It takes up to three hours for the body to fully metabolise an after-work-beer - depending on the blood alcohol content, which can theoretically range from 0.18 to 0.3 per mille for a standard glass (0.25 l with around 10 g of pure alcohol), depending on the consumer's gender, weight and size. The liver reduces the blood alcohol content by between 0.1 and 0.2 per mille per hour - also depending on individual factors such as age: The liver isn't nearly as efficient in young people as it is in adults. 

Dancing energetically, drinking lots of water or strong coffee with lemon, 'sweating it out' or a cold shower: These are just a few of many popular tips on how to help the liver metabolise alcohol and to sober up more quickly. Unfortunately none of these work: The liver works at a constant rate and can't be 'tricked' into working more quickly. The best thing to do: just sleep it off, and measure your blood alcohol level before getting into the car again the next day!

Not only do women have a fundamentally lower tolerance for alcohol, but the rate at which their liver metabolises it is also a bit lower for hormonal reasons: While a male liver usually metabolises 0.2 per mille per hour, the average for women is only 0.1 mille. One consequence is that after a night of partying the blood alcohol level can be significantly higher for a woman than for her partner, even though she drank less. So caution is required when it comes to the question of who is able to drive! 

Not all people have the same amount of ALDH. This enzyme is essential for metabolising alcohol and manages to turn highly toxic acetaldehyde into less problematic acetic acid. This is why some people experience a worse hangover than others after a night of partying, even if everyone consumed the same amount of alcohol. By the way: For genetic reasons, over 50 percent of the Asian population have almost no ALDH. Therefore their bodies launch a massive response to the toxic acetaldehyde. People who consume alcohol turn red, start to sweat and suffer from nausea and palpitations - the so-called 'flushing' response.

Curing nausea and headaches with even more alcohol the morning after is a popular yet ineffective strategy, because it only further increases the amount of alcohol in the blood which has to be metabolised by the liver. The hangover will eventually come later on, after the extra intoxication has worn off.

Drinking lots of water or fruit juice spritzers to provide the body with fluid and electrolytes - because alcohol causes the body to excrete more water. Salty foods help to compensate for the loss of minerals. An espresso can help as well, because coffee stimulates the circulation. Getting fresh air and exercise is better than any headache pills, which can further tax the already stressed stomach.