There’s nothing more painful or annoying than suffering from an excruciating hangover the night after heavy drinking. As the saying goes, ‘When you drink too much alcohol, you’re borrowing happiness from tomorrow.’ Hangovers are likely to cause combinations of headache, nausea, stomach ache, diarrhoea, excessive sweating, and lethargy. Luckily, there are foods that can counteract some of these effects.
Why Does Alcohol Give Us Hangovers?
Alcohol impacts a hormone called vasopressin which is responsible for promoting water retention in kidney. As we overindulge in alcohol, we begin to urinate frequently, causing dehydration. Dehydration is one of the key causes of hangover. The more alcohol we consume, the more dehydrated the body gets, and the possibility of suffering a hangover the next morning increases.
Another possibility could be linked to the fact that alcohol is a depressant. This could lead to a night of disturbed sleep, causing hangover the next morning. Alcohol disrupts the hormones that regulate our biological clocks which in turn blocks the body’s ability to attain quality sleep. Result – a terrible hangover the next morning.
Now that we understand what causes hangover, let’s take a look at some of the healthy foods that can cure hangover.
7 Healthy Foods to Cure Your Hangover
1. Coffee
A strong cup of joe early in the morning can reverse the symptoms of hangover. The lethargy often felt after a night of heaving drinking can sometimes be erased instantly with caffeine. Caffeine dilates blood vessels, which helps reduce headaches by allowing pressure to decrease inside the skull. So having a cup of coffee first thing in the morning can reduce the effects of hangover.
2. Eggs
Eggs are not just delicious, but they are one of the best foods to have in the morning. And they can also cure hangovers. Eggs are easily digestible and packed with proteins. The cysteine content in eggs can remove the remaining toxins in the body left by alcohol.
3. Coconut Water
Dehydration is one of the main causes of hangover. So the key thing to do when you’re suffering from hangover is to rehydrate your body. Look no further than the insanely hydrating and healthy coconut water. One carton of coconut water has more potassium than a banana and is made up of easily-digestible carbs such as sugar and electrolytes. Called the ‘nature’s sports drink’, coconut has fewer calories than regular sports drinks like Gatorade. While sports drinks can be incredibly hydrating and therefore good for curing hangovers, they contain added sugar and more calories.Coconut water is a much healthier alternative if you’re planning to lose weight.
4. Bananas
Go bananas! The health benefits of this fruit are well known. Banana is packed with potassium, electrolytes, and is gentle on the stomach. Perfect for a day after heavy alcohol binging.
5. Tea, Especially Green Tea
Any caffeine is good in reducing the effects of hangover. Green tea is an incredibly healthy drink filled with antioxidants that can combat the symptoms of hangover. If you’re not accustomed to the taste of green tea, then try lemon tea or lavender tea. Otherwise, you can just have regular tea since the caffeine boost will help you get rid of that fatigue and lethargy.
6. Any Fruit
Fruits are filled with fiber and fructose – both of these can help you recover faster from a hangover. Fruits also increase the rate at which the body removes the toxins left over by alcohol.
7. Soup
A bowl of hot soup can help us combat lot of sicknesses. It can also help reduce the effects of hangover. Soups are high in potassium and sodium which returns the electrolytes back to normal. So when you’re suffering from a painful hangover, just make yourself a steaming bowl of tomato or chicken soup.
Hangovers can really ruin our day. Apart from the foods mentioned in this article, make sure your body is sufficiently hydrated by drinking lots of water. Going for a brisk walk outside can also be therapeutic.
Hope you found this article useful. Please leave your thoughts in the comments section.
