What It Really Means When You Never Get Hangovers
Hangovers are a set of symptoms that result from drinking too much alcohol. While the impact of alcohol consumption can vary depending on your gender, size, and body weight, hangovers are a direct effect of excessive alcohol consumption on the body (via Medical News Today). Hangovers are also affected by a number of important factors, including dehydration, low blood sugar, stomach irritation, immune response, and loss of sleep — all of which contribute to the severity of one's hangover symptoms, which can range from mild to severe.
Common symptoms of a hangover include dizziness, headache, fatigue, nausea and vomiting, excessive thirst, difficulty focusing, changes in mood, trouble sleeping, and an elevated pulse (via Healthline). While some people may experience some of these symptoms after only drinking one or two alcoholic drinks, others will be able to get away with drinking much more before they're at risk of experiencing a hangover the next day.
Hangovers are often determined by genetics
Meanwhile, there are some people who will never get a hangover at all. But how is this even possible? It all comes down to genetics, for the most part (via Well+Good). Amy Shapiro, a registered dietitian and founder of Real Nutrition NYC, told Well+Good that some people's liver enzymes are more plentiful and can therefore break down more alcohol and toxins in the body.
"They're able to break down the byproducts, genetically and metabolically, so that it doesn't affect them the next day," Shapiro said. According to a 2014 study on hangovers in Australia, genetics were tied to 45% of the differences in hangover frequency in men and 40% in women. This isn't the only reason some people never get hangovers, however. Countering dehydration can also play an important role. Since alcohol is a diuretic, it can severely dehydrate you. Countering this effect by drinking plenty of water in between sips of alcohol can help reduce your likelihood of developing a hangover.