It has long been assumed that if one drink's enough, the hangover is unavoidable. However, there are certain techniques that have actually been proven to prevent the effects of a hangover, even if alcohol has been consumed the night before. Of course, the easiest way to avoid those nasty feelings is to abstain from drinking, but here are also some other steps that can be taken. After all, just because a person is drinking alcohol does not mean that they have to throw their health out the window.

As far as preventing a hangover goes, one important tip is to avoid drinking on an empty stomach at all costs. Generally, there is no quicker way to get sick than to consume alcohol before one has consumed food. Another step that should be taken by some is to avoid alcohols that are dark coloured, such as scotch and brandy. This is especially true if someone has found themselves to be sensitive to such alcohols in the past. Dark alcohols contain congeners, which people often have a negative reaction to.

Whether it is in terms of prevention or treatment, water is crucial to getting over any hangover. This fact is easily explained, since the cause of a hangover is being dehydrated. One of the best ways to prevent a hangover is to drink a glass of water between every alcoholic drink. No matter what, drinking a pint of water before going to bed is crucial. In the morning lots of water should also be consumed. But the best time to rehydrate is prior to going to sleep.

When a hangover occurs, some types of food have been shown to help essen the effects. For example, a weak broth with a vegetable base provides a nutritious means of getting over the hump. Another food based solution to the hangover is sugary foods, which may help to ease the trembling that is sometimes associated with hangovers. Thanks to the carbohydrates contained in pasta, it too is a suitable food for hangovers. There are also less popular food based hangover cures that have been found to work by some, such as miso soup and watermelon. Both of these hangover cure foods have hydrating properties that make them ideally suited to the task. The fact that they are nutritious also helps to make them suitable hangover food.

It is worth noting that many of the popular hangover myths do not in fact help with a hangover. One such myth is 'hair of the dog', which suggests that drinking more alcohol the next day helps to stave off a hangover. In reality, the best this will do is prolong the hangover.

Picture credit: Press Association