How to cure a hangover – the seven unusual foods to eat
Dr Philippa shares tips for preventing hangovers
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Hair of the dog, fry ups and takeaways might feel good in the moment when you’re hungover, but they’re not the answer to your banging headache and nausea. The foods that can actually beat a hangover are extremely unexpected, but the experts at Spire Healthcare say they work (and the science proves it!). Here’s how to cure a hangover.
Christmas is probably the busiest time of year for parties, and that means most Brits will be experiencing many dreadful hangovers in December.
The only way to avoid a hangover is to forgo alcohol, but that doesn’t always feel possible.
If you’ve had one too many drinks and are now paying for it with shaky hands, anxiety and sickness, there are a few things you can do to ease your symptoms.
Drinking lots of water after consuming alcohol is really important, but it won’t cure a hangover – the team at Spire Healthcare say this is the biggest hangover myth out there!
They explained: “The rate at which your body clears the toxins produced by drinking alcohol — which is what causes your hangover — can’t be changed, so drinking water won’t help.
“However, drinking water is still important to prevent or reduce the effects of dehydration caused by alcohol.”
This will help to take away the thirsty feeling, lightheadedness or dizziness, tiredness, and the constant need to wee.
We hate to break it to you, but favourite hangover cures such as drinking coffee, drinking more alcohol or eating deep-fried, salty foods also won’t help cure your hangover.
Spire’s experts said: “If you have been drinking heavily, it is important that you wait at least 48 hours before drinking again to give your body time to recover.
“The most important thing to do after a night of drinking is to hydrate yourself by drinking water.”
Instead of gorging yourself on junk food, you should try to eat the following foods:
- Bananas
- Avocados
- Nuts
- Sweet potatoes
- Fresh fruits
- Vegetables
- Soups and broths
The above foods are all great for replacing the electrolytes (sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium, magnesium, phosphate, bicarbonate) lost while drinking.
Alcohol is a diuretic which means it makes your kidneys flush out water.
Your kidneys also control electrolyte levels and when you drink this process is disrupted and the kidneys can’t function properly.
Spire Healthcare commented: “Bananas are a good source of potassium, and avocados, nuts and sweet potatoes are a good source of magnesium.”
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It’s also important that you avoid foods that will be harder for your body to digest such as dairy products, refined sugar and fatty meat, Spire said.
If your symptoms are really bad, you could drink a low-sugar electrolyte drink.
Spire’s healthcare experts explained: “If you have lost a lot of fluids and consequently electrolytes, e.g. you’ve been vomiting or have diarrhoea, you may want to try a low-sugar electrolyte drink.”
This normally includes sports drinks, coconut water, some smoothies and electrolyte tablets or powders that you can take with water.
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