By Dr Hemapriya, mylittlemoppet_official
After several months of being cooped up indoors, you’ve finally been able to get out and party with your friends. It’s like everyone’s got freedom and you have a blast, partying all night long. Everything’s fun and games – till you wake up the next morning with a hangover from hell!
Alcohol works pretty quickly; in just minutes of your first sip, it enters your bloodstream and the stomach and then gets metabolized by the liver. How much alcohol gets absorbed by the body depends upon your body and the kind of drink you’ve had.
Alcohol contains impurities, which can increase the severity of the hangover, as well as a by-product of metabolism called acetaldehyde.
Hangover Symptoms
In most cases, hangovers have some common symptoms:
- Severe headaches
- Sensitivity to sound
- Dehydration, in the form of thirst or a dry mouth
- Fatigue or lethargy
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Constipation
- Abdominal pain
- Shakiness
Although alcohol enters your bloodstream almost instantly after consuming it, it takes a few hours after the last drink for the hangover to set in. A hangover can last for as less as 8 hours or as long as a day. In most cases, a hangover resolves itself within this time period, but you can feel terrible in the meantime. Instead, hasten up your recovery and feel better faster with these natural hangover remedies that use herbs, spices, and some common tips.
15 Natural Remedies
1. Water
The best thing you can do when you are hungover requires no effort or no expense – it is to drink lots of water. Alcohol is a diuretic, which causes you to urinate more than usual, leading to dehydration. This explains why your mouth and throat feel so dry and you feel extremely thirsty.
You also lose water if you experience any of the other symptoms of a hangover, like vomiting or diarrhea. Severe dehydration can be dangerous, so it is also recommended to drink lots of water throughout the day if you are expecting to have a drink later.
2. Coconut Water
While water is essential, you also need to consider the loss of electrolytes. All that urinating and vomiting means that your body is losing valuable electrolytes, which can cause dizziness, cramping, and extreme fatigue. Electrolytes include a combination of minerals like sodium, potassium, and calcium.
You can add salt and sugar to water to make your own ORS solution, but a good natural alternative is coconut water. It is the perfect drink to bring your body back into balance and get you on your feet as soon as possible. Coconut water contains all the electrolytes you need, without all the added sugar and preservatives from sports drinks.
3. Turmeric
Turmeric contains curcumin, a compound that fights the inflammation that accompanies hangovers. Not only does it help in reducing the severity of symptoms like headaches, but it also protects the liver by helping in its repair and regeneration. Turmeric does a similar job for the intestines, which take also take a hit due to alcohol.
What’s more, turmeric can reduce the production of acetaldehyde, a by-product of the metabolism of alcohol. Its anti-inflammatory properties mean that gastric hangover symptoms like nausea, irritation, and pain are reduced. Turmeric can be mixed into warm milk as a hangover remedy.
4. Ginger
Ginger is a spice that has a host of healing benefits and this applies in case of curing hangovers too. The most prominent effects of ginger may be with respect to gastric issues, since it is excellent at soothing stomach pain, discomfort or upset. Ginger also reduces vomiting and fatigue, hence helping prevent dehydration.
Ginger also improves blood flow and stimulates metabolism which helps get rid of the toxins in the body faster. An easy way to get the benefits of ginger is by brewing ginger tea with lemon and honey. Or you can simply add ginger powder to some milk or a smoothie.
5. Chamomile
Chamomile is known for its benefits in inducing sleep and reducing stress, and it has similar benefits when it comes to hangover symptoms, particularly ‘hangxiety’, which is hangover-induced anxiety. It can help relieve some of the jitteriness and disorientation of a hangover and help stabilize the body.
Chamomile also has benefits for the stomach, soothing indigestion along calming a headache. Chamomile tea is the best way to get these benefits and it also helps in rehydrating the body after a night of drinks and partying.
6. Pink Himalayan Salt
Pink Himalayan salt is a particular type of salt that is mined from the Himalayas, and as its name suggests, is pink in color. The reason Himalayan salt makes for a good hangover cure is that it helps fix the electrolyte balance in the body. One of the minerals lost due to alcohol is sodium, which is abundant in Himalayan salt.
What’s more, pink Himalayan salt has more minerals in it than regular table salt – it is estimated that it may have over 80 different minerals including calcium, potassium, strontium, and molybdenum. This gives the salt its natural pink color as well as the ability to balance the body’s pH.
7. Mint
Mint is a herb known for its digestive benefits, which makes it a must-have in your hangover cure kit. The benefits of mint are due to menthol, which reduces nausea and vomiting, while also improving mood and concentration. It helps relax the mind and improve orientation, even after a hard bout of drinking.
One way to cure a hangover with mint is to make some tea with fresh mint leaves and sip it on it. Another way is to put a few drops of mint essential oil in your bath and soak in it for half an hour to relax and rehydrate the body.
8. Ginseng
Ginseng is a root commonly used in Chinese medicine and is becoming increasingly popular across the world. Both red ginseng and Siberian ginseng are recommended by experts for curing hangover symptoms like headache, stomach ache, fatigue, and dizziness.
Ginseng can also hasten the metabolism of alcohol, which can reduce the hangover period and speed up recovery. Ginseng root can be used to make tea. While ginseng is generally considered safe, it may adversely affect people with diabetes or hypertension.
9. Milk Thistle
Milk thistle, also known as ‘doodh patra’, is a flower that is used in Ayurveda to treat many conditions of the liver like gall stones. This is thanks to silymarin, the active chemical in the herb, which has a hepatoprotective effect, which means it strengthens the liver and helps get rid of all the toxic substances in it.
Milk thistle is also a potent antioxidant, which means it can fight free radical damage in the liver and can prevent future liver damage. Milk thistle also possesses anti-inflammatory properties that add an additional protective layer. It can be added to milk with honey and consumed in the morning.
10. Phyllanthus Amarus
Phyllanthus Amarus is also known as Bhui Amla and is a medicinal herb that is used to treat a variety of illnesses, especially those affecting the kidney, stomach, and liver. This means that it’s the perfect hangover cure, as it can treat symptoms relating to all these organs.
Consuming this herb can lower blood alcohol levels faster, reducing the hangover period. It improves mood and helps you be on your feet quicker. It can reduce stomach pain and discomfort along with decreasing the risk for kidney stones. This herb can be brewed in tea or added to another drink.
11. Probiotics
One of the main organs affected by alcohol is the gut, which is also a crucial spot that affects overall health. This is why experts recommend consuming probiotics to restore the gut bacteria that gets destroyed by alcohol. Probiotics can also reduce many stomach-related symptoms like pain, discomfort, diarrhea, or gassiness.
There are many ways to consume probiotics, but the best way is to home-set naturally fermented curd or yogurt. Other options are drinks like kombucha, which are fermented and contain good, gut-friendly bacteria. Probiotics like curd help soothe the stomach. provide the body with protein and make you feel better almost instantly.
12. Vitamin C-rich Foods
Hangover symptoms differ from person to person and depend on many factors, like the kind of alcohol consumed. However, it has been found that people who suffer from a deficiency of Vitamins B and C are more severely affected. Vitamin C is essential for a strong immune system. A deficiency of the vitamin can lead to a weakened immune system, which has been associated with more adverse effects due to alcohol.
Having foods rich in Vitamin C can help restore the immune system and help it fight any infections. It is easy to get your daily requirement of Vitamin C from a balanced diet by including foods like citrus fruits, broccoli, strawberries, kiwis, and colored bell peppers.
13. Potassium-rich Foods
Potassium is one of the important minerals the body loses during a hangover, particularly if there is vomiting and diarrhea since alcohol is a diuretic. A lack of potassium can worsen hangover symptoms like headache, fatigue, tiredness, cramps, and nausea.
The best and easiest way to get some potassium into the body instantly is by eating bananas. Other healthy options are avocados, potatoes, spinach, beans, lentils, dried fruits, and salmon. You can also combine foods like bananas and avocados in smoothies.
14. Carbohydrate-rich Foods
Along with all the damage it does to the body, alcohol also lowers blood sugar, sometimes extremely so. This can lead to hypoglycemia, which can appear as dizziness and shakiness. At this stage, the body needs food as fuel to restore the blood’s sugar levels and carbohydrate-rich foods are the best option.
Carb-rich food is more likely to be palatable in a state of a hangover, unlike other options. Plain toast, crackers, or oatmeal are good, healthy options that’ll improve blood sugar levels and also provide energy to feel more alert. Bland foods are best especially in case of nausea or vomiting.
15. Sleep
Sometimes, the best remedy to cure a hangover is to simply sleep it off. Consuming and metabolizing alcohol takes a toll on the body, and it needs time to rest and recover. It’ll also help the hangover period get by without experiencing too many disruptive symptoms.
Another reason to get those winks is that alcohol affects the circadian rhythm and prevents you from falling into deep, REM sleep, which is the restorative stage of sleep. You can try mixing up some of the other remedies like having a chamomile tea to calm the nerves and help you sleep better so you wake up refreshed and energetic.