The dreaded hangover headache – is there a cure?

WE all have that one drink we stay clear of, because we over indulged ONCE, but the dreaded hangover headache just wasn’t worth it.

For me it’s brandy, one whiff of the stuff send my stomach into backflips as it triggers memories of a New Years Day from hell, spent throwing up in a mop bucket… classy I know!

Before the festive season is upon us again, let’s prepare ourselves with a hangover education.

“There are a lot of myths about hangover cures,” says Ruth C. Engs, R.N., a professor at Indiana University who has done extensive research on the effects of drinking.

“Essentially there is no hangover ‘cure’ other than consuming water and liquids like juice in the morning.”

The reason? Hangover symptoms are a product of dehydration, hypoglycemia, and the poisonous side effects of toxins in our drinks.

Water will not only help hydrate your muscles and organs but will also aid in flushing out the toxins. Juices such as orange juice accomplish both while replenishing your body with missing sugars.

If you feel like heading to the local cafe for a greasy fry up as an answer to your hangover, it’s sadly not going to do much good. What can help is eating the right foods the night before.

“Eating a high-protein meal before drinking can help slow the absorption of ethanol into the circulatory system,” Engs says. So while you think chips and salsa might sound like the perfect appetizer to accompany those pitchers of sangria you just ordered, you’re better off choosing nuts, cheese, or lean meats instead.

No, Bloody Marys do not exist solely to cater to the morning-after crowd. If you think drinking more alcohol is the best hangover cure, think again. “The body is going through withdrawal symptoms from overindulging, and drinking more just prevents more withdrawal symptoms,” Engs says. That bottomless prosecco brunch isn’t a fix; instead, you’re giving your body more toxins to deal with, delaying a future (and probably worse) hangover.

The dreaded hangover headache: Experienced by many, a friend of none. Why does it feel like there is a tiny elf inside your head pounding at your skull with a hammer?

This is because your brain is dehydrated. While water does the trick to hydrate, sports drinks like Lucozade and Powerade contain electrolytes (sodium, potassium, and chloride) that help replenish and restore your system levels and the sugar in the drinks gives you carbohydrates for energy. If you’d prefer to go the natural route, try sipping on coconut water, which is stacked with electrolytes.

Bonus: It’s low-calorie, nonfat, has less sugar than sports drinks and juices, and has been shown in some studies to be less irritating to your stomach.

So, be sure to fill your tummy with lots of good stuff the day before you start drinking, and then wake yourself up to a fridge full of coconut water ready to rehydrate that brain which made bad choices last night!

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Written by

Charlie Loran

Manchester born mummy with a two year old diva (2020), living on the Costa del Sol for just short of a decade.
Former chef and restaurateur, holistic health fanatic and lover of long words.

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