We know you’re a responsible drinker who would never get so drunk that you end up staggering into work eating a sausage roll and drinking a Lucozade Sport. And yet here we are on the edge of Christmas, a time when even the most health-conscious man can get thrown off course by a free bar and karaoke. Drinking is as much a festive tradition as mince pies and flashing reindeer sweaters, but it doesn’t have to end with you feeling like you need to be read your last rites. We asked Dr Wayel Jassem, consultant liver surgeon at the Bupa Cromwell Hospital in London, how to avoid a hangover.

The journey to a milder hangover begins before the booze. “You should make sure you have a full stomach before you start drinking, which will help slow down the absorption of alcohol,” says Dr Jassem. “Your body can safely metabolise about 10ml of pure alcohol per hour – about one small glass of wine, with lunch – so limit your intake to that.” Alcohol dehydrates you too, so match non-alcoholic drinks to your alcoholic ones. However, notes Dr Jassem, “studies show fizzy water can speed up alcohol absorption so you’re better drinking still water. It could also explain why people report feeling more drunk when they drink champagne.”

The man who drinks vodka tonics all night is a wise man. “Dark alcoholic drinks, such as whisky, brandy and red wine, have high levels of congeners,” says Dr Jassem. “These are naturally occurring compounds that are partly responsible for hangovers. So, if you’re having a shot, make it vodka, which has fewer congeners, rather than whisky.” You could also opt for gin, rum or white wine, but steer clear of tequila, which, despite its pale colour, is high in congeners.

Electrolytes are salts and minerals (sodium, potassium, calcium and so on) that help with important bodily functions, such as energy production and muscle contraction. Since alcohol is a diuretic, it causes your body to lose these vital minerals and in turn causes symptoms such as fatigue, nausea and diarrhoea. “There are so many remedies on the market that claim to treat hangovers and it’s impossible to say if they work because they aren’t tested in clinical trials,” says Dr Jassem. “However, sports drinks do help because they replace the electrolytes lost through alcohol consumption.” You can make your own electrolyte water by mixing 500ml water and 1tsp salt and flavouring with lemon and lime juice.

“Alcohol causes an inflammatory response in the body, which is why hangover symptoms, such as body aches, headaches and tiredness, mimic those of a cold,” says Dr Jassem. “With that in mind, ibuprofen might be a better painkiller than paracetamol. However, alcohol and anti-inflammatories can upset the stomach so you’re better off taking ibuprofen the morning after, rather than at the end of a boozy night. But you shouldn’t take it at all if you have stomach ulcers.”

Alcohol depletes your blood sugar levels, which can make you feel dizzy and shaky. The easiest way to reverse it? “A fry-up,” says Dr Jassem. “It works because it’s full of carbohydrates, which in turn help restore your body’s sugar levels.” Booze also blocks your body from entering REM sleep, the most important and restorative stage in the sleep cycle. “You should try to sleep as much as possible after a drinking session,” says Dr Jassem. “Eventually, your body will metabolise the alcohol and your sleep cycle will return to normal.” And if you’re thinking about hair of the dog, think again. “Your liver has the ability to repair itself, but only if you give it a rest,” says Dr Jassem. “I’d advise three to four days’ abstinence after a night of drinking.”