Prosecco hangovers are officially the worst, says wine expert

18 December 2023, 17:25

Prosecco can cause bad hangovers. Picture: Getty Images

By Heart

Do you get a horrendous headache after knocking back a glass or two of fizz? The bubbles are to blame.

Prosecco gives you a worse hangover than other alcoholic drinks, a wine expert has revealed.

According to sommelier and founder of Club Vino, Marco Castelanelli, the carbon dioxide inside the popular fizzy tipple changes how the liquid flows through the blood stream – and actually increases the groggy side effects of booze.

Explaining how this process makes headaches more horrendous than say a gin-based migraine, he told Tyla: "If you find that you get the worst headache ever after a glass of two or Prosecco then quite simply blame it on the bubbles."

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The expert continued: "Prosecco and Champagne both contain little pockets of carbon dioxide which change how the alcohol flows through the blood stream, helping the body to adsorb the alcohol faster."

Prosecco can give you a worse hangover than other types of alcohol. Picture: Getty

Mr Castelanelli added: "Once in the bloodstream the Co2 competes with oxygen which is why you might feel a little woozy and rather drunk rather quickly leading to an exaggerated hangover in the form of a pounding head."

The ex-wine merchant also said that to avoid the dreaded fuzzy head that inevitably arrives the morning after the night before, you should "drink a glass of water with every glass of Prosecco to reduce dehydration".

Science blames the bubbles for making hangovers worse. Picture: Getty

The Italian sommelier also suggested sipping your beverage slowly instead of drinking it quickly, and explained it's not advisable to drink Prosecco on an empty stomach – so make sure you order nibbles with every drink.

If all that fails, your last option is to "drink a large glass of water before bed" and hope for the best.