The Top 8 Natural Hangover Remedies
The Top 8
Natural Hangover Remedies
These expert-approved at-home remedies will help you tackle
nausea and a throbbing headache the morning after.
You are hungover, but not
to worry — you are not alone. These are some of the most commonly reported
symptoms of a hangover, according to a study published in September 2017 in the journal Human
Psychopharmacology.
The body absorbs a fixed
amount of alcohol per hour. “That amount varies widely depending on numerous
factors, including sex, body mass, and how heavily the individual
drinks,” says Edouard Coupet II, MD, a Yale Medicine
emergency doctor in New Haven, Connecticut, and a Yale-sponsored National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) scholar.
According
to Dr. Coupet, alcohol enters the bloodstream within minutes of your first sip
and is then absorbed by the digestive tract — starting in the stomach before it
is processed by the liver — as your body works to break it down, also known as
alcohol metabolism.
During alcohol metabolism,
a toxic byproduct called acetaldehyde is created, which your body works to
eliminate, explains Peter Malamet, DO, an emergency medicine physician at Mike O'Callaghan Military Medical Center in
Las Vegas, Nevada.
“How you feel can often
depend on how fast you metabolize acetaldehyde and how fast you can get rid of
it,” says Dr. Malamet. “Some people don’t break down acetaldehyde as well as
others.”
Although the bulk of
alcohol metabolism occurs in the liver, it is believed that some alcohol
metabolism can occur in the pancreas and brain, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and
Alcoholism.
So what exactly causes
that extreme thirst, horrible headache and feelings of nausea?
“The impurities in alcohol
(which vary from one type of alcohol to another) can also contribute to the
severity of the hangover. In other words, the more pure the alcohol, the less
severe the hangover,” says Kelly Kennedy, RD, Everyday Health staff
nutritionist.
Kennedy advises drinking
in moderation and emphasizes that there’s no real cure for a hangover except
not to get one in the first place.
But what if you want to
enjoy a few cocktails and not feel terrible
the following day? There are a few things you can do to ease the pain.
1. Drink Water to Avoid Dehydration
“The alcohol in your drink
acts as a diuretic, which can make you urinate more,” explains Kennedy. “This
can lead to dehydration, which is one of the major causes
of hangover symptoms.”
In other words, that
desert-level thirst that wakes you up in the wee hours
of the morning is a signal that you're well on the way to hungover. The amount
of water that you take in should equal that amount you lose, and alcohol can
upset this balance.
“If you know you’ll be
drinking that night, stay well-hydrated throughout the day and have plenty to
drink before heading to bed,” she says. And if you do wake up with a hangover, do
your best to drink as much water as you can. “Even having little sips every so
often will help.”
2.
Drink Other Fluids to Restore Electrolytes
“Because alcohol is a
diuretic and you’re urinating a lot, you’re also losing electrolytes, and you
can experience dizziness, nausea, and cramping as a result” says Malamet, who
credits an electrolyte imbalance as one of the leading causes of feeling fatigued
from a hangover.
Research published in February 2015 in the Journal of Strength and
Conditioning Research showed that drinking electrolytes
after long periods of dehydration can significantly help restore important
minerals, like sodium, potassium, and calcium.
What electrolyte-rich
drinks should you reach for? Kennedy recommends sports drinks and broth to help
restore and replace lost electrolytes and to get you back on the mend faster.
Fermented drinks like kombucha can also be beneficial to drink
when feeling nutrient-depleted because they're rich in minerals, antioxidants, and good-for-you-gut bacteria.
3. Eat
Nutrient-Rich Food Before and After Drinking
To prevent a hangover, past research has shown pairing alcohol
with food can help your body more efficiently metabolize the alcohol. The
digestion of food before or during alcohol consumption can help increase
anti-diuretic hormone levels (ADH), sugar fructose, and blood flow to the
liver, all which work to help your body more quickly break down alcohol.
What do you eat if you’re
already hungover? Contrary to popular belief, greasy foods will not help you to
absorb a hangover. “Craving a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich the morning after
a night out drinking is your body’s response to low blood sugar and dehydration,”
explains Maggie Michalczyk, RDN, a dietitian and food
blogger based in Chicago.
But it’s not going to
absorb the alcohol — that’s already made its way through your liver. Instead,
complex carbohydrates like fruits and vegetables
are your best bet, says Michalczyk.
Experts recommend reaching
for fruits like bananas, because they are chock full of
minerals like potassium that alcohol can deplete. A roughly 7-inch-long banana
has 422 milligrams (mg) of potassium and 32 mg of magnesium, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
If you can handle the sound of a blender, a smoothie of coconut water and banana, two tablespoons
of peanut butter, and your favorite protein
powder is what Michalczyk orders.
4. Try Ginger
to Ease Nausea
Doctors and nutritionists
alike agree that ginger is one of the best natural
remedies for soothing an upset stomach, which is often a common symptom of a
hangover.
“Ginger can aid digestion
and in this way can ease stomach upset,” explains Kennedy, who credits alcohol
irritating the lining of the stomach as one of the reasons for hangover-related
nausea.
The chemical compounds in
ginger are believed to help ease stomach pain and aid digestion. A meta-analysis published in December 2019 in the Journal of the Academy
of Nutrition and Dietetics found that ginger reduced
vomiting in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy treatment by 60 percent and
fatigue by 80 percent.
You can enjoy this
superfood in many different ways. For soothing an upset stomach, try brewing
some ginger tea or mixing fresh ginger into a
smoothie.
5. Have
Chamomile to Reduce Anxiety (or Hangxiety)
For some, hangover-induced anxiety, or hangxiety, can be as taxing
emotionally as some of the physical symptoms of a hangover.
If this doesn’t sound
familiar, it might be because hangxiety affects us all differently. In a study published March 2019 in the journal Personality and
Individual Differences, researchers discovered that shy
people had greater anxiety levels the day after drinking alcohol.
Michalczyk suggests chamomile tea to calm any emotionally
overwhelming feelings brought on by drinking, and research supports using this flowering
plant to soothe anxiety. Double bonus: Chamomile can help you sleep more
soundly and relieve an upset stomach, according to the National Center for Complementary and
Integrative Health (NCCIH).
6. Restore
Energy With Vitamin B and Protect Immunity With Vitamin C
Many hangover symptoms
result from nutrient deficiencies, and vitamin B is particularly affected by
alcohol use, according to a study in the European Journal of Clinical
Nutrition.
Vitamin B is responsible
for energy, brain function, and keeping the immune system and nervous system
acting properly. A depletion of vitamin B can be associated with feelings of
fatigue and low energy levels. If you still can’t get your mind off breakfast
sandwiches, Michalczyk suggests eating eggs — which are a great source of
the energy-producing B vitamins that alcohol flushes out — with lean protein
like turkey bacon and a whole-grain English muffin.
According to experts,
another vitamin to be mindful of when recovering from a hangover is vitamin C. Research published in 2015 in Alcohol Research
Current Reviews showed a connection between alcohol use
and a weakened immune system, impairing the body's ability to defend itself. To
avoid opening yourself up to colds, viruses, and potential alcohol-related
illness, load up on vitamin C with fruits and vegetables like broccoli, which has 135 percent of the daily
value per cup, according to the USDA. Also reach for oranges,
red bell peppers, kiwis, and strawberries.
7. Avoid
Medication That Can Cause Adverse Effects With Alcohol
There are certain drugs
that can interact with alcohol and cause severe hangover-like symptoms,
explains Malamet. One in particular to be mindful of is Flagyl (metronidazole), which is often used to
treat bacterial infections of the skin, stomach, vagina, joints, or respiratory
tract.
Other common medication,
when consumed with alcohol, can cause dizziness, drowsiness, impaired
concentration, and an increased risk of overdose, according to the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and
Alcoholism. These include antidepressants, like Effexor, Lexapro,
Wellbutrin, and Zoloft; stimulants, such as Adderall (Adderall XR) or Ritalin (methylphenidaten); and benzodiazepines that treat anxiety,
including Xanax (Alprazolam) and Clonazepam (Klonopin). Allergy medication can
negatively interact with alcohol, as well.
Malamet recommends always
speaking with your doctor about possible medication interactions. “Some
medications interact with the body’s ability to break down the alcohol, which
can increase the severity of the hangover,” he says.
8. Go Back to Bed to Restore Circadian
Rhythm
One of the most
restorative remedies you can try when hungover is simply to get more sleep. In
fact, delayed cognitive function during a hangover is likely linked to the poor
sleep associated with alcohol use, according to Harvard Health. In fact, a study published in December 2018 in the journal Addiction found
that a hangover may impair sustained attention and negatively impact everyday
tasks like driving.
The National Sleep Foundation notes that
alcohol disrupts your circadian rhythm and prevents REM sleep; it’s unlikely
you’ll fall into a deep, restful sleep after drinking more than a glass of wine
or two. Poor sleep, according to Harvard, is linked to anxiety, irritability,
and depressed mood, and alcohol, as a depressant, exacerbates these
effects.
"It’s been shown that
you’re unable to achieve the usual REM sleep cycle when drinking alcohol, so
even if you’re getting a couple hours of sleep, you’re probably not getting
good sleep,” says Malamet.
The best way to feel
better sooner? Hydrate and hit the snooze button.
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