The maxim “beer before wine and you’ll feel fine, but wine before beer and you’ll feel queer” is advice which has been followed by generations of drinkers to avoid a hangover.
Yet, a new study by Cambridge University and German scientists suggests the order of drinking does little to stave off nausea and a throbbing head.
Researchers asked volunteers to drink 2½ pints (1.18l) of beer followed by four large glasses of wine, while a second group consumed the same amount in reverse order.
The next day they had to rate their hangover on a score of 0 to 56 which measures thirst, fatigue, headache, dizziness, nausea, stomach ache, increased heart rate and loss of appetite.
A week later, the groups were asked to switch around to gauge whether the order of drinks made any difference.
But after recording the levels of hangovers from both groups, researchers concluded there was no difference. Put simply, if you drink too much, you’re likely to be ill whether you follow the rule or not.
Dr Kai Hensel of the University of Cambridge and senior author of the study, said there was no way to avoid a hangover just by favouring one order over another. – © Telegraph Media Group Limited 2019