The best alcohol to drink to avoid hangxiety and 2 complex spirits that are among the worst
It was a fun night — but you wake up the next morning with a sense of dread, feeling anxious about what you said and did the night before.You may not have even done anything to be embarrassed about, but that “hangxiety” is no joke — and it comes down to how alcohol affects your brain and body even after that tipsy feeling is gone.But not all alcohol is created equal.According to experts, some booze is better for beating the morning-after mood swings while others are even more likely to mess with your mental health.“Almost anyone who drinks any alcohol will experience alterations in their brain when they’re coming off the alcohol. With a small amount of drinking, that may manifest as confusion, but after larger quantities, you can have anxiety,” neuropsychopharmacologist professor David Nutt told National Geographic.That’s caused by a few factors.
Physically, hangovers increase levels of the stress hormone cortisol while also raising blood pressure and heart rate, all of which can make you feel unsettled.It’s also a diuretic, meaning it makes you pee a lot and can lead to dehydration — which can make you feel dizzy, tired and anxious.What’s more, there’s research showing that dopamine — the “happy hormone” — is lower during hangovers.But part of that morning-after anxiety is set in motion in your brain the night before.According to Professor Nutt, when alcohol enters your bloodstream, your body adapts by getting drunk.
But when your brain senses that, it tries to rein in control by telling your body to stay awake.The brain keeps doing that well after the alcohol leaves your body — so when you’re no longer drunk the next morning, your brain may still be behaving like it’s fighting off a sedative, sending your heart racing and filling you with anxiety.So what do you do if you still want to toss back a few? Stick to his recommendations below.Hangxiety is also often referred to as the “beer blues,” but beer is actually among t...