Are you looking to relieve yourself from a hectic evening? While there’s no surefire way to make a hangover go away, there are some home hacks that can make you feel much better after a hangover.
A hangover is no picnic, but luckily there are several do-it-yourself ways to really ease the discomfort. If you’ve ever had too much to drink, you know the nasty consequences of a hangover: nausea, fatigue, headaches, dry mouth, gastric upset and fuzzy memory, to name a few.
Hangovers cause three major complications: Inflammation, because it binds to different chemical enzymes in the body and changes how they work. Dehydration, because it makes you urinate a lot and sleep deprivation, because it disrupts your sleep architecture and you don’t really get a good night’s rest. So far, science has yet to find a magic potion that can cure the misfortune of having drunk one cocktail too many. But experts have highlighted several handy hangover hacks that can ease the symptoms.
1 Drink plenty of water to replenish lost fluids
Although it won’t completely prevent the after-effects of a night of binge drinking, hydrating with water or other fluids, even if you can only drink a few sips at a time, will help. . Alcohol concentrates blood, which is 70% water, and can therefore affect fluid balance. In other words, it acts as a powerful diuretic that flushes your body of fluids. Drinking water helps restore needed fluids and can help the blood and circulatory system transport nutrients and oxygen to tissues and eliminate waste products from a night of excessive drinking.
What not to drink? More alcohol. Scientists have definitely debunked one of the most popular hangover cures. The practice of drinking a healthy dose of alcohol the next morning makes you feel better temporarily because you experience euphoria. You’ll essentially forget you’re hungover, but that’s going to lead to a cumulative effect, so you’ll actually feel worse in the long run.
2 Drink sports drinks to rehydrate even faster.
Want to take advantage of simple water to treat your hangover? Opt for a sports drink. These drinks contain certain minerals called electrolytes, such as sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium, which help regulate fluid levels in the body. Sports drinks raise blood sugar and sodium levels, which helps muscle cells absorb and use water, which speeds up rehydration. No sports drink in sight? Try drinking plain water and eating foods that are naturally high in electrolytes, such as a medium banana (422 mg potassium), cooked spinach (157 mg magnesium per cup), and almonds (385 mg calcium per cup ).
3 Boost your blood sugar with carbs
Alcohol can interfere with your blood sugar levels, which may explain why fatigue, irritability and weakness are often consequences of intoxication. It could also explain why a breakfast of toast and honey has long been touted as a hangover cure. Excessive alcohol consumption can have a negative effect on glucose metabolism, so a snack like this, high in carbohydrates and sugars (the fructose in honey), can help raise blood sugar levels and provide immediate energy.
4 Protect your liver by preparing with asparagus
If you know ahead of time you’re going to be partying, you can stock your fridge with asparagus so you can enjoy a big bowl of this bright green vegetable the next day. One of the most frequently cited articles on hangovers, Korean research published in the Journal of Food Science found that asparagus leaf and shoot extracts contain an abundance of amino acids and minerals that help alleviate hangover symptoms and have protective effects on the liver, which may help your body recover faster.
5 Calm your immune system with an anti-inflammatory
Preliminary research suggests that a hangover can trigger elevated levels of cytokines, immune system molecules that can cause inflammation and a host of other symptoms often seen after a night of heavy drinking, including blackouts. If so, taking an over-the-counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) should relieve the hangover.
6 Push yourself to sweat to make the symptoms of a hangover go away.
Of all the possible and popular hangover hacks, experts say exercise works the best because it increases the flow of oxygen to the brain and spikes hormones that boost your appetite. mood and energy. The only obstacle is to convince you to do it. Exercise also increases the elimination of toxins from the body and decreases inflammation.
If you manage to find the strength to exercise, take these points into consideration. Exercising during a hangover should be limited to low to moderate intensity exercise, as a hangover will negatively impact cognitive abilities, motor control, and coordination. A review of existing studies on the effects of a hangover on the brain, published online in August 2018 in the journal Addiction, confirmed this caveat: during a hangover, attention, decision-making and a person’s muscle coordination can all be impaired. Also, more than usual, it is essential to drink water before, during and after exercise, because the body is already dehydrated from excessive alcohol consumption.
Needless to say, or maybe if, the best way not to get a hangover is to drink in moderation or abstain.
