Do you often go to lavish parties and drink like there’s no tomorrow? If you do, you must also have woken up the next day with a heavy head, upset stomach, and a feeling of doom. These are the typical after-effects of drinking too much alcohol. You are not the only one, so don’t worry. We all have gone through the same situation.
Now, it’s time to negate the effects of a hangover. People try different methods to negate the effect of a hangover. They consume lemon, exercise, etc. But, are they the best ways to reduce a hangover? If not, then what is the best cure for a hangover? Cheer up. We have listed the most practical ways to cure a hangover.
So, let’s start.
Page Contents
12 best ways to cure a hangover
Drink water
One of the best ways to cure a hangover is to drink plenty of water. Drinking too much alcohol makes your body dehydrated. Alcohol directly affects vasopressin, a hormone in your body. The water that should be absorbed in your body goes to your bladder instead, making you urinate too much. So, your body is dehydrated quickly.
As a result, your metabolic process slows down, your mouth becomes dry, and your head starts burning. So, the best option is to intake a lot of water and hydrate yourself first in the morning to cure the hangover.
Sports drinks
The deficiency of electrolytes is one of the major causes of a hangover. The deficiency disables your body to maintain hydration levels and pH levels. To prevent a hangover, it is best to increase the levels of electrolytes in your body. For this, you can take sports drinks like Gatorade, Red Bull, Pedialyte, etc. Such sports drinks help to combat dehydration and are safe to drink.
According to doctors, “Juice, water, sports drinks like Gatorade make you feel better.” Moreover, drinks like Sprite also helps you to get rid of hangover quickly. The lemon and lime pop in Sprite helps you to recover faster. So, consider sports drinks whenever you are having trouble with a hangover.
Coffee
Many people take coffee or tea in the morning to wake up. And, drinking coffee or tea does help to reduce your fatigue. However, consuming too much coffee will worsen your condition. It will only make dehydration terrible. So, we recommend you take a small amount of coffee or tea.
It is better to avoid taking too much caffeine to reduce your hangover.
Eat nourishing breakfast
Low level of nutrients, minerals, and sugar in the body causes hangover symptoms. Consuming too much alcohol affects the hormones in the body. Consequently, your body will fail to function correctly in the morning causing lack of water and energy in the body. This causes headaches, nausea, and other weaknesses.
Consuming foods containing necessary vitamins, proteins, and most importantly, carbohydrates helps to alleviate your hangover. Moreover, drink nutritious juice like tomato juice to cure the hangover. Otherwise, no matter what you do, nothing will cure your hangover. You need the energy to fight, and for that, you need to take a healthy diet.
So, eat a nourishing breakfast to reduce the alcohol levels from your body.
Antioxidants
Various factors cause a hangover. And one of them is free radicals. Drinking too much alcohol leads to oxidative stress, causing your body to produce free radicals. They are known for damaging cells in the body. Without any defensive mechanisms, free radicals affect your body.
However, antioxidants help to protect your cells against free radicals. Still, our body’s antioxidants levels are limited, and once they are used up, the free radicals will show their effects again. Therefore, it is necessary to consume high antioxidants to fight free radicals and cure hangovers.
Foods that contain high antioxidants are:
- Broccoli
- Potatoes
- Spinach
- Carrots
- Berries
- Nuts
- Chocolate, etc.
Take ginger
According to a study, vitamins, proteins, and zinc are crucial to combat the hangover. These nutrients help to reduce the severity of hangovers. So, taking foods that are high in such nutrients is recommended.
One of the foods that are high in zinc and vitamins is ginger. It is readily available and is used regularly. It stimulates metabolism and blood flow in your body, reducing nausea. So, consume it either directly or make a ginger tea to cure the hangover.
Hair of the dog
Many people believe that consuming alcohol in the morning reduces the effects of alcohol and cures a hangover. However, no evidence till now supports this conviction. It is just a myth among people.
Drinking alcohol to cure your hangover will only make it worse. Moreover, your body won’t be able to handle another round of booze. At this point, your body hasn’t even recovered, and by drinking alcohol first in the morning, you are not giving your body a chance to recuperate correctly. So, it is better to leave it and look for the other effective methods mentioned in this list.
Alka-Seltzer
Alka-Seltzer contains sodium bicarbonate that helps to ease nausea and stomachache. Moreover, it has been used to cure hangovers for a very long time. So, consume Alka-Seltzer to combat your hangover symptoms. Still, please consult a doctor before taking it. Take the right amount of it as prescribed by your doctor.
Avoid greasy food
Hydrating yourself and eating light food containing necessary nutrients is your best option to cure the hangover. So, always avoid greasy food that is too heavy and oily. Such foods will only upset your stomach further and worsen your hangover.
Eating greasy food after drinking alcohol or in the morning will affect your stomach and intestines, which will start taking its toll in the morning. Such foods will disrupt your digestive system. So, don’t get tempted by fast foods like french fries, burgers, etc. Eat a healthy diet to cure hangover for good.
Supplements
You can also take supplements to get plenty of nutrients to fight your hangover. Such supplements will help to reduce alcohol levels in your body and replenish energy in the body. They help to reduce the intensity of the hangover.
Consider taking supplements if making something nutritious in the morning is impossible. Some supplements that help to cure hangover are:
- Red ginsengs
- Milk thistle
- Dihydromyricetin
- Prickly pear
- Eleuthero, and so on.
Take a shower
Taking a shower will energize you and make you fresh. Moreover, it stimulates your blood circulation in the body, speeding up your metabolism. It helps to relax your body and muscles. As a result, your body will be able to replenish energy faster, and your recovery rate will increase.
Moreover, taking a hot bath helps to get rid of toxins from your body. It will help you alleviate the stress and strain from the body. So, take a cold shower or hot shower or switch between them to flush out the hangover.
Rest and sleep
Get enough rest and sleep to recover faster. The more you rest, the more your body replenishes its energy to function well.
Sometimes, not getting adequate sleep strains your body and contributes to severe headaches. Moreover, your body recovers itself during the night, but alcohol disrupts your sleep. The energy needed for your body to function well is used up to digest alcohol and combat free radicals. So, you suffer from hangover symptoms in the morning.
Plus, poor sleep makes your hangover worse. So, your body needs time to recover. Cancel every plan you have for the day and give your body a chance to completely recover and cure the hangover.
In Conclusion
Better than finding a cure, it is best to avoid drinking too much in the first place.
Instead of drinking too much, try to control the amount of alcohol you consume. Parties aren’t a bad thing, having fun is good. However, people don’t limit the consumption of alcohol. In the name of fun, they challenge each other, play games like quarters drinking game, pyramid drinking game, drink whole night, etc., making them even more alcoholic.
Limiting the consumption of alcohol is the optimal choice if you want to drink and have fun. This way, you won’t ever have to know the ways to cure your hangover. Moreover, you don’t want to trouble yourself with a beer belly by drinking too much. So, drink responsibly and enjoy.
Hope this article helped you to alleviate your hangover.
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