Even people who plan to stay home on New Year’s Eve can wake up the next day with a hangover. After all, just about everyone wants to celebrate the end of 2022.
College wisdom preaches reaching for cold pizza or a greasy bacon sandwich, but wait — certain foods are scientifically proven to help cure a hangover. Read on to learn which foods can alleviate post-party symptoms and which should be avoided like that plastic cup full of last night’s beer.
First thing’s first, let’s talk science. Typical hangover symptoms — nausea, sensitivity to light, headache, achy muscles, diarrhea and decreased motor skills — are all caused by changes in body chemistry, including hormones, chemical reactions within the body, and the toxic chemicals in alcohol. The science of hangovers (and how to prevent them) is largely unstudied, which is why people have been inventing their own “cures” for centuries.
Though no one meal or drink can cure a hangover, certain foods are better for refueling than others. After waking up with a pounding head, aim to restock the body with necessary fluids and nutrients like fructose, vitamins, animo acids, and minerals that can help break down toxins or lessen the body’s negative reaction to the chemicals in booze.
Beverages that help
Water: The elixir of life should be your No. 1 priority after waking up with a pounding head. Alcohol is a diuretic, which means it pushes liquids out of the body. When nothing’s left in the tank, the body will draw water from any available source, including the brain — hello, headache. Drinking some H20 before heading to bed can help prevent some painful hangover symptoms, but grabbing the water bottle in the morning doesn’t hurt either.
Sports drinks and coconut water: Sugary sports drinks can do a workout more harm than good, but such is not the case with a killer hangover. Reach for a Gatorade or similar beverage to restore liquids and electrolytes stat. Even better, pop open a juice box of coconut water, which has five of the electrolytes found in human blood, while most sports drinks only have two.
Ginger or peppermint tea: For a soothing brew, look no further than granny’s favorite herbal tea. Studies show that ginger tea can reduce nausea and motion sickness. Peppermint tea (a common morning sickness cure for pregnant ladies) can also ease stomach pain and decrease nausea.
Fruit juice: Pour a glass of apple or cranberry juice to kick start the recovery process. The fructose in sweet fruity drinks gives the body some instant energy, and may even help boost metabolism to get rid of those gnarly alcohol toxins. Juice also contains vitamins and plenty of water to get the body rehydrated.
Pickle juice: This hangover remedy is so weird that it must be true. The sour liquid contains vinegar, salt and water, which can help rehydrate and replenish electrolyte and sodium levels. To make the most of it, sip 2 ounces (measure it out in a standard shotglass) before hitting the bars and 2 oz more in the morning.
Foods that help
Banana, kiwi and spinach: These brightly colored fruits and veggies are loaded with potassium, an important electrolyte that is often depleted due to alcohol’s diuretic effect. Not feeling a salad first thing in the morning? Add some yogurt and blend these bad boys into a hangover-fighting smoothie.
Eggs: This breakfast staple is a brunch all-star for a reason. Eggs are chock full of hardworkingamino acids like cysteine and taurine. Taurine boosts liver function and can help prevent against liver disease. Cysteine breaks down acetaldehyde, the yucky headache-causing chemical that’s left over when the liver breaks down ethanol.
Chicken noodle soup: Nothing says “wild night out” like a bowl of mom’s chicken and rice soup, right? It might not be the most conventional hangover food, but a cup o noodles can restock sodium and water levels in the body. Chicken and some vegetables contain cysteine, which give the liver a much-needed boost.
Miso soup: Sushi is the last thing most people want to eat with a hangover, but there’s no reason to eschew all Japanese food. Like traditional chicken noodle, miso soup is a great morning remedy — the broth rehydrates and restocks sodium levels while the fermented miso can help aid digestion.
Crackers or toast with honey: Crackers can be loaded with preservatives, so pick a healthier option like Wasa or a 100% whole-wheat variety. Crackers and toast are both simple, bland carbs that raise blood sugar without upsetting the stomach. Add a drizzle of fructose-laden honey to help the body burn off alcohol quicker.
Oats: Take this superfood for a spin when you’re feeling less than stellar in the morning. A hot bowl of oatmeal has plenty of essential nutrients like B vitamins, calcium, magnesium, and iron. Oats can help neutralize acids in the body and raise blood sugar levels, giving you an instant energy boost.
Tomatoes: Leave the Bloody Mary, take the tomato juice. Tomatoes contain lycopene, an antioxidant that reduces inflammation in the body. Tomatoes also contain fructose and vitamin C to give the liver a boost.
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