do women really get worse hangovers than men?
We dug into one of our favorite (slightly old-school but still awesome) pieces of hangover science to see what it really says about gender and hangovers.
Hangovers are a complicated beast. There’s inflammation, dehydration, sleep disruption, toxic byproducts of alcohol metabolism… the works. And this chart is still one of our all-time favorite visual breakdowns of what’s going on:
There’s a lot of stuff on that chart. Loads of things that don’t make a difference in a hangover. Loads of others that do. But if you look closely, you’ll notice there’s nothing about sex.
Dancing is on the chart. Genetics is on the chart. But genetics here isn’t really talking about sex; it’s talking about differences in the specific genes that govern how your body metabolizes alcohol.
So the big question: do women actually get worse hangovers than men?
what the internet says vs. what the data says
If you poke around online, you’ll almost definitely find articles claiming women get worse hangovers. Some blame body fat percentage. Others point to total body water (or both). If they’re really on their game, they’ll even explain how body fat and water content are related.
Look hard enough and you’ll also find pieces arguing the opposite: that men get worse hangovers. So who’s right?
inside the studies: it’s complicated
When you zoom in on clinical research, things get messy fast. Some studies do find a difference between men and women—sometimes women report worse hangovers, sometimes it’s men. Other studies try to correct for obvious confounders like height, weight, and ethnicity… and don’t see a meaningful difference at all.
- Women can reach higher blood alcohol levels than men after the same number of drinks, partly due to differences in body composition.
- Genetic differences in enzymes that break down alcohol may influence who feels worse the next day.
- How we report symptoms (and what we notice) can also skew results.
- Once you adjust for weight and how much was actually drunk, the “men vs women” gap often shrinks or disappears.
- Different studies use different definitions of “hangover” and different ways to score severity.
what definitely matters for your hangover
While the whole men vs. women debate is fuzzy, there are some factors that clearly matter:
If you’re built more like Danny DeVito and your friend is a bit of an Andre the Giant, going drink-for-drink is basically volunteering for a headache, brain fog, and a very dramatic “I’m never doing that again” the next day.
So rather than asking, “Do women get worse hangovers?” it’s more accurate to ask, “Given this body, this amount of alcohol, and this pace… how bad is tomorrow going to be?”
party smarter, not sadder.
We made Toast! gummies shareable so you can toss a pack in your bag or pocket and instantly become the friend who shows up with party favors and a plan. Hand them around before the first toast, and future-you will be very, very grateful.
Whether you’re closer to a Danny or an Andre (or somewhere in between), a little prep goes a long way.
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