A nice quick convenient hangover cure, bananas are loaded with potassium and magnesium, two of things that the body loses when drinking alcohol. Potassium will help reduce the feelings of nausea and tiredness commonly experienced by those with a hangover, so get peeling.
Bananas. Packing in 4 grams of fiber per large fruit, bananas are an excellent, portable snack to have on hand before drinking to help slow alcohol absorption into your bloodstream ( 10 ). Plus, they're high in potassium, which may prevent electrolyte imbalances associated with drinking alcohol ( 10 ).
There's evidence that the natural sugars found in honey and natural fruits can actually help you move the alcohol out of your system faster. Try eating mangos, grapes, oranges, pears and plantains. Watermelon is also another great option since it has such a high water content and it can help you rehydrate.
Eat bland carbohydrates.
Hello, dry toast and oyster crackers. Plain carbs help absorb any alcohol left in the stomach, provide sugar, and combat nausea.
Eat, says David Seitz, MD, medical director for Ascendant Detox, a drug and alcohol treatment center in New York. “Eating food while drinking can help slow the absorption of alcohol into your bloodstream and reduce the severity of a hangover the next day,” Dr. Seitz tells SELF.
1. Bananas. Alcohol blocks the production of a hormone that helps your body hold on to water, leading to dehydration and the loss of electrolytes like potassium and sodium (3, 4 ). Bananas are especially rich in potassium and can help replenish your body's stores.
Consider reaching for Gatorade, Pedialyte, Powerade, or a similar nonfizzy sports drink. These drinks are packed with certain minerals called electrolytes — such as sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium — which help regulate fluid levels in the body.
Can I eat mcdonalds with a hangover? Promoted Stories. “For the alcohol-influenced mind, junk food provides the perfect solution: salty, stodgy food to make us feel full.” However, while you might crave a McDonald's when you're hungover, Dr Simic advises you against this.
Foods high in protein and healthy fats, like yogurt and salmon, can help slow alcohol absorption. Avocados and bananas also contain plenty of potassium, which you might lose after drinking.
' What you are feeling are the effects of dehydration and low blood sugar. To bring your blood sugar back up to normal, you really just need to eat anything with some carbs, but balance it out with protein or healthy fats to prevent further blood sugar drops,” she says.
"Drinking water may help against thirst and a dry mouth, but it will not take away the misery, the headache and the nausea."
Foods high in protein and healthy fats, like yogurt and salmon, can help slow alcohol absorption. Avocados and bananas also contain plenty of potassium, which you might lose after drinking.
Our bodies tend to lose potassium when we drink alcohol (especially when drinking excessive amounts),2 so eating potassium-rich foods prior to drinking can help boost the amount in your body. Spinach, avocado, potatoes, lentils, milk, and yogurt are also high in potassium and great to snack on before drinking.
After alcohol is swallowed, it is absorbed primarily from the small intestine into the veins that collect blood from the stomach and bowels and from the portal vein, which leads to the liver. From there it is carried to the liver, where it is exposed to enzymes and metabolized.
"When you're hungover, you need to hydrate your body. The way you feel – that headache – it's mostly caused by dehydration. Something like Coca-Cola has lots of sugar and fluids and will put those back into your body to get your energy levels up. The caffeine will also give you an energy boost."
Brushing your teeth with toothpaste can help reduce the smell of alcohol. At the same time, just like with mouthwash, it disturbs all the bad bacteria and flushes it out.
Submerging in cold water causes the body to release noradrenaline and beta endorphin, two “feel-good” hormones, says Young. This triggers your parasympathetic nervous system. It's the same effect that other relaxation techniques, like deep breathing practices, have on the body, she says.
Hangover symptoms peak when the blood alcohol concentration in the body returns to about zero. The symptoms can last 24 hours or longer.
It definitely wakes you up and gets your circulation going again. But not everybody relishes the idea. On the other hand, showers that are too hot are best avoided, as they tend to make you feel tired and weaken your body even more – and taking a hot bath with a hangover is a definite no go.