Christmas is fantastic for a number of reasons, one of which being the amount of mulled wine, sherry and other drinks on offer.

However, with the tipsy nights out and the booze-fuelled parties comes a bit of a sore head in the morning.

Before reaching for paracetamol or other chemical-filled pain relief, try these natural hangover remedies.

Water

Alcohol has a tendency to dehydrate an individual, so lots of drink can make you seriously dehydrated - adding head pain to the general aches and pains of a hangover.

"Alcohol is a diuretic and, as your pounding headache and dry, fuzzy mouth are partly due to dehydration, drinking water will help speed your recovery," explains Dr Sarah Brewer, a medical nutritionist.

She advises to sip water little and often all day long to get at least two litres of pure water on board.

Eat breakfast

It might seem like the last thing that you want to do, but eating breakfast is the key to a hangover-free day.

Nutritionist Yvonne Bishop-Weston advises that people have a fruit smoothie as soon as they wake up.

Filling this smoothie with bananas is particularly beneficial, as excessive alcohol intake can eliminate your body’s supply of potassium, a void that bananas can quickly fill.

Snack

After the smoothie, Ms Bishop-Weston recommends having something full of protein.

"It could be eggs, kippers, something along those lines - it is surprising, although it might feel like it is going to turn your stomach, people really do feel better," she said.

In particular she recommends eggs because they are high in omega-3, the essential fatty acid that help reduce the symptoms of a hangover.

Honey

Just like the banana, honey is rich in potassium, as well as a number of other antioxidants which help alleviate the pain the morning after.

If you can't face eggs in the morning, a bit of honey on toast could be a perfect hangover cure breakfast.

Posted by Freya Harper