“The best cure for a hangover is preventing one in the first place”.
Well if you are interested in reading this then prevention is probably too late. What I have found over the years is that nothing really helps a hangover other than time. In saying this, I will give you some tips to try so you can see if they work for you.
The first thing and probably the easiest to do is to start to rehydrate. A lot of the suffering of a hangover is caused by dehydration. Adding lime or lemon to your water will help alkalize you ramping up metabolic processes which will help the liver remove toxins. Adding electrolytes to your water is also a good idea as they will more than likely be depleted from the dehydration associated with drinking alcohol.
There are many supplements you can take to help with a hangover. These supplements will help you in daily life as well, helping you detoxify and support liver function.
NAC (N-Acetyl Cysteine)
NAC is a precursor to glutathione which is one of the body’s most powerful antioxidants. NAC can protect the liver from toxic chemicals and can help get rid of the toxins found in alcohol.
Magnesium
A lot of the symptoms of a hangover are said to come from the depletion of magnesium that occurs when you drink alcohol. In the case of a hangover I like to use magnesium glycinate as that form of magnesium has more of an affinity for the liver and supporting it in detoxification.
Green Tea
Green tea is high in antioxidants and has been shown to help protect the liver from damage due to alcohol. It also helps speed the detoxification of the alcohol from the body.
Probiotics
Taking a probiotic can help reduce oxidative stress associated with drinking and can also reduce any gastric stress you may have.
Other nutrients you can take include:
Zinc
Glutamine – good if you have a crook gut
Milk thistle (silymarin)
Vitamin C
Vitamin E
R-Alpha Lipoic Acid
Willow bark – good for headaches
To help you get through the rough morning have a coffee. Caffeine blunts sensations of pain and fatigue and it also helps improve brain function. Coffee also has a lot of antioxidants that may help protect against alcohol.
If all else fails and you don’t want to feel crap, just get back on it. Haha, nah it doesn’t work either.
If you have had a big night then let’s just hope it was fun and do your best to limit the damage. If it’s once in a while then you should be fine, it becomes an issue when it is a regular occurrence and gets in the way of you achieving your goals or creates unnecessary stress in your life.