Dealing with hangover symptoms isn’t something anyone wants to do. Even the very act of existing is excruciating. Hangovers put you in a foul mood and prevents you from getting anything done.
Through time, many have tried different methods to cure or prevent their hangovers. Some swear by coffee and a cold shower as a remedy. Others would just stuff themselves with food.
Every individual has their preferred hangover food, whether that’s burgers, kebabs, tacos, pizzas, or instant noodles.
However, are these really good for you? Do they really cure hangovers, or do they actually put your body through more stress? Here’s how you can choose the appropriate hangover food after a night out.
Things to Avoid When You are Hangover
1. Eat greasy fast food
While fast food is the quickest way to satisfy your intoxicated hunger, it’s not recommended to consume all that grease on an alcohol-lined stomach.
Why is fast food really bad for hangovers? The science behind this is simple. The same metabolic pathway in your body that processes alcohol also processes fat.
If you up your intake of fat while alcohol is still in your system, your body has to work twice as hard to break both elements down.
The body’s solution to this extra work is to store the fat to process at a later time while it finishes breaking down the alcohol. Stored fat may worsen your hangover symptoms, or pile up in your bloodstream overtime.
Related Article: 7 Health Benefits of Whisky You Didn't Know About
2. Drink coffee
Many swear by coffee to wake them up from a raging hangover. However, this is actually bad for you and may leave you feeling worse. Coffee doesn’t alleviate symptoms of a hangover at all.
When you’re hungover, your body is dehydrated. In this regard, coffee actually worsens dehydration. An increased lack of water will result in more hangover symptoms, such as headaches.
Coffee is also acidic, and this element may actually irritate your stomach, which would have already been plenty irritated by the alcohol from the previous night.
3. Acidic drinks and juices
Hangovers may leave you feeling sick, which you may try to amend by drinking fruit juices. However, it’s a little too late to do that when you’re already experiencing symptoms.
Most juices are highly acidic, and will do your stomach more harm than good after a night out.
What to Eat/Drink When You are Hangover
1. Water
If there’s anything you should be drinking after a night out, it’s good ol’ H2O. Chugging water can probably alleviate some of your symptoms more than coffee or juice ever can.
Remember the dehydration symptom? Preventing dehydration will result in prevention of further symptoms caused by a lack of water.
2. Electrolytes
After a night of drinking, your body will be low in electrolytes. A lack of electrolytes can leave you feeling nauseous, dizzy, and fatigued.
Aside from water, you can also fill up with sports drinks such as Gatorade or Pocari Sweat. This refuels you with electrolytes which you will have lost after your night out.
3. Eggs
For breakfast the morning after, eggs are the way to go. They contain vitamin B12 which can increase energy. They are also rich in cysteine, which fights against elements in alcohol that actually cause hangover symptoms.
Related Article: 6 Myths About the Health Benefits of Wine
4. Carbs
You don’t want to be fatigued when you’ve got a long day ahead of you. Having carbs for breakfast is a way to combat that.
Rice, bread, and wheat crackers can all help you regain energy for the day. Carbs will also increase your blood sugar level.
5. Dry cereal
Yup, you read that right. While cereal is ideally consumed with milk, the hangover cure cereal will only help you when consumed dry.
Adding dairy into the diet after a night out will not help your upset stomach. Dry cereal will fill you up with the iron, calcium, magnesium, and B vitamins that you need.
Find out more about alcohol-drinking tips in Minuman.com Blog.
