The Darker the Alcohol, the Worse the Hangover?

Check out this answer from Consensus:

The severity of hangovers is influenced by several factors, including the rate of alcohol metabolism, the presence of congeners, and the body’s oxidative stress response. Darker alcoholic beverages, which contain higher levels of congeners like methanol, are associated with more severe hangovers. Understanding these factors can help individuals make informed choices about their alcohol consumption to potentially mitigate hangover severity.

Hangovers are a common aftermath of alcohol consumption, characterized by a range of physical and mental symptoms. The severity of a hangover can vary significantly depending on several factors, including the type of alcohol consumed. This article explores the relationship between the color of alcoholic beverages and the severity of hangovers, drawing on recent research findings.

Alcohol Metabolism and Hangover Severity

The metabolism of alcohol plays a crucial role in the development and severity of hangovers. Ethanol, the primary component of alcoholic beverages, is metabolized in the liver, producing acetaldehyde, a toxic compound. However, the rate at which ethanol is metabolized can influence hangover severity. Faster elimination of ethanol is associated with less severe hangovers, as it reduces the amount of ethanol that reaches the brain and elicits hangover symptoms1.

The Role of Congeners

Congeners are byproducts of alcohol fermentation and are found in varying amounts in different alcoholic beverages. Darker alcoholic beverages, such as whiskey and red wine, contain higher levels of congeners, including methanol. Methanol has been implicated in the severity of hangovers due to its ability to linger in the body after ethanol has been eliminated, potentially prolonging hangover symptoms2.

Oxidative Stress and Inflammatory Response

Oxidative stress and the inflammatory response to alcohol consumption are also important determinants of hangover severity. Biomarkers of oxidative stress, such as malondialdehyde and 8-isoprostane, have been shown to correlate with hangover severity. More oxidative stress in the early hours after alcohol consumption is associated with less severe hangovers, while more oxidative stress at a later stage is linked to more severe hangovers1.

The darker the alcohol, the worse the hangover?

Kelly Courtney has answered Likely

An expert from University of California, San Diego in Psychology, Neuroscience

There has been a substantial amount of research to support the idea that drinking alcohol high in congeners, which tend to be higher in darker alcohol, increases the likelihood and severity of hangover symptoms experienced the next day. However, additional research suggests that at least some of the commonly experienced hangover symptoms may be attributed to other mechanisms such as the effects of alcohol itself or alcohol metabolites. For example, headaches following alcohol use can often be attributed to alcohol-induced vasodilation. In addition, other factors appear to influence these biological processes, leading to great variability in hangover experiences from person to person. These factors include alcoholism vulnerability, use of other psychoactive substances at the same time as alcohol, and other psychosocial factors such as alcohol expectancies or what someone expects to feel like the next day. In summary, although it is likely drinking darker alcohol high in congeners will increase your risk for a more severe hangover the next day, it is definitely not the whole story.

The darker the alcohol, the worse the hangover?

Jacob Peter Hartmann has answered Near Certain

An expert from University of Copenhagen in Cardiology, Physiology

The quick and simple answer is yes! Researchers have performed a clinical study comparing hangovers after drinking bourbon versus vodka. The study showed that the hangover was worse after drinking bourbon. The main reason is believed to be the relatively larger amount of methanol in the darker alcohols like bourbon, which is metabolized into formaldehyde and formic acid which is really toxic for the body. But don’t forget that you still get a severe state of hangover when bingedrinking- even if the alchohol is light.

The darker the alcohol, the worse the hangover?

Richard Stephens has answered Near Certain

An expert from Keele University in Psychology

There is a generally held view that the darker alcoholic drinks such as red wine, whiskey and rum, produce more severe hangovers than transparent drinks like vodka, white rum and gin. There is some truth in this because darker beverages generally have greater concentrations of congenors compared with lighter coloured drinks. Congenors are complex organic molecules that are found in alcoholic drinks either as a result of the fermentation and ageing processes, when organic materials derived from the grapes or grains used as ingredients breakdown. It has been estimated that bourbon has 37 times the amount of congeners as vodka. In a recent study Damaris Rohesnow and her colleagues got 45 volunteers to drink bourbon on one occasion, and vodka on another, while an additional 45 volunteers drank placebo beverages consisting of chilled caffeine-free cola mixed with de-carbonated tonic water with a few drops of vodka or bourbon floated on top. The amount of alcohol they had was 1.2 g/kg, which is equivalent to 6 bottles of beer for a person weighing 70kg. The next morning participants completed a hangover symptom questionnaire. Hangover symptoms were greater after alcohol compared with placebo, but crucially, they showed higher symptom scores after the congenor rich bourbon compared with vodka. Link to study described: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1530-0277.2009.01116.x/abstract

The darker the alcohol, the worse the hangover?

Dirk Lachenmeier has answered Unlikely

An expert from Chemical and Veterinary Investigation Agency Karlsruhe in Food Science, Oncology, Toxicology, Chemistry

I actualy disagree with the other experts that the amount of congeners has anything to do with colour. These are two independent variables and colour often comes from artificial sources (caramel colours etc). There are white, clear spirits such as fruit spirits, which may have extreme congener contents, and some dark spirits such as coloured rum or (gold) tequila with considerably less.

The darker the alcohol, the worse the hangover?

Charles Parry has answered Unlikely

An expert from South African Medical Research Council in Epidemiology

I would have said that ethanol is ethanol and that the colour makes no difference. However, there does seem to be a theory that darker alcohol is more harmful because of other chemicals known as congeners which are more likely to occur in darker drinks.