Hangover remedies include bananas, eggs, high-fat foods, carbohydrates, protein, fruit juice, fruits, vegetable and noodle soups, and herbs such as willow bark and milk thistle. These foods help slow down the metabolism of alcohol, alleviate dehydration, boost energy levels, and restore the liver’s natural metabolism.
Alleviating the hangover effects of alcohol consumption, which often occurs the morning after such consumption, involves a type of folk medicine that has no definitive medical evidence to support it. This makes choosing hangover food a matter of personal taste and experimentation. However, several types of hangover foods are recommended to alleviate drinking symptoms, and these include bananas, eggs, and high-fat foods.
Foods high in carbohydrates and protein are often recommended as a way to slow the metabolism of alcohol in the liver. Eggs are thought to do this by the action of cysteine, an amino acid protein in which they are high, which can break down acetaldehyde. Acetaldehyde is produced as the human body breaks down alcohol by oxidizing ethanol, so eggs are thought to inhibit this process. Protein and carbohydrates are hangover remedies because they are made up of large molecules that are slowly digested and, when mixed with alcohol, can slow down their processing in the bloodstream. Carbohydrates also increase blood sugar levels, which will help with fatigue and sleepiness, both common hangover symptoms.
Fatty foods are often recommended as a good hangover food, whether they come from so-called good fat sources, like olive oil, or bad fats, like those found in fast food. The fat and oils in this hangover diet will line the stomach and intestines, and can slow down the processing of alcohol in the body. However, they are best consumed before you start drinking, as their after-effect can include stomach irritation.
Fruit juice and fruits in general are a recommended food category largely due to the fact that they contain lots of water that alleviates dehydration, simple sugars like fructose that can boost energy levels, and vitamins. Bananas often fall into this category not because of the sugar they contain, but because of the fact that they are high in the vitamin potassium that is lost due to the diuretic effect of the drink. Water in general is the best method to dilute alcohol in the body to slow its digestion, and the fastest way to properly hydrate. Fruit consumption can also increase the body’s ability to break down toxins more quickly.
Vegetable and noodle soups are often suggested as a hangover food category. They are high in sodium and potassium salts that the body loses as it becomes dehydrated, and another good source of water. Asian soup or pasta foods also often contain ginger, which has natural sugars and a calming effect on the stomach. Ginger ale or ginger tea also fall into this general category of hangover foods, and both are good for relieving nausea.
While some hangover cures include pain medications in the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) category, such as aspirin, one natural approach is to substitute herbs as a hangover food. Willow bark and evening primrose oil have effects similar to aspirin and are beneficial for the liver. Milk thistle is another common herbal supplement that can restore the liver’s natural metabolism. Chewing fennel seeds or drinking mint tea is said to have similar effects.
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