Sprite may be the cure for hangovers

A team of Chinese scientists have found that drinking Sprite after consuming alcohol may relieve the negative side effects that come with the latter. According to researchers at Sun Yat-Sen University in Guangzhou, China, the carbonated lemon-lime drink promotes the rapid break-down of acetaldehyde, a byproduct of metabolized alcohol that can lead to nausea, vomiting and a headache, leaving you in the clear much sooner. "Hua-Bin Li and co-workers from Sun Yat-Sen University in Guangzhou hypothesised that substances which alter the activities of ADH and ALDH would consequently alter the duration acetaldehyde exposure," wrote Chemistry World. "They went on to systematically test the effect a variety of common carbonated beverages and herbal teas had on ADH and ALDH activity assays." Among the drinks that prove to increase ALDH activity and thus minimize the harmful effects of drinking alcohol were Xue bi and Hui yi su da shui, known in English as Sprite and soda water respectively. Li and colleagues are testing their in vitro findings to see if they translate in real life.