7 Proven Ways to Quickly Cure a Hangover and Feel Refreshed

There is no worse feeling like getting a hangover after a night out of heavy drinking. Nausea, headaches and fatigue are some of the ‘normal’ symptoms of a hangover. Sometimes these symptoms can become severe leading you to promise yourself never to touch that bottle of vodka ever again. But as we all know, these are tales as old as time because the next Friday you will be drinking as if nothing ever happened. What if it doesn’t always have to be this way. Of course there is no magic pill to a hangover, but there are remedies that can relieve you from some of these symptoms.

Causes of a hangover.

• Dehydration

• Electrolyte imbalances.

• Alcohol withdrawal

• Low blood sugar levels.

• Sleep disturbances

• Stomach and intestine inflammation

Before we dive into the article, let’s discuss about some of the dangerous ways of dealing with a hangover. One of the myth cures that most people swear by is gobbling down more alcohol the next morning. Sure, this will work for some few hours but once the effects wear off, it will only prolong the hangover making this one of the worst ‘cures’. In addition to this, you may be risking alcohol dependence and liver damage.

The other myth cure that people recommend is taking pain killers. There is some truth to this but at all costs avoid, pain killers with acetaminophen. See, acetaminophen is broken down in the liver but guess what substance is simultaneously being broken down in the liver; alcohol. This could lead to severe liver damage. A common medicine containing acetaminophen is Tylenol. For the sake of your health, kindly keep off. Without further ado, let’s get into the top seven home remedies to cure a hangover.

7. Avoid drinks that contain congeners.

As we are all familiar, alcohol is made through the fermentation process, resulting in ethanol (alcohol) and carbon dioxide. During this process, there are toxic by products which are rarely talked about; Congeners. Depending on the type of alcohol, congeners vary in amounts. Clear liquors such as vodka, gin and rum contain low amounts of congeners while darker liquors such as whiskey, tequila and bourbon contain significantly higher amounts of this toxic by product. This simply means that taking whiskey or tequila is likely to give you a more severe hangover as compare to taking vodka or gin.

So how do congeners worsen hangovers? These toxic by products, for one, slow down the metabolism of alcohol. Metabolism is the process by which the body burns calories to produce energy. A slow rate of metabolism means that the alcohol takes a significantly longer time in your system before being broken down. This leads to a prolonged hangover. In a study done a while back, it was found that high alcohol elimination lead to a less severe hangover, hence the importance of a faster metabolism after ingesting alcohol.

6. Stay hydrated.

Have ever noticed an increased need to visit the washroom whenever you take alcohol? Well, this is because alcohol is a diuretic. This simply means that it increases urine production leading to more washroom breaks. This leads to dehydration and electrolyte imbalance. Dehydration does not necessarily affect the severity of a hangover, at least not directly. What is does is contribute negatively to some of the symptoms such as fatigue, headaches and dizziness.

Another common way alcohol dehydrates you especially for those new in the game, is vomiting and diarrhea. Vomiting more so after gobbling down your bottle of vodka is one of the worst feeling in the world. And let’s not get into the social embarrassment that accompanies it.

A good rule of thumb is to frequently take water in between your shots of alcohol. One it reduces dehydration and secondly, it regulates the amount of alcohol you take. To prevent nausea, it’s good to take your alcohol slowly. It;s not a competition. If you don’t like the idea of taking water in between your favorite drink, be sure to hydrate yourself after drinking. It is also important to take water as the first thing the next morning to reduce the effects of a hangover.

5.Taking Medicine.

It is common knowledge to take medicine when you are unwell. To curb some of the severe effects of a hangover such as headaches, you can take pain relievers. But not all pain relievers are made equal. Please, at all cost, stay away from pain killers which contain acetaminophen. See, such medicines, which include Tylenol, are broken down in the liver. Guess what is also being broken down in the liver simultaneously; alcohol. This can lead to more irritation as well as liver damage.

Over the counter medicines such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can also be helpful in reducing the severity of a hangover. However, avoid NSAIDs and pain killers if you experience nausea and stomach aches, as they could irritate the digestive system. Another reminder, don’t take ibuprofen or aspirin on an empty stomach. This can lead to stomach irritation leading to a prolonged hangover.

Another medication to try is antacids. These drugs can help combat nausea as well as heart burns and indigestion. They work by neutralizing the stomach’s acidity hence relieving a stomach upset.

4. Eating Breakfast.

It goes without saying that a healthy breakfast, will help alleviate you from the effects of a hangover. See, after a night out of partying and guzzling alcohol, your blood sugar levels drop. This happens because when your body breaks down alcohol, lactic acid levels increase which causes a drop in blood sugar level. A low blood sugar level contributes to some hangover effects such as nausea and fatigue. A breakfast rich in carbohydrates, proteins and vitamins can help bring back your blood sugar levels back to normal.

You should also avoid fatty and greasy food after a night out. Your stomach is trying to absorb as much alcohol as possible and adding a fatty, greasy meal only slows down metabolism. This is trouble in paradise because the hangover effects will be prolonged.

3. Be sure to take Antioxidants.

When you ingest alcohol, it causes oxidative stress. The body in turn, reacts by producing free radicals. This is very bad for your health as most chronic diseases such as cancers and heart diseases are caused as a result of excess free radicals. So, how do you combat excess production of free radical? Well, for starters, take foods that are high in antioxidants.

Basically, antioxidants are natural substances that counteract or neutralize harmful free radicals.

Examples of foods rich in antioxidants.

• Dark chocolate.
• Blueberries.
• Strawberries.
• Artichokes
• Goji Berries.
• Raspberries.
• Kales.
• Red cabbage.
• Beans.
• Beetroots.
• Spinach
• Ginger.
• Grapes.

2. Eat eggs and foods rich in vitamin C.

Why eggs you ask? Well, our bodies rely on an antioxidant called glutathione to detoxify alcohol. But after drinking alcohol, glutathione is depleted. Our bodies make glutathione from high quality proteins such as eggs. Vitamin C in turn, aids in maintaining glutathione levels. Proteins such as salmon, chicken or lentils can be used in place of eggs.

Foods rich in vitamins C include strawberries, oranges, pineapples mangoes and the list goes on. A bonus of taking foods rich in vitamin C is that they hydrate you, which is quite essential after taking alcohol.

1. Drinking coffee or tea.

Caffeinated drinks such as coffee and tea serve as a stimulant. This can help alleviate fatigue which is accompanied after a night out of heavy drinking. As a bonus, coffee, tea and green tea all contain healthful antioxidants which can help neutralize oxidative stress caused by alcohol.

But there is a catch. Coffee like alcohol, is also a diuretic. As explained earlier, diuretics increase the need to urinate which dehydrates you. So after taking your power cup of coffee, just take water periodically to keep yourself hydrated.

Conclusion.

Hangovers are one of the worst feelings in the world. Although there is no magic pill or one size fits all solution, you can try different combinations which work well for your body. If you found this article informative or useful, be sure to share it with a friend. Cheers!