A hangover is when you have a bad headache, sickness, dizziness and dehydration after drinking alcohol. Usually, the more your drink, the worse the hangover will be.
Experts know little about what causes a hangover. Some theories say that alcohol disrupts biological rhythms; others that alcohol withdrawal is the culprit. Research suggests that impurities produced when alcohol is distilled can make you feel nauseous. The sweeter the drink, the higher is the level of impurities. Malt liquors and red wine are toxic in particular.
For now there’s only one apparent way to avoid a hangover: Don’t drink. And there’s one proven cure: Time. It takes 8 to 24 hours for symptoms to disappear.
However, try these natural ways to avoid the pain, or general malaise the day after..
Drink water: It’s important to stay hydrated while you’re drinking alcohol. That means drinking plenty of water between cocktails. If you bypass that rule and wake up groggy the next morning, drink up to rehydrate and flush the impurities from your system.
Drink other fluids: Remember: Water isn’t enough. You need to drink electrolyte-rich fluids, too — like sports drinks, coconut water, or bouillon soup — that can restore the salt and potassium you’ve lost.
Grease up before you go: One longstanding folk remedy is to take a spoonful of olive oil before a party. Some swear by it. Eating a pizza or other fatty food has the same effect. Both are said to grease the intestines so the alcohol takes longer to absorb.
Consume sugar while drinking: Studies show that fructose may speed alcohol metabolism, thus reducing the risk of a hangover. It’s important to eat sugar while you’re drinking, not before, since fructose metabolizes quickly. Try plain orange juice between cocktails.
Eat breakfast the day after: Eat breakfast. Electrolytes in food help replenish a dehydrated system and get calories back into your body. But go easy. While a greasy meal before drinking may help, a hangover needs foods that are easy to digest, like toast and cereal. Some believe that eating burnt toast will help, with the charred carbon crust filtering out impurities much like a carbon water filter. But there’s no research to back it up.
Ginger may come to the rescue. For centuries, people have taken ginger to reduce nausea and vomiting. Try nibbling crystallized ginger in the aftermath of a night of drinking. The National Institutes of Health reveal early research that consuming a combination of ginger, tangerine pith, and brown sugar before drinking decreases nausea and vomiting.
Back to bed: A hangover isn’t caused by lack of sleep, but that makes it worse. Take a long nap the day after: It’s the body’s way of healing itself.
