Young people no longer want to suffer from an unbearable monkey, but they do not completely reject alcohol. That’s why they started replacing each alcoholic drink with one non-alcoholic one. They call this trend “zebra striping”. According to doctors, this Gen Z trend can actually mitigate the effects of the monkey and is a sensible approach.
A trend known as “zebra striping” is spreading on social networks. Its principle is simple – each alcoholic drink is followed by a non-alcoholic drink and only then comes the next alcoholic drink.
“Zebra can alleviate hangover if it results in a person drinking less alcohol overall. But if the lower alcohol consumption is compensated by a longer evening or stronger drinks, the benefits quickly disappear.” said psychologists Cathy Montgomery and Abi Rose in an article for Conversation magazine.
According to experts, the human body breaks down alcohol at a rate of approximately one standard British unit per hour. If a person drinks faster, the concentration of alcohol in the blood increases. “Alternating non-alcoholic alternatives with alcoholic beverages slows overall alcohol consumption. Not only does it lower peak blood alcohol concentration, but it also typically results in fewer alcoholic beverages consumed.” the authors of the article stated.
Another advantage is better hydration. Alcohol acts as a diuretic and promotes fluid loss.“Alternating alcohol with water or soft drinks can help compensate for some of the dehydration caused by drinking. This can alleviate some of the common monkey symptoms, such as thirst, dizziness or headaches.” they explained.
