Top 10 Foods for Treating a Hangover

Had a weekend of it? The good news is help is out there. While you may be tempted to reach for the ‘cure’ to make yourself feel better, loading your overworked liver with more toxins is actually the last thing it needs.

Try snacking on one of these foods to aid your recovery and start feeling better in no time at all.

Top 10 Foods for Treating a Hangover

Eggs - Scrambled, fried or boiled, eggs are a popular hangover breakfast, and the good news is they are a great choice for beating the nastiest of hangovers. Firstly, eggs are extremely rich in protein, which helps raise mood-boosting serotonin levels as well as helping to reduce nausea. Furthermore, eggs are rich in an amino acid called cystine, which helps fight against the alcohol-induced toxins that contribute to your hangover.

Ginger - A long-trusted anti-nausea treatment, ginger has also been shown to be a powerful antioxidant and anticoagulant. Whether taken in pill form, in tea, or in a juice, it may counteract some of that hung-over wooziness. A 2001 study published in Obstetrics & Gynecology showed that ginger counteracted nausea and vomiting in pregnant women.

Marmite - One reason many of us feel so bad the morning after a drinking session is because alcohol depletes your system of essential nutrients, including B vitamins. A lack of B vitamins can cause anxiety and depression, so try munching on Marmite - a rich source of the vitamin B complex - to lift your mood. As an added benefit, Marmite has a high sodium content which can help replace the salts lost through drinking alcohol. Try the savoury spread on toast for an added fix of carbs.

Honey - Like fruit juice, honey has a lot of fructose and glucose, and it’s full of antioxidants, which, according to London’s Royal Society of Chemistry, makes it the ideal hangover remedy, spread on toast. In Poland, they mix the honey into a little pickle juice. (The salt replenishes electrolytes.)

Taurine - A common ingredient in energy drinks and also available in supplement form, taurine has been shown in studies to reverse liver damage caused by a night of heavy drinking, helping the body to flush out toxins more quickly. The high amounts of caffeine in energy drinks also help to constrict cerebral blood vessels, alleviating that headache the next day; however, caffeine is a diuretic and may exacerbate dehydration.

Fried food - Even if there weren’t evidence to back up the benefits of a greasy breakfast, it would qualify as a hangover treatment simply because it’s so comforting. But two elements of a fried breakfast have some scientific backing: Both egg yolks and garlic contain cysteine, an amino acid that binds and neutralises acetaldehyde. All those carbohydrates help stabilize blood sugar and neutralise stomach acids.

Coconut Water - Many hangover sufferers swear by sports drinks as a way to hydrate the body and help rebalance electrolytes. However, the main problem with sports drinks is they are generally carbonated, which can irritate the stomach. For a natural alternative to sports drinks, try sipping on some coconut water, which contains essential electrolytes (including calcium, potassium and magnesium) to boost hydration, and is also soothing for the stomach.

Watermelon - Not only does alcohol deplete your body of nutrients, it can also lead to low blood sugar levels, which may leave you feeling weak and shaky. To counteract this, try snacking on watermelon - which is not only high in fructose but is also water-rich to boost hydration. On top of this, watermelon is high in many essential nutrients, including vitamin C, B-vitamins and magnesium.

Bananas - Bananas are packed with potassium and magnesium, two of the minerals often depleted in our bodies when alcohol is consumed. A lack of potassium in the body can lead to nausea, weakness and tiredness, so stocking up on bananas can help reduce these classic hangover symptoms. As an added bonus, bananas are natural antacids so great for reducing stomach acid, and are good for providing a boost of energy if you have a busy day ahead.

Porridge - Due to the diuretic effects of alcohol, the body loses many essential minerals and vitamins during a heavy drinking session. Luckily, oats can provide you with many of these nutrients, including B vitamins (good for the liver and mood) and essential minerals magnesium, calcium and iron. On top of this, oats can help neutralise acidity levels in the body, cleanse the liver, absorb toxins and slowly raise blood sugar levels, making a bowl of porridge the perfect hangover breakfast.

Remember

Common sense says that if alcohol causes dehydration, then water is the cure. But not too much water, which can lead to hyponatremia, or “water intoxication,” which dilutes the sodium in the body and can be fatal. The standard guideline of 8 glasses a day should be adequate for rehydration. Fruit juice may be a

better option because it contains fructose, which may speed up the rate at which the body rids itself of toxins.