We’re all familiar with the drinking anecdote, “beer before liquor never been sicker… .” It’s a warning that many bar-goers (including myself) take to heart. Mixing too many drinks is no good and usually results in the hangover from hell.

At least, that’s what we thought.

According to science, the saying could actually be total and complete BS. That’s because as Claudia Hammond of the BBC reports, “…hangovers can’t be blamed on mixing drinks.” It’s in fact, only due to over-drinking.

This mind-blowing conclusion was based off scientific studies on hangovers. Previous research confirmed that “the causes of the main symptoms of hangovers are dehydration, changes in the levels of hormones such as aldosterone and cortisol, and the toxic effects of alcohol itself,” reports the BBC. Basically how much you drink is more important than what you drink – and what you’re mixing, for that matter.

The article states that “The higher the alcohol content, and the faster you drink it, the worse the hangover… If combining three or four measures of spirits alongside other ingredients, a throbbing head and dry throat is probably just the result of consuming more alcohol in total,” notes the BBC.

As for hangover severity, studies looked at which alcohol, specifically, caused the worst hangovers. Listen up – here’s what you should know. The research found that those who drank bourbon rated their hangovers as the worst. While “clear drinks such as white rum, vodka and gin tend to cause fewer and less severe hangovers,” reports the BBC.

We recommend keeping these drinking tidbits in mind – and a bottle of water in your hand – this weekend. Cheers!

[h/t HowAboutWe]

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