Rocky-style raw egg for breakfast? Maybe not for us, but there are certainly some myths out there about hangover cures that demand explaining.
You just got back from a crazy party. You've got a splitting headache, and you recognize the early signs of a terrible hangover. But you want to avoid that or forestall it completely. What do you do?
There are regular solutions; water, sleep, and even coffee. But sometimes, these solutions aren't effective at all and can even leave you feeling worse.
Avoid Caffeine
Say what? No coffee?
This may be odd because caffeine is what most people use to get their bodies back in shape when they get hungover. Yes, you can have a light cup of coffee, but downing an entire pot will only make you more dehydrated and will likely make your headache even worse. So even if you are tempted to grab a pot or cup and empty its contents into your mouth, it isn't something you should do.
Instead of making coffee, you should attempt making a cup of herbal tea. That may not be a popular choice for people who get hungover, but it will work wonders on your body. The combination of tea and sugar will give a little boost without dehydrating you too much. Tea is great because it has a little caffeine, which is just the right amount for you— not the copious amounts that coffee delivers into your body.
Eat
When you're hungover, you usually don't think of food. One reason why food doesn't cross your mind is that you probably can't keep anything down. But if you can, you should try eating. It doesn't have to be a lot, and you can choose something with a lot of pepper so that you can keep it down. Mineral and protein-rich food will help a lot.
When you start, begin with something plain, like pretzels. The carbs in the pretzels will regulate your blood sugar and will ease some of the dizziness. If that stays down, then you can continue with other substances like fruits or even a smoothie. That stays down, and you can graduate to even more solids.
Supplements
The research on this isn't too expansive, but some studies have suggested that some supplements could cure hangover symptoms.
Supplements like red ginseng, ginger, prickly pear, and borage oil have been proven to have active ingredients that help reduce the effects of a hangover on the mind and body. If you've seen the 'hangover pill' ads, then you know the pitch.
Avoid Pain Killers
A lot of people think that the one solution to hangovers is pills. And that makes a lot of sense. If you're feeling pain, you should take painkillers. But that isn't always the case, and it certainly is not the case for hangovers. The reason is simple. These painkillers (Tylenol, ibuprofen, and aspirin) have side effects that are magnified when alcohol is in your system.
So, yes, they may make you feel less pain, but taking them when hungover drastically increases your chances of getting exposed to their side effects. You certainly wouldn't want that.
Cannabis
They don't call it THC for nothing— the THC in cannabis could also easily mean 'The Hangover Cure'. While many may be skeptical about this solution, many others have praised the effects of cannabis on hangovers.
There's ample evidence that cannabis helps to alleviate anxiety and helps deal with nausea. Hungover people regularly experience these symptoms, and cannabis may help them treat these symptoms and help them feel better.
At the End of the Day...
Know your own body, know what it reacts to, know what it responds well with. We're all different, and of course we could always just drink less, but lets face it, 2020 wasn't easy. Anything we can do to rebound quickly after a long night is worth giving a go.
Let us know in the comments down below what you use to cure a hangover.
