprite after digging into what happens in the body after people over-imbibe, Popular Science said. Better not to drink before trying to understand the process those researchers explained.

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When drinking, ethanol in the body is transformed into acetaldehyde, and the enzyme that causes the metabolic process is called ADH, or alcohol dehydrogenase. Acetaldehyde then metabolizes into acetate by way of a metabolic process called ALDH, or aldehyde dehydrogenase.

Acetate seems to have an energy-boosting effect on the body, so it’s not the problem. Acetaldehyde, however, takes the blame for the headaches and other hangover symptoms, Popular Science said.

What researchers found when testing several drinks was that Sprite boosted the ALDH enzyme, which converted acetaldehyde to acetate faster.

And voila – the potential to at least minimize hangovers was discovered.

But researchers have not yet tried their theory on live subjects, so it’s all just a theory right now.

As news stories popped up online about Sprite’s previously unheard of possibilities, comments ranged from offering other hangover remedies to offering health recommendations.

“So you can ingest one poisonous substance in order to offset the effects of another ... or just avoid ingesting poisonous substances. I know which of those options I'd prefer,” wrote one commenter on a story by UK’s Independent.

“I'm sure PLENTY of researchers are going to be doing independent studies after this, if you know what I mean,” wrote another.

And Twitter users generously shared the news with other would-be revelers:

Im not being funny people but SCIENCE HAS FOUND A CURE FOR HANGOVER http://t.co/AwjzLlX8nc

— Felicity Morse (@FelicityMorse) October 8, 2013

I'm going to need some Sprite this weekend... Searching for a hangover cure | Chemistry World: http://t.co/tLamXirDkH

— Emily James (@emilyreacts) October 7, 2013

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