Hangover Cure Drink: What to Drink when Hungover? Vitamin Supplement

what to Drink When You’re Hungover

Hangovers can wreck your day, making it impossible to function. Whether you have the early hangover symptoms, such as fatigue and headaches, or severe hangover symptoms, such as confusion and vomiting, they can be difficult to manage. There are lots of recommendations on what you should or shouldn’t do during hangovers. Some of the recommendations are sound, while others aren’t right. Some people recommend drinking more alcohol to cure the hangover, which might give the impression of temporary relief, but it really just extends the hangover. Some also recommend eating lots of lardy foods, but that doesn’t help much either. The following are some actual recommendations on what to drink when hungover.

Water

Alcohol is a diuretic that makes you urinate, sweat, and vomit, thereby depleting your body’s water levels. The lack of water leads to dehydration, which, in turn, leads to dizziness, fatigue, and disorientation. That’s why you should drink glasses of water while boozing. If you’re feeling hungover, you can drink more water to restore your body’s water levels. However, this will only work if you have sufficient electrolytes in your body. Electrolytes are the minerals necessary for your body’s optimal functionality. They help your body absorb fluids — if you have an electrolyte imbalance, your body won’t retain the water and simply expel it through sweat, vomit, or urine.

Electrolyte Drinks

If you’re experiencing the symptoms of dehydration, excessive vomiting, or diarrhea, water may not be sufficient as a hangover cure. As mentioned previously, an electrolyte imbalance in your body prevents you from absorbing fluids. That’s why you need electrolyte supplements to restore your electrolyte balance. Electrolytes include sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium, magnesium, phosphate, and bicarbonate. They help with osmosis, i.e., they increase fluid absorption in your intestines. As such, you need electrolyte supplements that contain these essential contents, allowing you to rehydrate correctly. You should, however, note that electrolyte drinks aren’t the same as sports drinks — the latter contains some electrolytes, but their primary components are artificial flavors and sweeteners, so they’re not nearly as effective as actual electrolyte powders.

Natural Electrolytes

Naturally, everyone doesn’t have access to electrolytes and electrolyte powder. If you don’t have electrolyte packets, you can try restoring your electrolyte balance through natural means, such as coconut water, avocados, watermelons, dairy, etc. Coconut water, for example, has more potassium per ounce than sports drinks, making it one of the most powerful electrolyte drinks. Consuming natural electrolytes might not be as effective as electrolyte drinks because different foods contain different minerals, while electrolyte drinks contain the optimal proportion of all the essential minerals. However, it’s the best alternative to electrolyte drinks.

What is a good way to get rid of hangover headaches?

Excessive alcohol consumption often leads to hangover headaches — in fact, headaches are the most common symptoms of a hangover. Alcohol contains ethanol — your stomach absorbs about 80% ethanol, while your intestines absorb about 20% ethanol. The ethanol travels into your bloodstream and your brain. This chemical leads to vasodilation, i.e., it makes your blood vessels expand, stimulating your brain nerves. Alcohol can also trigger the chemicals and hormones in your brain to trigger headaches. Furthermore, alcohol’s diuretic effects lead to dehydration, which also contributes to headaches. All of these factors come together to give you splitting headaches in the morning after drinking.