A court in Germany has officially ruled hangovers as an 'illness'.

The judgment came from Frankfurt Higher Regional Court on Monday, after a company was claiming to sell anti-hangover drinks.

The court found that food and drink cannot be promoted to cure illnesses.

The dietary supplements claim to prevent the emergence of a hangover, and are available in the form of a powdered stick or a drinkable shot.

They are widely promoted as an "Anti Hangover Drink" or "Anti Hangover Shot".

The court found: "Information about a food must not attribute to it any properties of prevention, treatment or cure of a human disease or give rise to the impression of this property".

"A statement is disease-related if it directly or indirectly conveys the impression that the advertised food contributes to the prevention, treatment or cure of a disease.

"Here, the prohibited statements suggested that 'the target public, who are primarily young consumers who consume alcohol when celebrating, the advertised product is suitable for treating the symptoms of alcoholism or could prevent a hangover.'

It said a "hangover" is an illness.

"In the interests of the most effective possible protection of public health, the term should be interpreted broadly," the court said.

It said this would include symptoms such as tiredness, nausea and headaches.

"Such symptoms would be beyond the natural range of variation of the human body", it added.

"It is not relevant that the symptoms regularly disappear on their own and require no medical treatment".

It said headaches are a disease, and not natural physiological states.