How to Get Over a Hangover, According to a Medical Pro

You won’t find those tips on the list, but here are seven science-backed ways to lessen the symptoms of a hangover. Make sure to get lots of vitamins and antioxidants in your next-day diet, which are crucial to helping your body process and get rid of toxins. Drinking alcohol, especially if you’re already dehydrated or becoming dehydrated, can make it harder to focus on certain tasks, react during situations, and make decisions. This “rebound effect” interrupts deep, rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep, which can make you feel much more tired the next day. Let’s look at how to tell the difference between a mild, temporary hangover that you can treat at home and one that may need some extra medical attention. Some people may even have a genetic disposition for worse hangovers than others.

• For example, drinking more alcohol (“hair of the dog”) won’t help a hangover.
• “Breath alcohol tests and blood draws for determination of blood alcohol levels were performed for up to six hours.
• A greasy meal or snack might sound good when you’re hungover, but it’s best to avoid these types of foods after drinking alcohol.
• Alcohol will put you to sleep quickly, but when it begins to wear off several hours later, the withdrawal your body feels can disrupt sleep and jolt you awake.
• They’re minor compounds that are produced during the alcohol fermentation process, and include a variety of chemicals like methanol, acetaldehyde, and tannins.

Most Recent in Functional Foods

While many people claim to have tried-and-true hangover cures, there is no one trick that will work for everyone. The caffeine can help relieve headaches and give you an energy boost, but be wary, because caffeinated drinks are also diuretics, and can end up dehydrating you more. You may build a tolerance to alcohol if you drink enough consistently.

How — and why — to fit more fiber and fermented food into your meals

The chemical compounds in ginger are believed to help ease stomach pain and aid digestion. A meta-analysis found that ginger reduced vomiting by 60 percent and fatigue by 80 percent in people with cancer who were receiving chemotherapy treatment. Another review found that ginger had potential antioxidant and liver-protective effects.

Are hangovers dangerous?

Scientists have to rely on people’s self-reported hangover symptoms, which may vary between people and depend on day-to-day factors, and these are very difficult to control scientifically. Coffee and other caffeinated drinks act as stimulants, which may improve the feelings of fatigue that come with a hangover. There is no current research to say that particular foods, such as greasy or fried breakfasts, are more effective than others. Many people believe that carbohydrates are particularly effective for “soaking up” alcohol, though research has not looked into this.

The effects usually begin hours after drinking alcohol and can last for a whole morning or even for several days. And understand that what you eat before you start drinking matters. You’ll want to make sure how long do hangovers last you have a full stomach before you drink, because as Mayo Clinic notes, alcohol is absorbed faster on an empty stomach. Scientists are finding some interesting foods that may help too, like asparagus.

The men who took ginseng had decreased blood alcohol levels and hangover symptoms compared to the controls, suggesting that red ginseng could have a positive effect. However, drinks that contain caffeine are diuretics, which may worsen the effects of dehydration in the body. Caffeine does not alter a person’s blood alcohol content, so it does not reduce the health risks relating to drinking alcohol. Some research shows consuming more fluids does not decrease hangover severity and that dehydration from drinking alcohol is likely not the cause of hangover symptoms. Adding electrolytes also doesn’t appear to improve hangover symptoms.

• NSAIDs may irritate the stomach, so skip them if you have a stomachache.
• Of the studies that are available, most are of low quality and remain inconclusive.
• Too much acetaldehyde in the blood has been linked to hangover symptoms like headache, sweating, nausea, and vomiting.
• There isn’t a defined amount you need to drink, says Mia Mattioli, MD, a physician at Huntington Hospital in California.
• “Make sure you rehydrate and stick to gentle exercise to get the body moving and help flush out toxins from your body. A light walk or short yoga class (not hot yoga!) is a good idea once you are feeling better.”

Hangover Prevention

• “It’s important to hydrate before, during, and after alcohol consumption to prevent hangover effects,” Cariello says.
• How much you need to drink to cause a hangover depends on many factors.
• “In addition, vitamin C plays an important role in maintaining our glutathione levels.”
• Contrary to popular belief, greasy foods will not help you combat a hangover.

The resulting loss in fluid can cause dehydration and electrolyte imbalances. In this article, we look at the effectiveness of some common methods people use to try to cure hangovers. The breakfast staple contains an amino acid that can counteract some of the toxicity of alcohol. Plus, eggs are loaded with nutrients that can help your body rebound. Resolving a health issue begins with understanding the root cause of the problem. For hangovers, it’s all about your body’s response to alcohol, says Dr. Waters.