Perhaps you should avoid those the next time you hit the town. In general, drinks with a higher alcohol content – think spirits such as vodka, gin, whiskey, and rum – are higher on the spectrum of alcohol content, making them more dehydrating per ounce than alcohols such as beer and wine.
That makes beer the clear contender as the least dehydrating, with a big caveat.
With vodka soda or vodka water, you're already rehydrating yourself somewhat, so you don't have to work as hard to get those 16-ounce glasses of water in between drinks. Plus, it's quite an easy cocktail to prepare.
Any alcoholic drink, whether beer, wine, vodka, whiskey, rum, gin, or tequila, will inhibit the body's production of vasopressin, which will cause you to pee more and increase your chances of becoming dehydrated. That said, the higher a drink's alcohol content, the more of a diuretic it's believed to be.
No alcoholic drinks are hydrating, but choosing an option with a low alcohol content is better for minimising the risk of dehydration. The lower the alcohol content in a drink, the less it acts as a diuretic, meaning you won't lose as much fluid.
Studies reveal that adult men and women should drink no more than four standard drinks on any one occasion. Above that is considered excess. If you drink six to 10 standard drinks, this could lead to 600–1,000 mL of lost fluids, causing dehydration.
As a result, alcohol increases urination and excess loss of fluids. The mild dehydration that results likely contributes to hangover symptoms such as thirst, fatigue, and a headache.
For example, the liver will be overworking to process alcohol, you'll be tired from little and/or poor quality sleep, you're likely to be urinating more as alcohol is a diuretic, leaving you dehydrated and headache-y – and any post-night out vomiting can irritate the stomach for several days.
Spritzes make extra refreshing options—they usually contain alcohol with a lower ABV percentage, fruit, and sparkling water. The Intravenous, a drink Nahm created and serves at Death & Co., is topped with tonic to dilute it and add an element of hydration.
No alcoholic beverage will help you be more hydrated. However, you can certainly choose a beverage that will minimize the dehydrating effects of the alcohol it contains. Two major factors affect how dehydrating an alcoholic beverage will be: what the alcohol is mixed with and alcohol by volume.
Alcohol is a diuretic, which removes water from the body. Drinks such as coffee and soda are mild diuretics, although they can have dehydrating effects on the body.
According to a study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, the body can rehydrate relatively quickly. Consuming just 20.3 ounces of water can restore your fluid levels to normal levels within 45 minutes. While hangover symptoms may remain, be sure to drink water to help speed your recovery.
Alcohol's inhibition of the central nervous system also contributes to the problem. Alcohol can cause vaginal dryness.
In general, however, it usually takes about two hours for your body to rehydrate fully after drinking a significant amount of water.
Red wine is widely recognized as one of the healthiest alcoholic drinks out there. Poon notes that it's "relatively low in calories and also offers some health benefits."9 She adds that red wine is rich in antioxidants such as resveratrol and proanthocyanidins and can promote cardiovascular health.
By themselves, "clear liquors like vodka and gin have the fewest calories and the least amount of sugar," says Amy Shapiro, R.D. That means they're easier for our bodies to metabolize and may result in less intense hangovers for some people.
Tequila may be a comparatively healthier option than some other types of alcohol because it contains fewer calories, zero sugar, and zero carbohydrates. However, drinking any alcohol can increase the risk of developing a number of health conditions.
While all beverages restored hydration status equally, the researchers found that milk may be more effective than water or sports drinks at maintaining normal hydration status after exercise, likely due to milk's electrolyte content and energy density.
Electrolyte-Infused Water
Water with electrolytes. When you're dehydrated, you're depleted of electrolytes that help your kidneys function—drinks like Smartwater and Trader Joe's Alkaline Water Plus Electrolytes can come to the rescue and ward off a headache or other mild dehydration-related issues.
Drinking beer or wine sometimes seems like a helpful way to ease anxiety. This is because alcohol is both a stimulant and a sedative, meaning it can make you feel more energetic and engaged, as well as calm and relaxed.
'Hangxiety' - or 'hangover anxiety' - is that horrible, anxious feeling of dread sometimes experienced the morning after a night of drinking. It directly impacts your mood alongside physical hangover symptoms and, for some people, can be so debilitating that it's enough reason to want to cut out booze entirely.