The Royal Society of Chemistry says

Dec 27, 2005 12:13 GMT  ·  By

Let's review: dinner table crammed with goods, excellent guests, animated music (but in accordance with the winter holidays) and the last element on the list (but in gargantuan quantities): alcohol.

Everything is fine and dandy, until the next day, when the headache and the soar taste in your mouth make you regret the 'moments of debauchery'. What's to be done?

As usual, the researchers have the answer.

According to the Royal Society of Chemistry, the key ingredient in the second day breakfast is honey, which replenishes the organism with sodium, potassium and fructose.

Dr John Emsley explains what happens to the alcohol once in the organism and what the reason for the unwanted effects is.

"The happiness comes from alcohol; the hangover comes from acetaldehyde. This is the toxic chemical into which alcohol is converted by the body and it causes a throbbing headache, nausea, and maybe even vomiting. The hangover disappears as the acetaldehyde is slowly converted to less toxic chemicals," the Royal Society of Chemistry member said.

And that's not all. Dr Emsley also offers you the "stay clear of hangover" recipe.

You take one glass of milk before the ethylic cataclysm and you try to stick to a menu based on gin (or vodka) and tonic. In addition, before going to bed, one pint of water is recommended.

The milk slows down the absorption of alcohol, which means there is less acetaldehyde for the body to deal with at any one time. Gin is alcohol twice purified by distillation and the botanical flavors it contains are mere traces.

Alcohol increases water loss, which in turn worsens the hangover. In order to prevent that, drinking a soft drink in between the countless glasses of liquor is recommended.

Therefore, by using this recipe, you can consume humongous quantities of alcohol and maintain you freshness for starting over the second day.