Here are the most popular myths about hangovers you’ve most definitely believed

If you’re anything like me, you’ve believed some pretty bizarre hangover cures at some point in your adult(ish) life. Michael Mosley of the YouTube channel Brit Lab is here to give you the truth, though.

Remember how someone once told you in college that mixing liquors and/or beer would give you a worse hangover? False. Yep! Totally false. Apparently, mixing drinks doesn’t make a damn difference as to how miserable you’re going to feel in the morning.

What does matter, however, is whether you’re a whiskey or red wine kinda gal. These both contain chemicals called congeners, which irritate the blood vessels in your brain much more than clear liquids like Chardonnay or vodka. In fact, whiskey may have 37 times more congeners in it than the same serving size of vodka. And that will definitely contribute to a pounding head mañana.

One thing that is true, however, is that bubbly drinks like champagne really do make you drunk faster. So it’s important to monitor how much you’re tossing back, or else the next morning will be extra miserable.

All types of alcohol have ethanol, an ingredient so strong that, on its own, it’s extremely flammable and can be used as an engine fuel. Mosley adorably notes: “No wonder some of us suffer from flaming hangovers.” Ha.

An inflammatory factor that is probably most responsible for our hangovers are cytokines. They cause nausea, headache, and muscle ache. And guilt, I’m pretty sure.

Now, let’s chat hangover cures. Maybe you’ve tried milk thistle, prickly pear cactus, or red ginseng. Mosley rattles off several different so-called cures, yet tells us that every last one of them is a myth. Sorry to have to break it to you.

If you know you’ve overdone it, have some paracetamol at night before you hit the hay, and get yourself a nice big breakfast in the morning with some extra vitamin C. No, those mimosas won’t help. Hair of the dog is a myth too, after all.

Watch the full video here — and take it easy on that champagne this weekend.