Hangover



Cures



Don't ever drink

You'll be guaranteed to not have a hangover for the rest of your life. Doesn't sound like much fun though.

Never drink enough to get really drunk.

Hangovers will be rare, if not lessened.

Drink lots of Water or Gatorade

Alcohol is removed through the kidneys and in the lungs (blown out by breath) and it is broken down by the liver.

Alcohol is a diurhetic, the dehydration is a side effect of the removal of toxins from the blood stream. It is a water-intensive process.  Toxins are carried accross the membranes in the kidneys and disolved in lots of water, lots of electrolytes are also carried away in the process.  So it is the direct removal of ethanol that can lead to the dehydration.
This dehydration plays an important role in the hangover.   It adds to the headache similar to a headache from exertion in hot weather.   This is why drinking water or Sports Drinks are good ideas.
Acetaldehyde,  The breakdown of ethanol in the liver is a two-step oxydation carried out by two separate enzymes.   The first,  alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH),  converts ethanol to acetaldehyde.   The second,  aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH), converts acetaldehyde to acetate.
Acetate is harmless, aldehydes are very toxic (like formaldehyde).  One problem is that not all people have equally efficient enzymes.  You may have heard that many Asians (and native Americans) cannot drink without getting very
ill.  That is because they carry a form of the gene for ALDH that makes a slower form of the enzyme.
To make matters worse,  many also carry a fast form of ADH,  so they really build up toxic levels of aldehyde.   The particular combination of enzymes a person has, has alot to do with individual tolerances.
You may also have heard of a drug called "antabuse," (disulfuram) which is given to alcoholics and makes them sick if they drink.   The drug works by in-activating ALDH, leading to a toxic buildup of aldehyde.
Also, treatment of severe alcohol poisoning usually involves the use of a drug that blocks ADH, that is, prevents the person from breaking down the alcohol at all.  This way,  they body will have time to clear some of the alcohol through the kidneys and lungs  before the body gets flooded with aldehyde,  which will kill the victim.

Drink Light colored alcohol

Some of a hangover is the result of toxins in the product. The greatest amounts of these toxins are found in Red Wine and Dark Liquor such as bourbon, brandy, whiskey and tequila. White wine and clear liquors such as rum, vodka and gin have fewer toxins.  The human cleansing system is pushed already during the removal of toxins in alcohol, adding any extra will compound the hangover. Limit colored liquor (red wine, whiskeys, cordials, dark rum)

Take 2 or 3 aspirin, acetominophen, or Ibuprofen pills with lots of water while drinking.

Instead of using valuable stomach room that could be used for booze, it is more reasonable to start this near the end of a drinking session.  Of course, that might mean an extra trip to the bathroom. 

Eat 

Pumping out those toxins leaves the system malnurished.  It also means trying

to eat something that will help to replace the nutrients you've lost. That really should be in the forms of fruits/vegetables, NOT fatty, greasy junk, not dairy foods, something that isn't too tough on the already beat-up digestive system. Bananas, Tomatos, a V8 are great for key vitamins.

Take lots of Vitamin B

The metabolizm of all the sugars along with the alcohol ties up all the B vitamins in the the body.  So there is not enough oxidized Nicatinamide Adenine Dinucleotide available to participate in the metabolism of ethanol, and aldehyde.
In your first beer of the day take two teaspoons of Brewers Yeast (a good source of vitamin B) and mix it into your beer and drink it. The morning after, mix a teaspoon of brewers yeast into water  and drink it.

Dont drink with Sugar

For the same reason as above, it is more sugar to meabolize. Don't overdo it with sweet blended concoctions, Minimize sugary drinks like shnapps, liquers syrups, ect. But many disagree with this rationale.

Drink with Sugar

So obviously there is some debate on whether you should injest sugar with alcohol.  It is proven that sugar slows metabolism which actually frees up more oxidized vitamin B for aldehyde dehydrogenase.
Don't mix a lot of different types of alcoholic drinks (liquor, then wine, then beer).
It's worth a try, this only works for some people.  Mythbusters found that there is no smoking gun with mixing alcohol everyone responds different. It's best to stick with the liquor that has worked for you in the past.

Rest

Allow the nervous system to level itself. Coming off the effects of a mild depressent leads to an oversensive state (Nervous Shock).


"Hair-of-the-Dog"

Obviously the Bloody Mary is used around the world, In Germany and the Nordic countries they.

drink beer to fight a hangover, In Switzerland they drink brandy and a dash of peppermint.  Relax your shattered nerves and numb the pain in the head.  Some believe this only delays the hangover.

Tomatoes

Some believe that tomatoes have some hangover curing ability. Yet another argument for Bloody Marys.

Tripe

Tripe cow stomach, usually spiced with chili powder, garlic, and a variety of other spices. Sometimes when eating tripe, the stomach of the cow still contains the cows final meal. This specially is called Menudo. 


Haejangguk 

Korea has a soup designed to cure hangovers.  It is called Haejangguk, which means "the soup to chase a hangover". It is made from pork spines, coagulated ox blood, dried cabbage, vegetables, and beef broth. 


Vegemite 

Popular in Australia, vegemite  is a dark brown food paste. It is made from brewers' yeast extract and spread over bread. It is believed to help because of its high vitamin and salt content.


Caffeine 

Many beleive a Caffeine provides tha jolt the body needs after the depletion of nutrients after a drinking session.  An espresso, capichino, sugary coffee, sugary caffinated soft drink or energy drink is a common tool for those who believe sugar may add to the fight.  New studies, however are finding that Caffeine after alcohol may compound liver damage.


Bananas and Beef 

Although Ween's hangover cure matches Bananas with another ingedient, we will keep it legal. Bananas have a large supply of replenishing vitamin B while red meat settles the stomach. This is a very popular cure in Germany.


Sweat it Out 

Some beleive the body needs full rejuvination.  This is possible through working out or a trip to the Sauna.  This process assists the body in the expultion of toxins and is believed to speed the body to normality.  In Russia people "cure" hangovers by alternate between the steam room and a cold shower or bath.  


Shower

Take a shower first think in the morning, this opens the skin pores that have been clogged up with waste produced from the breakdown of alcohol.

Test it out

See what works for you, there is increasing evidence that different types of alcohol effect different people in different ways.  Mythbusters found that when Grant and Tory drank only beer, they both had hangovers. When they both drank liquor, Tory had a worse hangover but Grant did not have a hangover at all.


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