HEALTH
Surviving THE SILLY
SEASON
BY CHARIS TORRANCE
BETWEEN YEAR-END PARTIES, BRAAIS AND COCKTAIL HOURS, YOU’ LL NEED THESE SCIENTIFICALLY APPROVED HANGOVER CURES! SPOILER:‘ HAIR OF THE DOG’ IS A TERRIBLE IDEA.
KeDezemba, boss! It’ s that magical time when the braais are blazing, the champagne’ s flowing and, inevitably, the babbelas makes its annual appearance. As Dr Pieter Strydom, a general practitioner at Netcare Medicross Kembirch, wryly notes, the word itself has deep local roots.“ It is written that the word babbelas evolved from the Dutch‘ boven belast’, describing overloaded ships and later, overloaded sailors,” he says.“ Centuries later, the human condition persists.”
Despite advances in modern medicine, there is still no miracle cure for a hangover.“ My remedy remains: a drip of glucose and electrolytes, maybe something for a headache, something for nausea and to sleep it all off,” says Dr Strydom. Translation? Hydrate, eat, rest and stop pretending it’ s food poisoning.
Here’ s what really happens in your body after too many festive toasts: you become dehydrated( though that’ s just the start), your blood vessels dilate( cue the pounding head), and your poor liver runs out of glucose reserves.“ The brain deprived of glucose is known to shut down,” explains Dr Strydom,“ hence the advice to have electrolytes and glucose.” Those flu-like aches? Blame alcohol metabolites and inflammation.
Your heart might also be working overtime.“ Alcohol may lower the heart’ s electrical inhibitory threshold, leading to palpitations, and sometimes quite serious abnormalities,” warns Dr Strydom. Energy drink shooters? Avoid them like the last stale mince pie.
While scientists are still exploring whether probiotics could ease the impact through the“ gut-brain axis”, Dr Strydom remains sensibly sceptical.“ Might we have the magic potion for a hangover? Let us leave that to the jury to decide. In our profession, to claim magic is not professional.”
And as for that old“ hair of the dog” trick? Don’ t bother.‘ That dog will be back to bite again,” he laughs. The doctor’ s final advice for December?“ Prevention is the better cure. Consume in moderation, choose your companions carefully and enjoy alcohol responsibly – or leave it for others.”
Cheers to that and waking up without the babbelas. IB
44 INBOUND SA / DECEMBER 2025