A medic has revealed the perfect food to snack on before drinking alcohol, claiming it can help avoid dreaded hangovers.
Dr Neena Chandrasekaran, who specialises in lung health and critical care, said snacking on a small amount of cheese before drinking could help limit the amount of hangover-causing toxins produced as the body.
In a video clip posted to TikTok, that has so far attracted more than 3million views, Dr Chandrasekaran explained the same characteristics that make cheese so delicious also slows down the rate at which the body processes alcohol.
‘Cheese has a lot of protein and fat that can coat the stomach which decreases the absorption of alcohol,’ she said.
Instead of being absorbed into the bloodstream and processed by the liver, the body expels it via is urination and sweating, reducing the amount of toxic acetaldehyde that is produced.
Acetaldehyde is a by-product created as the body breaks down alcohol and a build-up contributes to unpleasant hangover symptoms like nausea and exhaustion.
Dr Chandrasekaran, who is based in Florida, added that cheese is rich in nutrients we tend to run low on while drinking.
A medic has revealed the perfect food to snack on before a boozy night on the town, claiming it can help avoided a hangover
‘Cheese also replenishes nutrients because it is full of B vitamin and calcium,’ she told her 148,000 followers.
‘These specific nutrients are depleted from the body when drinking alcohol.’
She went on to explain that calcium supports nerve and muscle function while vitamin B is crucial to maintaining energy levels and our metabolism.
Like many medics, Dr Chandrasekaran added that not drinking was obviously better than overindulging.
‘Just remember, no alcohol is better than any alcohol. However, if you are going to drink and try to remember to try some cheese before alcohol,’ she said.
TikTok users relished her advice with many welcoming another excuse to indulge.
‘That’s why I always go for pizza instinctively before drinking,’ one wrote.
‘Always got a cheesestring in my bag on a night out anyway,’ added another.
The NHS recommends people drink no more than 14 ‘units’ of alcohol — around six glasses of wine, or pints of beer — per week
Your browser does not support iframes.
Dr Chandrasekaran isn’t the first medic to link eating cheese with helping to combat hangovers.
A 2023 Korean study found helpful bacteria in cheeses helped the body break down acetaldehyde faster by boosting key liver enzymes.
Hangovers are a result from a combination of processes that occur after we drink alcohol.
In addition to acetaldehyde build-up, alcohol causes you to urinate more which can leave you dehydrated.
This, as well as disturbed sleep from drinking, can all combine to make you feel extremely unpleasant the following morning.
One unit of alcohol — roughly one shot or half a pint of a lower-strength beer — takes the average adult about an hour to process, the NHS says.
The health service recommends people drink no more than 14 ‘units’ of alcohol — around six glasses of wine, or pints of beer — per week.
