Expert says drinking specific type of common alcohol will help reduce how bad your hangovers are

Christmas and New Year might be a time for family and festive cheer, but there's also a high chance that quite a few of us have been nursing a raging hangover at one point (or a few).

We're in that awkward 'in-between' run of days where nobody really knows what day it is, with most of us feasting on Christmas dinner leftovers.

One other thing that is common in the UK during this period, of course, is sinking a few bevs.

So, for those who are getting more health-conscious about their eating and drinking habits, it's worth asking if it's still possible to drink alcohol in a way that's better for our bodies and avoids that awful hangover the next day.

Well, apparently, science says it is... kind of.

Cocktails such as Strawberry Daiquiris might be the way to avoid a hangover on New Year's Day (Getty Stock Image)

Can drinking alcohol ever be healthy?

One 2007 study published in the Journal of Science of Food and Agriculture found that mixing strawberries with alcohol boosted their antioxidant properties.

In turn, this neutralised free radicals, such as harmful oxygen molecules, which can lead to heart disease or cancer.

So while it's never 'healthy' to drink boozy cocktails, including fruit or veg in your New Year's concoctions instead of fizzy drinks with no nutritional value is far more preferable.

What types of alcohol are better for your body?

According to dietician Emer Delaney, vodka is 'one of the better spirits'.

She explained: "Clear spirits such as vodka, gin and tequila have fewer congeners (compounds produced during fermentation that can worsen hangovers) than darker spirits."

Beer also has a low congener content, while brandy, red wine and rum have high congeners.

Whiskey, white wine and gin have medium congener content.

So, a vodka-based drink with frozen strawberries could be the golden duo.

Vodka and other clear spirits have less congeners (Getty Stock Image)

What are congeners?

The amount of congeners varies from drink to drink, but essentially, the more distilled a spirit is, the lower the congener content.

This is why the top-shelf spirit you may eye up at the pub every time you step up to the bar is less likely to cause a raging hangover in comparison to the cheaper spirits used in drink deals.

Congeners are produced during the fermentation or distillation process, with the amount of them depending on the original sugar, carbohydrate, or sources used to make the alcohol.

A 2008 study in Alcohol and Alcoholism suggests that alcoholic beverages with more congeners cause worse hangovers in comparison to those with lower congeners.

While research suggests congeners can play a role in hangovers, they aren't the only factor.

Obviously the best way to avoid a hangover is not to drink in the first place (Oscar Wong/Getty stock)

A 2013 article has also suggested that due to the body needing to break down congeners as well as the ethanol in the body, the byproducts of alcohol linger for longer.

It's believed that they also release stress hormones, so they don't help with hangover symptoms, such as sleep duration or sleep quality.

Obviously, the only sure-fire way to guarantee you won't wake up with a sore head is to not overdo it on the booze in the first place, or ditch it altogether.

Please drink responsibly. If you want to discuss any issues relating to alcohol in confidence, contact Drinkline on 0300 123 1110, 9am–8pm weekdays and 11am–4pm weekends for advice and support.