5 MYTHS ABOUT HANGOVERS

If last night's ale is still ailing you, you'll do anything to quench the throb. Here's the truth about the morning after, so you can recover fast.

- KATE ROCKWOOD

1 MYTH: Beer before liquor, never been sicker.

MYTHBUSTER

No matter how catchy the rhyme, it's the quantity you drink and how fast you drink it-that matters, not the order of consumption, says Keri Peterson, M.D., an internist with a private practice in New York City. Any "standard drink"-whether it is 12 oz of beer, a 5-oz glass of wine, or 1.5 oz of liquor contains about the same amount of alcohol. It is true, though, that lighter-colored alcoholic beverages may lead to fewer hangovers, as they contain fewer congeners (compounds that research shows contribute to hangovers). But as anybody who's had one too many G&Ts can attest, "drinking too many alcoholic beverages of any color will still leave you feeling hungover," says Dr. Peterson, whether you start with spirits and then move to wine or beer or do the reverse.

2 MYTH: The hair of the dog that bit you will set you right.

MYTHBUSTER