Beer Without the Risk of Hangover?

No, we're not talking about alcohol-free beer. Australian researchers claim they have crafted a beer that does not dehydrate its drinker, eliminating the risk of a hangover while still maintaining flavor.

That's at least according to a study recently published in the journal International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, which details how experts at Griffith University's Health Institute (GHI) crafted a beer that's up to 50 percent more hydrating than your standard brew.

"We basically manipulated the electrolyte levels of two commercial beers, one regular strength and one light beer and gave it to research subjects who'd just lost a significant amount of sweat by exercising. We then used several measures to monitor the participant's fluid recovery to the different beers," lead researcher Ben Desbrow explained in a statement.

The researchers found that of both improved beers led to less dehydration, compared to a pair of normal beers. However, if you're a lover of dark and heady brews with high alcohol content, you may not want to be jumping for joy just yet.

Desbrow adds that "of the four different beers the subjects consumed, our augmented light beer was by far the most well retained by the body."

He essentially means that the light beer was the only brew that significantly improved hydration, proving at least a third more effective at hydrating your average person than a normal brew.

Desbrow and his colleagues add that they launched this study with your standard day-laborer in mind.

"This is definitely not a good idea, but what we've found is that many people who sweat a lot, especially tradesmen, knock off work and have a beer; it's pretty normal."

Alcohol in a dehydrated body, even a moderate amount, has been known to reduce focus and awareness, which can prove dangerous.

"So, if you're going to live in the real world, you can either spend your time telling people what they shouldn't do, or you can work on ways of reducing the danger of some of these socialized activities," Desbrow said.

He and his colleagues obviously believe the latter choice is the right one.

[Credit: Ben Desbrow, Dietitian and Associate Professor/Griffith University]