Get the Facts: Hangovers

Hangovers are caused by lack of water and glucose in the body.
Alcohol is a diuretic, which stimulates urination and flushes fluids from your body. Alcohol inhibits the availability of ADH, the anti-diuretic hormone. When alcohol inhibits ADH, the nephrons in your kidneys become less permeable to water and more water travels through the ureters to the bladder. Alcohol may induce urination within 20 minutes. Losing more water from your body also results in dehydration, which leads to hangovers.
Alcohol removes fluid from organs it contacts and reduces our store of vitamins and minerals.
Dehydration caused by drinking drains potassium from the body, resulting in thirst, muscle cramps, dizziness and faintness.
When you have that terrible headache early in the morning, don't drink coffee. Coffee is a diuretic and will only continue the dehydration process. Drinking water will help to restore fluids in your body.
Congeners are the by-products (may be zinc or other metals added primarily in sweet liqueurs to enhance their flavor) of the process of alcohol fermentation and exaggerate the symptoms of a hangover. The more congeners consumed, the worse a hangover is likely to be. Dark spirits such as brandy, whiskey and red wine contain more congeners than lighter spirits like vodka and white wine