Champagne, prosecco, sparkling rosé – give me anything with bubbles and I am one happy lady... until the next day that is.

I don’t know about you, but hangovers hurt more the older I get and none more than those from drinking Champagne.

Now you have managed to recover from your New Year celebrations you may want to know why it hurts so much.

The answer is in the bubbles.

Those fizzing pearls of carbon dioxide which dance on your tongue are in abundance in sparkling wines.

And that shot of carbon dioxide you consume with each sip does two things: n It increases the absorption of alcohol into the blood stream. Researchers at the University of Surrey found that fizzy Champagne nearly doubled blood alcohol level compared to the same amount of flat Champagne n It tricks the pyloric sphincter (the muscle that forms the gateway into your stomach) into opening more regularly. This speeds up the transit from your mouth to your gut leaving more alcohol to be absorbed in your intestine.

This double whammy means that you get more alcohol circulating in your blood stream quicker, increasing the expected effects of alcohol – including the hangover.

There are social effects as well: people normally have a glass of Champagne early on in the evening, often before eating.

It tastes so delicious, it is very easy to drink. And you tend to have Champagne when there is a celebration, so you are probably already in a good mood.

The effects of alcohol on mood and behaviour are very interesting. Recent studies have shown that there is a huge placebo effect when it comes to alcohol. People who think they are drinking alcohol will behave drunk even if there is actually nothing alcoholic in their glass. In short it is the thought of getting drunk that helps you get drunk.

So you are celebrating, you down a few glasses without really noticing and you feel great... for now.

But what is going on in your body to make you feel so rough the next day?

The main issue is dehydration. Alcohol, as you probably know or have noticed, is a diuretic.

It convinces your kidneys that you need to wee. A lot.

You are drinking Champagne so you aren’t drinking water (unless you are very sensible) and you are losing water each time you visit the bathroom. Dehydration causes headaches, mood swings and aching muscles (not helped by the absolutely sensational dance moves you inevitably pulled).

All this isn’t helped by changes in blood sugar as a result of your body trying to process the high sugar levels in alcoholic drinks. Enter the throbbing head, wild hunger and disrupted sleep. Aside from not drinking at all, which is clearly the best hangover prevention, I learned a good tip recently. Pop a few cubes of ice in every drink you have – it keeps it nice and cold and gives you a bit of water as you go.

A shot of water between each drink will also help you stave off the post-party blues. I certainly wouldn’t begrudge anyone a nice glass of bubbly but now you know why it hurts you only have yourself to blame.

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