Hangover

See also : Headache

• Drinking water – a good rule of thumb is to have one glass of water for every drink you consume. You can also make a point to order drinks that have ice (“on the rocks”) so that the ice melts and dilutes your drink, keeping you slightly more hydrated than if you hadn’t ordered ice with your drink.
• Avoiding carbonated beverages – researchers have discovered that when carbonated beverages, like soda, are used as mixers that the rate of alcohol absorption in the blood is increased. Consider mixing your drink with juice or water instead or at least spacing your carbonated mixed drinks out a bit more.
• Drinking clear liquor – congeners are the chemicals that give an alcohol its specific taste, smell, and color. Research has shown that darker liquors, like bourbon, tend to have many more congeners than lighter liquors, like vodka. Cheap liquors also tend to have more congeners than expensive liquors. These rules have exceptions, of course, but steering toward lighter-colored and more expensive booze is probably a good idea.
• Milk Thistle tincture is bitter and has been credited as a hangover cure. The idea is that milk thistle, especially when taken before drinking begins but also as late as the morning after drinking, helps the body’s organs to eliminate toxins following an episode of heavy drinking.
• One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.
• To avoid a morning hangover or headache : eat a few cucumber slices before going to bed. Cucumbers contain enough sugar, B vitamins and electrolytes to replenish many essential nutrients, reducing the intensity of both hangover and headache.
• Artichokes : Thanks to their positive effects on the liver, many people swear by artichokes as a hangover treatment. Instead of the hair of the dog, try the leaves of an artichoke.
• Lemons help ease a nasty hangover : This will help restore your normal pH levels, replenish your body’s water stores and replace the vitamin C which you so obviously need.
• Asparagus extract may help alleviate alcohol-induced hangovers and shield liver cells from the toxic effects of alcohol consumption, suggests a preliminary study published in the Journal of Food Science in 2009. For the study, researchers tested the effects of extracts of asparagus shoots and leaves on human liver cells. Their findings indicate that asparagus extract may help rev up activity in enzymes involved in breaking down alcohol.
• Dates are commonly used as a remedy for alcoholic intoxication. Dates provide quick relief and have a sobering effect in case you feel as though have consumed an uncomfortable amount of alcohol. They can also be used the following morning to prevent severe hangovers. Again, they should be rubbed and soaked overnight for the best results.

This information is not meant to be substituted for medical advice. Always consult a medical professional regarding any medical problems and before undertaking any treatment or dietary changes.