How many times have you woken up after a long night out with friends wondering what was going through your head just a few hours ago? You’re a miserable wreck, and a few too many have led you to have a massive hangover. Dreading the day ahead, it seems like you will be unable to do anything besides lie around waiting for this to pass.The somewhat painful experience has lead to a cult-like following of many different techniques to cure the common hangover. The truth is, however, that all techniques strive to achieve one thing: replenish what was lost the night before.
PRO TIP #1
Rehydration
This may seem obvious, but you would be surprised how many people choose not to replenish themselves. Simply having a glass of water with every standard drink will most likely prevent any sort of hangover or unwanted pains. Ever wake up wishing you had the world’s biggest glass of ice water sitting next to you? Yeah, you’re completely dehydrated at this moment. Try to remember (if possible) how many drinks you had that night. Have around 6-8 ounces for every standard drink you had. Waking up in the middle of the night a few times is sometimes worth it. Don’t drink too fast or else you may find yourself replenishing a few times that night. Your best bet is to purchase a sports drink such as Gatorade and sip slowly. This will not only replenish lost fluids, but also electrolytes and vitamin B6.
PRO TIP #2
A multivitamin
It doesn’t matter if it’s a Flintstones chewable or a LifeSource natural everything and its mother included, as long as there is a number greater than 100 percent for vitamin B6 and preferably B12, you’re good to go. A simple swallow of one of these before hitting the sack with some sort of liquid will greatly diminish the effects of the hangover.
PRO TIP #3
Food
Consumption of foods such as eggs, which contain cysteine, and water may be enough to replenish lost moisture and at least rehydrate the body, making a hangover shorter. A traditional hangover remedy in India is coconut water, the natural electrolytes of which will assist in rehydration of the body.
PRO TIP #4
Pickle juice and sauerkraut
Now, I’m not saying to bust each of these out at the next frat party as everyone’s leaving, but if you have it around, I can almost guarantee that you won’t regret it. Pickle juice is a great hangover remedy because it not only has water but also sodium, which helps the body to retain and absorb water, which in turn helps the hydration which is necessary for you to get over your hangover. It’s like a sports drink that most people don’t think about. In Poland, drinking pickle juice is a common remedy. Sauerkraut is just like pickle juice, containing moisture within. It is also good for stirring a few laughs. Not too many people forget someone bringing a can of sauerkraut to a party, trust me.
PRO TIP #5
The hair of the dog that bit you
Sometimes, the morning is just so bad that one might think to indulge in a little more. If you’re choosing to go that route, why not try a Bloody Mary. While your blood is dealing with the new alcohol, it is ignoring the old. In the meantime, tomato juice and celery are full of vitamins.
Ethanol, what you typically ingest during one of these nights, has a dehydrating effect by causing increased urine production, which causes headaches, dry mouth and lethargy in most. Thus, many essential vitamins and minerals are lost. Another contributing factor is the presence of products from the breakdown of ethanol by liver enzymes. Ethanol is converted to acetaldehyde by the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase, and then from acetaldehyde to acetic acid by the enzyme acetaldehyde dehydrogenase. Acetaldehyde is between 10 and 30 times more toxic than alcohol itself. Following these methods and understanding how they can help you next time you’re out may help you feel better than expected the next morning.
Now, this list isn’t your grand excuse to binge drink the night before a big business meeting or a college exam, and there is a view that the hangover provides a useful, natural and intrinsic disincentive to excessive drinking. The most successful method I have ever used is simply not to partake in the events that evening and go home thinking about the next day ahead.
