Fortunately, there is no
secret family recipe that has been passed down from generation to generation to
cure hangovers – so put down your raw eggs and kale and save it for another Pinterest board or workout smoothie. Or
whatever. We have some other, more plausible solutions to this conundrum!
1.
Drink lots of
water, sports drink optional
Since alcohol is a
diuretic (something that makes you want to pee), going to the bathroom
constantly will force you to lose bodily fluids, making you dehydrated. And
since dehydration is one of the main symptoms of this notorious state,
hydrating yourself the morning after with some good ol’ H2O will help relieve
the pain. Drinking a sports drink can help (since you tend to lose electrolytes
and vitamins from peeing constantly), but is not necessary (even though the
body loses some electrolytes when
drinking, it does not affect your hangover entirely and does not have to be
treated right away).
2.
… And a
splash of juice
Hangovers can make you
feel tired and generally weak. This is caused by low sugar levels, which can be
attributed to the fact that while you were drunk, your body’s supply of
glycogen turned into glucose, which was released when you were peeing. Since
most fruits have fructose, you can take juice or fruit to help replace the
glucose lost, which will help your body process the alcohol in your blood.
3.
Or, you could
drink coffee and an anti-inflammatory for quick relief
Professor Michael
Oshinsky of Thomas Jefferson University had confirmed with his experiment that
the quickest ways to relieve a hangover are through coffee and an asprin. Exposing
his rats to ethanol (pure alcohol), he gave them headaches (which produces a
chemical acetate, thus the tornado of a brain in the morning – small doses can
affect humans). Then, he exposed his rats to caffeine and anti-inflammatories,
which relieved them from their headache and stopped producing the acetate. Grab
your cup of joe and go!
4.
Eat toast,
crackers and/or other simple carbohydrates
Aside from fructose,
simple carbohydrates/sugars (white bread, crackers, pasta, etc.) can help
energize you for today and help your liver to metabolize the alcohol.
5.
…. With a
side of bacon and eggs
Bacon and eggs contain
amino acids that may help relieve a hangover. Eggs in particular have the amino
acid cysteine, which helps break down acetaldehyde, which does part of the job
of the liver that tries to metabolize the alcohol. (Bonus for all the
vegetarian and pescatarian homies out there: oats and yoghurt also contain
cysteine!)
Do you down a wheatgrass
shot like a boss? Or do you prefer something hardcore like more alcohol with a
side of raw eggs? Comment below on your favorite hangover cures! Remember, sweet Things, prevention is the best cure. Drink responsibly!
Sources and more
information:
Masterson, Teresa.
“Philly Scientist Finds Cure for Hangover.” NBC
Local News.
NBC.
18 Jan 2011. Web. Sept 2014.
Rishner, Brittany. “11
Best Ways to Ease a Hangover.” MH Lists. Men’s
Health.
2012. Web. Sept 2014.
Perry, Lacy. “How
Hangovers Work.” Health. How Stuff
Works. 12 Oct 2004.
Web. Sept 2014.
Collins, Nick. “Hangover
Cures: What does the Science Say?” Health
News.
The Telegraph. 10 Oct 2013. Web. Sept 2014.
Article by Mikee
Art by Clar
----
Mikee - One-cup magical procrastination powers, quarter-cup of gibberish, and a generous amount of FEEELS that has been baking under the Philippine sun since 1995. Filmmaker, baker, lover of the light, and your go-to supplier for staple wires (next to National Bookstore).
Clar is a(n extremely) loud, nineteen year old Fine Arts student who swears a lot and takes pride in her horrible jokes and bad eyesight. No one believes her when she claims she’s shy, but she can’t really blame them – especially when she gets her foot stuck in her mouth so often. She enjoys reading angsty DHr fanfiction and talking passionately about the ASolaF universe once provoked. You can follow her on Twitter/IG: @clargorreon (WARNING: tweets in ALL CAPS 90% of the time)
Sprite and potatoes are my go-to hangover cures!
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