How to prevent a hangover on New Year's Day

There's only one sure way to prevent a hangover—and that's not to overdo it tomorrow night, or to not drink at all. Moderate drinking means one drink a day for women of all ages and men older than 65, and up to two drinks a day for men 65 and younger.

But if you find yourself being tempted at a New Year's Eve celebration, here are some strategies to help you avoid a holiday hangover, which can include a splitting headache, nausea, diarrhea, fatigue, and tremors.

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• Opt for light-colored beverages. Dark liquors such as whiskey and red wine are more apt to leave you hung over than colorless or lighter drinks because they have higher levels of congeners, substances produced during fermentation that can have toxic effects. See our reviews of beers and wines.
  
• Eat something substantial that includes some fat. Pizza or a turkey sandwich with cheese are good options. Just make sure that you don't drink alcohol on an empty stomach.
  
• Drink lots of water or other nonalcoholic liquids. Alternate one alcoholic drink with a glass of club soda or plain water. That helps in two ways: It decreases your overall alcohol load and helps prevent the dehydration that contributes to hangovers.
• Consider taking aspirin or ibuprofen (Advil and generic) to ease a next-day headache, if your stomach can handle it. Products that combine an anti-inflammatory like aspirin or ibuprofen with caffeine might be especially helpful. But avoid acetaminophen (Tylenol and generic) if you drink heavily, since the combination can damage the liver.

As for the hangover cures sold online and in stores that claim they'll sop up the toxic byproducts of alcohol, don't waste your money. They usually include activated carbon or a mix of vitamins and herbs and have creative names like Chaser, Drinkin' Mate, and PartySmart. 
Bu there's very little evidence that they work.

—Sue Byrne