The holidays are a good excuse to start drinking. More often than not, Christmas parties could result to really bad headaches and hellish hangovers the day after.  Experts say the strength of your hangover actually depends on what you are drinking, so choose wisely.

Watch Out For Preservatives And Sugar

Some alcoholic drinks are more likely to cause hangovers than others.  The cause of hangover is mainly due to ingredients, like sugar and other preservatives. 

Yoko Inoue, founder of Melbourne's superfood café, Shokuiku said: "When we digest alcohol, the body has to convert it to acetaldehyde. Acetaldehyde can be a burden in the system and cause unpleasant symptoms.  Preservatives in wine called sulfites and congeners in spirit are chemical compounds you need to watch out for.  Common congeners include amines, amides, acetones, polyphenols and histamine."

Vodka Gives The Least Hangover, Beer Gives You The Worst

Vodka and other clean liquors like gin or tequila are less likely to cause a hangover.  However, if you mix it with soft drink, the sugar can cause a headache the following day.  Use soda or fruit juice instead. 

Inoue said, when it comes to giving hangovers, beer is worst.  "Probably beer would be the worst one, I have to say.  Cheaper wines often have all sorts of rubbish in them and give terrible hangovers," she said.

Champagne can also give you bad hangovers.  Pharmacology professor at University of Colorado, Boris Tabakoff, said that champagnes are absorbed into the blood stream faster because of the carbon dioxide making the sparkling bubble.  Because of that, the hangover is worse. 

Dehydrate When Drinking Alcohol To Avoid Hangover

Experts advise that if you'd like to avoid a hangover, drink lots of water.  Inoue said: "It's dehydrating for the body when you're consuming alcohol so you want to drink plenty of water."

Drinking coconut water before drinking alcohol can also help since it is hydrating, full of potassium and electrolytes, but make sure to eat non-greasy foods after alcohol consumption. 

The holidays should be much more fun after reading these tips.  'Tis the season to start drinking.  Cheers!