James May Explains Why You Have A Melbourne Cup-Sized Hangover

Did you party a little too hearty celebrating your Melbourne Cup winnings last night? I think I did. Honestly, I can’t remember. All I know is that I woke up this morning feeling like an unvacuumed carpet. Thankfully, James May is here to dutifully explain to you why you and I feel the way we do.

Yes, it’s an old video, but it’s worth revisiting because hopefully it’ll help you be more responsible when the call for Friday drinks goes up.

James May explains to us that we feel hungover for a multitude of reasons, most of which start happening almost immediately after you took your first sip of bubbly as the gates opened for the ponies yesterday.

The alcohol you drank interfered with the way your brain works, while cutting off the production of vital chemicals that tell your kidneys how much water to take from your blood. This means your kidneys dump everything out as urine, which is why you needed to visit the bathroom quite a bit last night.

As you slept — probably uncomfortably — your liver attempted to process the toxic alcohol from your system. It needed precious water to do it, and took some from your brain, which actually shrunk and started pulling on your membranes. That explains the cracking headache you’ve got right now, too.

All in all, you’re in for a shocking morning. Turn the lights down, get a glass of water and take lots of deep breaths.


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