Hangovers – is beer before wine better?

If you think a binge drinking session is less toxic if you change the order of your drinks – you’d be wrong . . .

First up let’s be clear – myDr.com.au does not condone binge drinking. But does the old adage – “Beer before wine & you’ll feel fine; wine before beer, sick for a year” – ring true?

British & German scientists have recently put it to the test. Ninety volunteers were split into 3 groups:

• One group consumed multiple beers, followed by multiple white wines, to a breath alcohol concentration (BrAC) of 0.11%.
• The second group did the reverse – multiple wines, followed by multiple beers, to the same BrAC of 0.11%.
• and the control group consumed only beer or wine to the same BrAC.

The following day, all volunteers were scored on the acute hangover scale – ranking factors included thirst, fatigue, headache, dizziness, nausea, stomach ache, heart rate and loss of appetite. They recovered for a week and then returned to test whether reversing the order of their drinks had an effect on their hangovers.

And surprise, surprise – the order the drinks were consumed had no impact on hangover intensity. It’s the amount of alcohol you consume that gives you the hangover.

Binge drinking & the misuse of alcohol continues to be a very real concern for our communities. Drink responsibly – no more than 2 standard drinks a day and no more than 4 standard drinks on any given occasion.

Last Reviewed: 20/02/2019

Your Doctor. Dr Michael Jones, Medical Editor.