Hangover cures are like different flavors of Sour Patch Kids, we’ve all tried them, but we don’t really know which one’s best. And, while that’s a strange comparison, we know that you know what we’re talking about, as we’ve all tried numerous things to recover from a (maybe regrettable) night out.
When your head’s throbbing and your body’s achy, we all have a variety of hangover cures that we trust. From downing as much water as possible, to taking ibuprofen before falling asleep, to eating a loaded breakfast the morning after drinking to, finally, some people going to the gym to sweat their booze out, we’re all on the lookout for the most trusted hangover cure.
But which ones are true and which ones are just BS? That’s something that we’re giving you the answer to today, so you can determine if it’s really worth taking shots of pickle juice or invest in one of those hangover IVs that some people swear work wonders. So here’s some more info about hangover cures that we think you should know about — ’cause we want you back to yourself and feeling normal again faster next weekend.
Hangover Cure: Hair of the dog
We all know about this hangover cure — because it involves drinking even more alcohol to help cure us. While it may seem like the most fun way to, allegedly, kill your hangover, it’s not actually all that great for you.
While your buddies might suggest drinking a beer in the morning before heading to brunch, or ordering some killer Bloody Mary that’ll fill you up and give you a nice boozy relief, hair of the dog is actually a ineffective hangover cure. Sure, it’ll temporarily help relieve things — since booze dulls your senses — but you’ll actually be doing more harm to yourself long-term because your body won’t break down the alcohol as fast.
Not only is your body trying to process and breakdown all those toxins from last night, but now you’re only piling it on by drinking even more. Does that sound smart? No. Does it sound fun? Yes. Is it one of those hangover cures you should try for yourself? Well, we wouldn’t recommend it — unless you enjoy feeling out of it for days rather than fully functioning.
Verdict: Myth
Hangover Cure: Eating a heavy meal
We all know that eating something prior to drinking is an important part of the process, as filling up with food can help eliminate getting too drunk and/or too hungover the next day. But it might not be for the reason you actually think.
Many theories about eating food while drinking are centered on the grub “soaking up the alcohol,” which isn’t entirely true. The real reason why food helps control your hangover while drinking is because the valve in your stomach closes, meaning the digestion process takes longer for the booze to get into your system. But this is only while you’re drinking — so make sure to eat a bunch of drunk food the night you’re hammered to have this help.
Of course, that doesn’t mean you should just skip breakfast the next morning, though. While you may feel like death and you’re stuffed with booze and whatever your late-night meal was, your body needs fuel, and food’s going to provide that for you.
So what’s the best option for a post-booze breakfast that can help with that hangover? Look for things loaded with complex carbs and protein — like a breakfast sandwich or an omelette with cheese, bacon or a more healthy option of salmon, which will all help your body recover faster
Verdict: Fact
Hangover Cure: Drinking Pedialyte
It’s one of those strange hangover cures, but many of us have found ourselves heading to the newborn aisle at the grocery store to scoop up some Pedialyte to help us recover. While it might be embarrassing to drunkenly stumble through the market to find this stuff, once you do, your body will thank you.
The belief is that, because of all the potassium, electrolytes, zinc and magnesium in Pedialyte, you’ll be able to combat all those toxins just sitting in your stomach from the night before. Whether you ended up throwing up or not, if you want to help rehydrate and get back to yourself, Pedialyte is actually a great option.
While you didn’t just workout, you did just spend a night torching your body and sending it into some serious dehydration. And, much like you’d drink something with potassium and/or electrolytes after sweating at the gym, so, too, should you do the same after a busy night drinking alcohol — which is why Pedialyte will become your best friend, even if it is a little awkward at the checkout line when you wreak of booze.
Verdict: Fact
Hangover Cure: Recovery IVs
For whatever reason, recovery IVs have become all the rage when it comes to hangover cures. Of course, that means that you a) can afford them and b) have enough energy to poke yourself with a needle to get the necessary stuff into your body.
Offering a hangover cure like none other, services range from treatments of headaches, nausea and dehydration through an IV, which typically include electrolytes and a Vitamin B complex for boosted energy. But is it too good to be true?
Some experts are quick to shutdown the thought that a hangover IV will be effective, but the success stories of people who have used this before are too good to ignore. In fact, one study of 34 people who took an IV as a hangover cure reported feeling better after the treatment, as the saline and cocktail of magnesium, calcium, B vitamins and Vitamin C proved effective.
That’s great news, however, if you’re looking to get back to full health faster, it’s going to cost you. Many of these hangover IV clinics are pretty pricey, with many charging about $150 for just 30 minutes of your time. After a night out that left you feeling this bad in the first place, you probably had quite the tab. But, hey, if you’re willing to dig deep into your pockets to feel better, this hangover IV is the way to go.
Verdict: Fact
Hangover Cure: Downing coffee
Some hangover cures have lots of support, and downing cups and cups of coffee happens to be one of those. But does it really help get your body and mind back to normal? Well, that’s debatable.
While the theory behind this hangover cure makes sense — many think coffee speeds up your metabolism in order to process all the booze from last night — all that caffeine isn’t doing you any good, as drinking cup after cup would lead to things like heart palpitations, among other things, which could make for a feeling that’s even worse than a hangover itself. That doesn’t sound like any fun.
Plus, coffee is both a natural diuretic and will dehydrate you, which is the last thing you want to do when you’re trying to find a hangover cure. Rather than choose coffee, your best best is either lots of glasses of water and/or anything that has vitamins and salt that can help speed up your recovery; like V8 juice.
Verdict: Myth