Everyone's heard of water and coffee being the cure for a hangover, but what about Sprite? 

According to CBS News, the lemon lime soda reportedly helps the body better metabolize alcohol according to Chinese researchers. Plain soda water had a similar effect. A study published in the September 2013 issue of Food and Function showed that chemicals in the non-caffeinated beverage can halt that awful next-day feeling.

After examining 57 beverages in a lab, researcher Hua-Bin Li and his colleagues at Sun Yat-Sen University in Guangzhou determined that Sprite was one of the drinks that best relieved hangover symptoms. 

The best beverages to cure hangovers are Huo ma ren (a hemp-seed based beverage), various teas and different carbonated drinks. Herbal teas were observed to slow down the process. However, Sprite and soda water were shown to speed up ALDH activity, which would theoretically curb the hangover.

Some of the adverse effects of alcohol are thought to be caused not by the alcohol itself, but by the process of the body trying to break down the alcohol. The authors point out that when the liver processes alcohol (also known as ethanol) it creates several chemical byproducts. One is called acetaldehyde, which causes the feelings of a hangover. 

According to the Mayo Clinic, reasons alcohol can cause hangovers, include the beverage's ability to cause your body to produce more urine. Urine can cause dehydration and trigger inflammation response from the immune system. 

Edzard Ernst, a medical expert at the University of Exeter in the U.K., told Chemistry World the study was intriguing, but said people should not start stocking up on Sprite. 

"These results are a reminder that herbal and other supplements can have pharmacological activities that can both harm and benefit our health," Ernst said.

Alcohol is also known to irritate the lining of a stomach, causing blood sugar to fall and expand blood vessels, leading to headaches. It also makes people sleepy and reduces their quality of sleep.