How to Avoid Paying Debt To The Porcelain God

Drinking is a buy-now, pay-later proposition.
Here's how to avoid paying debt to the porcelain god

APPROACH ONE: STAY HYDRATED

WATER

The Claim Alcohol inhibits secretion of the hormone vasopressin, bringing on dehydration, which exacerbates the symptoms of a hangover.
Our Test Two approaches: Drink loads at the end of a night, or drink throughout the evening. "For me, a glass every 2 hours worked great," said our tester.
The Verdict "It puts you ahead of the game," says Robert Swift, M.D., of Brown University, adding that, unlike Coors, it's not a silver bullet. Try something else, too.

GATORADE

The Claim Gatorade's 6 percent carbohydrate solution promotes rehydration better than mere water.
Our Test "I downed two huge bottles at the end of the night," said our tester. "And I felt like a million bucks the next day."
The Verdict It's a great substitute for plain old water. "The extra salt helps your body absorb the fluid more quickly," explains Dr. Swift.

APPROACH TWO: ABSORB SLOWER, METABOLIZE FASTER

THE MEGA-DINNER

The Claim Food delays gastric emptying in the stomach--meaning alcohol stays there longer and is processed more slowly.
Our Test "There's nothing like pounding a burger before a night of boozing. But the effect wore off as I kept drinking," said our tester.
The Verdict A no-brainer. Don't drink on an empty stomach. "The longer alcohol stays in the stomach," says Dr. Swift, "the better your body breaks it down."

THE JUICE CHASER (two glasses of OJ or tomato juice before bed)

The Claim The fructose in the juice speeds up metabolism, ridding your system of alcohol more quickly.
Our Test "I felt as sick the next day as I would have otherwise," reported our still-queasy guinea pig. "It just didn't work."
The Verdict Looks good on paper, but here's the fine print: "You'd have to drink at least 10 glasses," says Carlton K. Erickson, Ph.D., of the University of Texas.

RU-21 (a supplement)

The Claim It slows down the creation of a nasty by-product--the one that causes headaches and nausea--while speeding up the destruction of others.
Our Test "Success. I woke up to a group of clearheaded people. There was no groaning, no puking, and no handing out aspirin," said our tester.
Our Test Works, but only to a point. "Your metabolism is already running as fast as it can," says Dr. Swift. But if it's effective for you, go for it.