When you drink too much alcohol, then you can get a hangover which is the after-effect of this drinking. Hangovers can be both psychological and physiological. It is usually experienced the morning after a night of heavy drinking. It is known that different people can experience different side effects of overindulging. The most common symptoms of hangovers are vomiting, erratic motor functions, stomach ache, fatigue, irritability, sensitivity to loud sounds, photophobia, nausea, lethargy, headache, bad breath, dizziness, body pain, anxiety, and accelerated heartbeat. But when you drink too much alcohol, not just you have a risk of getting hangovers, but also it can cause dehydration. Also, when it is consumed in excess, the toxic effects of the alcohol can harm your sensory perception, central nervous system, gastrointestinal system, brain, and liver. Time is the real cure for hangovers. But there are some simple things that you can make to get relief from the symptoms and to get a quick recovery. The best way to prevent hangovers is to not drink a lot of alcohol because there is not some limit that will tell you how much you can drink. [1]
14 Hangover remedies
Contents
Banana
When you are drinking a lot, then lots of potassium gets drained from your body [2]. One of the best ways to help replenish potassium as well as lost electrolytes is to eat bananas. Bananas are rich in potassium. Bananas can boost your energy levels, and it can help to calm the stomach. You should eat one or two bananas with your breakfast after a night of heavy drinking because it will help to alleviate the symptoms of a hangover. Also, you can opt to prepare a banana milkshake sweetened with honey.
Thyme
You should add some crushed thyme leaves into boiling water to make tea which can help you to recover from nausea. This home remedy can soothe your stomach and muscles. It can help you to get relief from the pain during the hangover. Also, it will help you to rid of the hangover and stomach ache.
Tomato juice
You can drink tomato juice because it can help to control the symptoms of a hangover. Tomato has fructose which is a type of sugar that will help your body to metabolize alcohol more quickly. Also, it is rich in enzymes, minerals, and vitamins which can help you quickly overcome the after-effects of drinking. You should pour a glass of fresh tomato juice or soup. You should mix in one tablespoon each of fresh lemon juice and honey, along with a little cayenne pepper. You should drink this juice once in the morning and then again in the afternoon. [3]
Toast and eggs
You should eat some slices of plain toast with an egg because it can help to get over hangover symptoms. Toast has carbohydrates which are a very good source of recovery nutrients. In the charred parts of the toast there is a carbon which is acting like a filter that can help you to remove the impurities from your body. The egg has cysteine which can break down the alcohol in the body, and it can reduce the toxicity [4]. The morning after a night of heavy drinking, you should eat a breakfast of 2 or 3 pieces of toast and eggs. You should drink one to two glasses of water before you eat your breakfast.
Honey
This is one of the best home remedies for hangovers. It is rich in potassium which means that it can help to counteract the effects of drinking too much alcohol. It has fructose which is a type of sugar that metabolize the extra alcohol in the body which in turn can help to reduce the symptoms of hangovers [5]. You should take 3 to 4 teaspoons of honey at one hour intervals until you have noticed that hangover symptoms are gone. Also, you can add 1 – 2 tablespoons of honey to one cup of water, and you should drink it slowly several times per day. Also, you can spread honey over a piece of dry toast or a cracker, and you should eat it many times during a hangover.
Black tea
This is a very effective home remedy for hangovers. You should add some honey or lemon drops to the black tea because it can help you to increase its effectiveness. It has tannic acid which can help to remove the alcoholic toxins that are accumulated in the body and that are causing hangovers.
Lemon
This home remedy can help you to rid of the alter–effects of excessive drinking like muscle pain, sensitivity to light and sound, dizziness, and queasiness. This home remedy can help to rebalance the body by controlling your blood sugar levels and altering the pH levels. You should add 2 teaspoons of fresh lemon juice and one teaspoon of honey to one glass of warm water. You should stir it well and then drink it slowly. You should do this natural treatment as soon as you wake up, as well as 2 or 3 times more throughout the day.
Sleep
It is known that proper sleep can take away a lot of the hangover. After excessive drinking, our body is not getting a chance to sleep properly, which is very important for our bodies to recover [1,6]. You should try to get as much sleep as possible the next day. If you are having difficulty sleeping, then you should darken the room as much as possible and put some soothing music. After you had a good sleep, the symptoms of foggy body and brain will be no more.
Ginger
This is also a very effective home remedy for curing the symptoms of hangovers such as vomiting and nausea [7]. Also, this natural cure can help in the digestion of alcohol, and it will soothe your stomach and also will give you fast relief. You should chew small pieces of ginger throughout the day because it can help you to get relief from the hangover. Also, you can drink ginger tea. There is another option, and that is to add ten to twelve slices of fresh ginger root to about 4 cups of water, and you should boil it for ten minutes. You should strain it and then add the juice of one orange, ½ cup of honey, and half a lemon. You should drink this natural cure while it is still warm, many times throughout the day.
Semi–liquid foods
You should start your day by taking foods like porridge or soup. You should avoid any heavy meal which is hard on your digestive system. This will ensure you that you will get enough energy for the day without putting too much workload on your sick stomach during a hangover.
Oil pulling
Oil pulling can help you if you have extremely bad hangover. It is a natural detoxifying technique which can help to remove harmful toxins from the body. You should swish one tablespoon of coconut oil around the mouth and through your teeth [8]. You should do this natural treatment for fifteen to twenty minutes. You should spit the oil out and then rinse your mouth using warm water. You should do the first oil pulling on an empty stomach in the morning or an empty stomach before you even brush your teeth. You should not swallow or gargle this coconut oil.
Ice compression
This is a very good natural cure for headaches. You should crush some ice, place it in a towel and then press it again your head when you are experiencing pain.
Water
It is a known fact that you should drink water to get rid of the hangover symptoms. The alcohol depletes from the body, and then we need to rehydrate our body by drinking water at regular intervals. Also, the water can dilute the impurities which are left in your stomach. You should aim to drink 8 to 10 glasses of water throughout the day. Along with the water, also you should drink a few glasses of electrolyte–replenishing sports drinks. You should not drink caffeinated beverages because they contribute to dehydration. [9]
Peppermint
This is a very effective home remedy for treating the symptoms of a hangover. It can aid in digestion, and it can help you to get relief from nausea, bloating, and tension which are some of the most common symptoms of an acute hangover. Also, it is a known fact that peppermint seeds can speed up the detoxification process [10]. You should simply chew some fresh peppermint leaves throughout the day. This will relax your intestines, and it can help you to get a quick recovery. You can make a cup of peppermint tea by pouring one cup of boiling water over one teaspoon of dried peppermint. You should cover it and let it steep for fifteen minutes. Then, strain it and drink 1 – 2 cups of this herbal tea after you wake up. Also, there is another option, and that is to add a few drops of peppermint oil to a bathtub filled with warm water. You should soak in this home remedy for thirty minutes. This is a warm and soothing bath that will make you feel better immediately. You can use a cold compress to soothe the headache that is caused by a hangover.
References:
[1] Swift R, Davidson D. Alcohol hangover: Mechanisms and mediators. Alcohol Health & Research World. 1998;22(1):54-60.
[2] Roberts KE. Mechanism of dehydration following alcohol ingestion. Archives of Internal Medicine. 1963;112:154-7.
[3] Lee MH, Yoon S, Moon JO. The flavonoid naringenin inhibits dimethylnitrosamine-induced liver damage in rats. Biological and Pharmaceutical Bulletin. 2004;27(1):72-6.
[4] Loguercio C, Piscopo P, Guerriero C, et al. Effect of alcohol abuse and glutathione administration on the circulating levels of glutathione and on antipyrine metabolism in patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis. Scandinavian Journal of Clinical and Laboratory Investigation. 1996;56(5):441-7.
[5] Onyesom I. Honey-induced stimulation of blood ethanol elimination and its influence on serum triacylglycerol and blood pressure in man. Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism. 2005;49(5):319-24.
[6] Park S-Y, Oh M-K, Lee B-S, et al. The effects of alcohol on quality of sleep. Korean Journal of Family Medicine. 2015;36(6):294-299.
[7] Takahashi M, Li W, Koike K, Sadamoto K. Clinical effectiveness of KSS formula, a traditional folk remedy for alcohol hangover symptoms. Journal of Natural Medicines. 2010;64(4):487-91.
[8] Shanbhag VKL. Oil pulling for maintaining oral hygiene – A review. Journal of Traditional and Complementary Medicine. 2017;7(1):106-109.
[9] Eisenhofer G, Johnson RH. Effect of ethanol ingestion on plasma vasopressin and water balance in humans. American Journal of Physiology. 1982;242(5):R522-7.
[10] Loolaei M, Moasefi N, Rasouli H, Adibi H. Peppermint and its functionality: A review. Archives of Clinical Microbiology. 2017;8(4):54.
