Why Coca-Cola is the best hangover cure Though Coke is not marketed as a hangover cure, its pick-me-up properties are nothing new. Lt Col John Pemberton, a trained pharmacist, invented the fizzy drink in Atlanta, Georgia, in May 1886, in a bid to wean himself off morphine, to which he had become addicted after becoming wounded during the American Civil War. Pemberton tried his new invention out on customers at his local chemist, Jacobs' Pharmacy, where he sold it as a "valuable brain tonic" that was "delicious, refreshing, pure joy, exhiliarating" and "a most wonderful invigorator of sexual organs." It proved so popular that it immediately went on sale at five cents a glass. His new beverage was made by mixing caffeine from cola nuts with cocaine from coca leaves (the cocaine was later substituted), and adding a thick syrupy base. Soon, its reputation had spread far beyond the chemist's clients, and customers were coming from far and wide to try Pemberton's "miracle cure." Pemberton's advertisement for his new carbonated drink Over a century later, Coca-Cola has cemented itself in our psyche as so much more than a medicinal beverage: as a cult-brand, advertising behemoth and most of America's carbonated drink of choice. Though its curative qualities are long-forgotten, the company's mission statement still references its roots: "to inspire moments of optimism." And some fans have continued to extol its hangover-curing properties. Indeed, in 1938, the Ritz-Carlton Hotel started serving its international guests a mixture of Coca-Cola and milk after a heavy night out. But it's the new legion of A-list fans raving about the "Black Doctor" that has led to Coca-Cola being dubbed the best hangover cure. So is there any truth to their claims? Nutritionist Claire Baseley says there is - to a certain extent. When you're hungover, you need to hydrate your body. The way you feel - that headache - it's mostly caused by dehydration. Something like Coca-Cola has lots of sugar and fluids and will put those back into your body to get your energy levels up. The caffeine will also give you an energy boost. But, she adds, "there are better options from a hydration perspective. Obviously it would be better if you had something like water or a sports energy drink. My recommendation would be to drink lots of water and have something that's easy on your stomach like a dry piece of toast. The negative side of Coca-Cola is its high sugar content and, after a big night out, you're probably not going to be doing lots of exercise to counteract that. But I wouldn't say never. As a grab and go drink, it's not too bad once in a while. We all have our own remedies for beating a hangover Melanie Brown, a London-based nutritionist, is less convinced. "The combination of sugar, caffeine, fluid, fizz and cold gives people the impression that their hangover is better," she explains. It is a fluid so will solve your thirst to a certain extent, but it does not contain much in the way of electrolytes; minerals that aid rehydration. And some people claim that the fizzy bit settles your stomach - but apart from possibly relieving gas build up, there's no evidence for that. Still, Coke converts won't be convinced. As one celebrity aficionado tells Vogue: "One of my more hardcore partying friends adds vodka to her Black Doctor, at breakfast." Each to their own. But definitely something to bear in mind next time you're clawing your way back from the bottom of a bottle.