4 Ways To Cure Hangovers

The age-old advice for curing a hangover has been to have a carb-filled breakfast, but there was little evidence backing up the claim. Now researchers from Keele University have found that a carbohydrate-rich breakfast can truly help with a hangover. At the international Alcohol Hangover Research Group, researcher Richard Stephens, a professor of psychology, revealed that the glucose is responsible for helping a hangover and remedy that can help lowered sugar levels will be a plus point.


1. Anti-Inflammatory Drugs










Dr. Stephens told The Atlantic that there is research suggesting that anti-inflammatory drugs (such as Ibuprofen) may help. “A few things were tried and found to heal hangover symptoms—one of them was anti-inflammatory drugs that you might take when you have a headache, and that ties in with the idea of hangover being an inflammatory response due to immunosuppression,” says Dr. Stephens. “But then again, given that headache is one of the top symptoms of hangover it’s not very surprising that headache pills will reduce hangover symptoms.”
2. Sprite
Researcher Hua-Bin Li and his colleagues at Sun Yat-Sen University in Guangzhou looked at 57 beverages and found that Sprite helped with hangover symptoms best. How does it work? Essentially, alcohol is metabolized by an enzyme called ADH into acetaldehyde, which is responsible for alcohol’s adverse effects. Acetaldehyde is metabolized by a separate enzyme, colloquially called ALDH, into acetate, which has far less adverse effects and is responsible for some of the positive effects of drinking alcohol. The Chinese researchers found that consuming Sprite increases ALDH activity to make the breakdown of acetaldehyde faster.
3. Liquids
One of the reasons why hangovers are so terrible is dehydration caused by the alcohol — it draws water from your cells. Keeping hydrated by drinking juice, water, or sports drinks is one way to reduce the symptoms of your hangover and to eliminate those caused by dehydration. To avoid the sugar and artificial food dyes in sports drinks, opt for coconut water which contains just as many electrolytes
4. Tomato Juice
Not to be mistaken with a Bloody Mary, tomato juice is a terrific remedy. Remember how Dr. Stephens said it’s all about glucose levels? Well, tomato juice has enough simple sugars to keep your blood sugar levels normal while your liver is metabolizing the alcohol. This will prevent all the symptoms associated with low glucose (read: fatigue, weakness, moodiness.)

While all these remedies — from a carb-tastic breakfast to coconut water — are great ways to help with a hangover, it should be noted that there is no full-proof cure. The only sure way to battle a hangover is to prevent a hangover. If you plan to drink heavily, then know your limit and be sure to alternate each alcoholic beverage with a glass of water.

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