Halie JohnsonWhen it comes to curing a hangover, the answer is here: prevention. What does that mean? Well, don’t drink. Okay, we all know that isn’t going to happen. So what do you do? You already have plans, and it has been a long week of studying. It’s time to relax and have a little fun.
Wikipedia lists over thirty probable and supposed cures, often folk remedies that are recommended by everyday people – you know, the ones that drink and regret it in the morning. Many of these remedies are universally recognized as a good idea while some of them, including drinking homemade sauerkraut juice or raw egg in tomato juice, seem a little unusual or even disgusting.
Some prevention and hangover cures include:
Drink plenty of water.
Alcohol is a diuretic, so rehydration is important, according to one study in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Drinking water or juice in between drinks will help re-hydrate the body, and some suggest drinking a sports drink with plenty of electrolytes to help re-hydrate as quickly as possible. Carbonated beverages are not recommended while drinking, although cola is a popular hangover remedy because it is easier to abide and absorb on a nauseous stomach.
The resounding advice from Mills women is to drink water. “My credo is that for every glass of wine you consume, drink at least 2 glasses of water,” said junior Marty Windahl, 23. “I drink rarely and I try not to go over my buzz. Sometimes if I have a whiskey and soda and don’t have any water, the next morning I feel like dried fruit.”
Eat a healthy meal.
Before you drink, consume something high in carbohydrates and dairy. This works to lower the body’s intake of alcohol because the food coats the lining of the digestive tract, lessening the absorption of alcohol. Eating while drinking also helps prevent hangovers, not so much because it absorbs liquor as commonly believed, but because it keeps nutrients in the body, which help the body repair according to SoYouWanna.com’s “cure a hangover” page. Many swear by a grilled cheese sandwich or something equally full of carbohydrates and salt.
Take your pills!
At least two studies found that taking a Vitamin B6 supplement as a prevention method can reduce the symptoms of a hangover by 50 percent.
The age-old practice of taking aspirin or acetaminophen before bed while still drunk is not recommended because it can further damage the liver. Ibuprofen works well, but also should not be taken too regularly because it can cause stomach ulcers.
Hype up with taurine.
It is found in energy drinks like Red Bull and has been found to significantly reduce the effects of alcohol. Also, it actually aids in repairing damage to the liver caused by alcohol. However, overuse of taurine – often while drinking too many Red Bull and vodkas – has caused some concern, but not led to anything conclusive, according to a BBC news report.
Engage in exercise.
It sounds painful, but it increases blood flow to the body, which helps to purge the alcohol from the body. Think of a long walk, not so much a hard run. Those who are physically fit are less likely to have hangovers, for this same reason.
How drunk you get and what hangover prevention or cure method works for depends on a variety of factors: your age, weight, sex, how much alcohol you’ve consumed and how often you consume alcohol. Because women’s bodies contain less water than men’s, women metabolize alcohol differently and may stay drunk longer than men, according to Dr. Daniel Hayes in an article on WebMD.com. This often leads to women often having worse hangovers than men. So, keeping up with your boyfriend or brother is not such a great idea.
Some younger women drink, but do not experience hangovers. Belinda Perez, a 21-year-old, senior said “It seems like no matter how much I drink, I don’t get hungover. I wake up much earlier than I would like to and can’t get back to sleep, but otherwise I have no adverse affects.” Perez added that she is waiting for the hangovers to catch up to her.
On being a slightly older drinker, Steph Perreira, a 31-year-old sophomore said, “The young folks bounce back a lot quicker than us old folks do. I think hangovers are different for many people. I just feel really tired and slightly depressed _” all that sugar.”
Several drugs and herbal remedies exist that tout their clinically proven methods to prevent hangovers, but the medical community does not officially recognize the effectiveness of any of them.
