With St. Paddy’s day here, we at baopals have compiled the definitive list of hangover cures to make sure you live another day.
#10. Hair of the Dog
Effectiveness: 1/10
Drinking more alcohol the morning after a night of boozing will help lessen the symptoms of a hangover…at first. But by continuing your alcohol intake you are simply delaying the inevitable. You’re trading some short-term relief for even more pain down the road. Do yourself a favor and avoid this one; your future self will be thanking you.
#9. Coffee
Effectiveness: 3/10
Coffee can be a bit of a mixed bag. If drinking a couple cups of coffee every morning is part of your daily routine, then failure to drink coffee in the morning may leave you with caffeine withdrawal symptoms, which will further compound your pounding headache. However, be careful. Coffee dehydrates, so make sure you take lots of water between cups of coffee.
#8. Cold Shower
Effectiveness: 4/10
If you’re man (or woman!) enough, take an ice cold shower. The cold water will shock your systems, boosting circulation and making you alert. With a clearer mind, you’ll be able to analyze all those terrible decisions you made the night before, swear to yourself that you’ll give up drinking, and begin your journey towards a healthier you…until next Friday night.
#7. Sleep
Effectiveness: 5/10
Sleep is always good for you. The challenge is getting quality sleep after you’ve had a rager. Alcohol helps you fall asleep, but you’re unlikely to get a good night’s sleep. Drinking limits your REM sleep, which has been shown to be the most recuperative part of the sleep cycle. If you find yourself tossing and turning in the morning trying to get back to sleep, don’t. Get up and start your day.
#6. Exercise
Effectiveness: 6/10
Generally, the last thing you want to do with a severe hangover is to exercise. However, if you can muster the strength to do a light workout, your body will reward you with a natural, healthy release of endorphins. No need to overexert yourself. A light jog or even a roll in the hay will do the trick. Just remember to stay hydrated.
#5. Painkillers
Effectiveness: 2-7/10
It all boils down to what type of painkillers you take. Be careful with painkillers that contain acetaminophen, such as Tylenol. Acetaminophen is tough on your already overworked liver and breaks down your stomach lining. Instead, go for Aspirin. Aspirin is non-caffeinated and inhibits the release of something called prostaglandin, which is known to contribute to that nasty hangover feeling.
#4. Greasy Breakfast
Effectiveness: 6.5/10
Fatty foods help slow the absorption of alcohol, and carbs prevent low blood sugar and reduce nausea. So it’s good to eat a big greasy carb-loaded meal before drinking. Research doesn’t actually support greasy food itself as a remedy for a hangover, but certain foods are better than others. For breakfast, have some eggs, bananas and a glass of OJ. Eggs contain cysteine, an amino acid which is required in the breakdown of alcohol to acetate; bananas contain potassium, which is essential for brain, body & muscle function; and fruit juice contains vitamins and fructose, or fruit sugar, which gives you energy and increases the rate at which your body excretes toxins.
#3. Soup
Effectiveness: 7/10
A good bowl of soup is alcohol’s antithesis. Soup will provide your body withmuch needed sodium, water, and other nutrients that alcohol depletes. Go ahead and throw a lot of salt into your soup - you’ll need the sodium, and it’ll also help you double down on H2O.
#2. Sports Drinks
Effectiveness: 9/10
Dehydration caused by alcohol is what causes most of your hangover. Alcohol opens the floodgates in your kidneys, releasing water to the bladder, making you run to the bathroom, feel thirsty again, then drink more alcohol - thus continuing the cycle of mayhem. Sports drinks such as Gatorade are good because they replenish your body with electrolytes that it may have lost due to the diuretic effect of alcohol.
#1. Water (lots of it)
Effectiveness: 10/10
Hydration is king. When dehydrated, your organs begin to siphon off water from the brain, causing it to literally shrink. This is what gives you that pounding headache. Your best friend before, during, and after drinking is water.
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