It’s the holiday season and, chances are, you’re knee deep in parties, eating and stress. We all know there’s an increase in the frequency of these three components during the holiday season. However, what you may not be aware of is that fact that alcohol goes hand-in-hand with all three. You may find yourself drinking more than usual and, before you know it, you’re waking up more often with those tell-tale signs of man’s greatest “last night” regret. Yep, you’ve got a hangover; and it’s bad. Immediately, you realize your day is shot, you feel miserable and nothing can take the misery away. You swear to yourself that you’ll “never drink that much again,” and you may even start surfing the Web for “hangover cures” as a desperate attempt to cure what ails you. What if the answer to feeling better, though, was right in your kitchen? What if, among the gingerbread and stuffing, you had a holiday hangover remedy that could help decrease some of those common awful symptoms?
What’s a hangover? If you’ve ever had one, you know what it is. You feel awful and that’s the end of it. But if you’re looking for a more scientific approach, researchers from the University of California–San Francisco explain it well in this Annuals of Internal Medicine article published in 2000. Their review describes a hangover as “characterized by headache, tremulousness, nausea, diarrhea and fatigue combined with decreased occupational, cognitive or visual-spatial skill performance.” It also found that hangovers were mostly classified to light or moderate drinkers in terms of societal costs (loss in job productivity, absenteeism, etc.), and that the symptoms were caused by dehydration, the toxic effects of alcohol, hormonal changes and deregulated signaling of cells. More recently, the American Chemical Society referred to a hangover as a “metabolic storm,” which results from “high blood levels of ethanol and the accompanying dehydration, direct toxic effects of the body’s breakdown of alcohol into acetaldehyde and toxic effects of substances called congeners that are present in darkly colored liquor like scotch and bourbon.” Yuck!
Sounds pretty bad, right? You may be thinking: Can food actually help? Although no strong scientific evidence exists classifying these foods as cures, given the physiologic changes that occur with a night of dinking, they surely can’t hurt.
1. Chicken noodle soup. We all know soup tastes and feels great when we have the sniffles; however, it’s also essential the day after too much drinking for several reasons. First, it rehydrates you. Alcohol is a huge dehydrator. Just one look at your urine after a few drinks and you’ll see it — it will be the color of the yellow brick road, and that means you need fluid — now! The second essential chicken soup provides is salt. The American Chemical Society suggests drinking broth to help recover from the effects of imprudent alcohol consumption because it contains salts that can help replace sodium, potassium and other salts lost in the urine due to the diuretic effect of alcohol. In line with dehydration is electrolyte loss. Electrolytes are essential for maintaining physiologic body functions and dramatic changes can have a drastic effect on the body. Further, if you’ve got the runs (which is very likely with a hangover), you’ll really need to some electrolyte therapy. Can’t stomach soup? Opt for a sports drink or even coconut water, a natural drink that has five times more potassium than a sport drink, to build back sodium and potassium stores.
2. Salmon. Salmon is what I call a “one-shop stop” for a hangover because it contains four nutrients that can ease your pain: B1, B6, B12 and omega 3s. B1, or thiamine, is recommended by ACS when you have a hangover because it may help prevent the buildup of glutarate, a substance linked to the headache part of a hangover. B6 in particular has been found to be effective in helping with hangover symptoms. In addition, a B12 deficiency may exacerbate a hangover, and omega 3s have been found to boost mood. Pair your yummy salmon with a side of brown rice and you’ll reap the benefits of boosting your blood sugar as well; low blood sugar will only make you feel worse, so make this a meal that makes you feel great.
3. Fruit. Fructose, a simple sugar found in fruit, was once thought to help clear alcohol faster from your body. Although there’s no hard evidence that this is actually true, there’s anecdotal evidence that fruit simply makes you feel better the next day. Bottom line, if you feel that an apple or a few berries makes you feel even just a little better, it’s worth it. No harm in taking advantage of this potential placebo effect!
4. Gingerbread cookies. While you’ll rarely find me suggesting sugar-laden foods, gingerbread is more common and accessible during the holidays. Its main ingredient is — no surprise here — ginger: the wonder root that helps ease gastric distress. Nausea is major symptom of a hangover and when you have it, you want it gone — and quick. Studies have found ginger to be effective in easing the symptoms of nausea and muscle pain, two things you may find yourself waking up with after a night of too many drinks. Thai or Indian cuisine traditionally has plenty of ginger-laden dishes as well. If you want to forgo the cookies, go out to lunch instead.
5. Asparagus. This one may catch you by surprise, but a study in the Journal of Food Science suggests the amino acids and minerals in asparagus may alleviate alcohol hangovers and protect liver cells against toxins. Asparagus supplies a wide array of nutrients, including potassium, thiamine and B6 — key nutrients to help kick your hangover. Asparagus is also an excellent source of folate (see “extra” below!). Further, asparagus has antifungal, anti-inflammatory and diuretic properties — properties your body is begging for after an alcohol indulgent escapade.
6. Any liquid without caffeine. In addition to having soup, you should avoid any caffeinated beverages, especially coffee, for at least 24 hours, instead focusing on water and caffeine-free teas and drinks. Coffee is a diuretic and can worsen the dehydration caused by alcohol itself. Dehydration causes headache and fatigue — sound like a familiar morning-after symptom?
Extra: cold cereal (folate). Listen up, ladies of “child-bearing years” — this one’s for you. You may feel that a drink here or there is fine as long as you’re not actively trying to get pregnant, but let’s face the facts — excess alcohol at a party means you’re more likely to do things you normally wouldn’t, which could increase your chances of getting pregnant. If the hangover the morning after also comes with a baby, you’ll need to get healthy quick. That means no more drinking, of course, but it also means getting plenty of folate to help prevent neural tube defects in the baby. When you drink, your absorption of alcohol tanks. A 2002 study in the Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that, in animal studies, chronic alcohol ingestion significantly reduced the intestinal absorption of dietary folate. While cold cereal may not necessarily make you feel better the next morning, cereal is fortified with folic acid, a man-made form of folate commonly found in foods. Getting enough folate is a good step in keeping yourself — and baby — healthy for the next nine months. By the way, if you’re in your childbearing years, you should be taking a multivitamin with folic acid as well.
Although a hangover may seem like nothing more than a bad day after a hard night, a review in The Annals of Internal Medicine found that hangovers also increased the risk of injury due to diminished visual spatial skills and dexterity. Hangovers, they concluded, could also be an independent risk factor for cardiac death. They cost not only you, but society as well. Researchers found there were substantial economic consequences stemming from poor job performance and increased absenteeism. If you came across this article after a night of drinking, and you felt better by eating these suggested foods, it’s hopefully the last time you’ll need to read it. As the ACS emphasizes, “The only sure way to prevent a hangover is to abstain from alcohol, or drink responsibly, in moderation.” Sounds like your vow to “never drink that much again” should be one you might want to keep. New Year’s resolution, anyone?
Christina Fedeli contributed to this article.
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