Hangover Remedies

Hangover remedies have existed since the dawn of civilization, or at least the dawn of fermentation, which didn't arrive much later. Despite the proliferation of hangover cures, modern medical science still hasn't figured out what causes a hangover. This means there's no one cure-all for being hung over.

Hangover RemediesWe can make educated guesses about why alcohol produces hangovers, even if researchers and pharmaceutical companies realize there's more money to be made in finding another remedy for erectile dysfunction or allergies. Below are some of the best remedies for your hungover state.

Best Hangover Remedy - Water

I've gone on at length about drinking water, because it's the best hangover remedy, so I'll be brief while I'm talking about hangover remedies. Just remember that alcohol dehydrates the body, so drinking plenty of water helps to rehydrate after a drinking binge.

Drink 2 to 3 glasses of water right before going to bed after drinking. This lets you add water back into your system, while flushing the body's cells of the toxins extracted from alcohol. Water makes your body go, so keep your water levels filled up.

Of course, if you wake up the next morning with nausea and a splitting headache, drinking water isn't going to get the job done. In fact, whenever I'm nauseous, I can't keep water on my stomach. So you'll have to find other remedies for that crushing headache and upset stomach.

Hangover Remedy - Sleep Sitting Up

When you drink too much, the alcohol in your blood stream causes the blood vessels in your body to dilate. This causes more blood to flow to places like your brain, even when you're sleeping. But if you sleep lying down, this can cause painful headaches up waking. Why?

Your body is used to you sitting up or standing up. It's adapted to have blood in your brain return to the heart through the force of gravity. But when your blood vessels are wide open and your laying down, the blood isn't going to flow back to your heart fast enough. The blood pools in your brain, causing painful headaches.

If you sleep sitting up, though, gravity helps to drain the blood out of your brain at a more natural rate. Sleep standing up keeps the blood in your body from pooling up in your brain.

Aspirin as a Preventative Measure

I've heard people complain that aspirin doesn't work against a hangover headache. That's probably because the person took the aspirin too late. Aspirin works fine as a preventive measure against headaches, or just as headache symptoms are starting. Aspirin doesn't work so well, when the effects are already full blown.

So take two aspirin with a big glass of water before you go to sleep. Aspirin is a blood thinner, among other things. It keeps blood from clotting up, which alleviates all but the worst cases of hangover headaches.

Drink water when you're taking aspirin. Aspirin taken by itself often causes the stomach to bleed. Taken with water, the stomach bleeds less or not all at. Water not only rehydrates the body, but also flushes some of the alcohol and toxins associated with alcohol out of your system.

Carbonated Drinks - Hangover Remedies

Another good method for an upset stomach is the cola or carbonated drink. Drinking a cola or a ginger ale helps with certain hangover symptoms, because the fizz in the carbonation helps an upset stomach.

Tomato Juice - Hangover Remedy

Drink tomato juice with a bit of lemon juice added. This replenishes the body with several nutrients and vitamins that are lost in a big alcoholic binge.

More Hangover Remedies

Best Hangover RemedyHere's a list of alternate hangover remedies I've compiled. These are taken from various cultures around the globe, who have traditionally used these methods to cure their hangover symptoms.

I'm not saying that polyunsaturated fats cure hangovers. Instead, I'm saying that you had best eat polyunsaturated fats than saturated fats. Saturated fats have been shown to make alcohol effects peak quicker, then remain longer, than other foods.

You may not want to know what "bifidus powder" is, if you want to ingest it. Bifidus powder is the "friendly bacteria", which detoxifies acetaldehyde, one of the main hangover toxins. Dissolve a teaspoon of bifidus powder in a glass of water and drink it before going to bed. Note that bifidus powder is expensive, at about $40 per pound, but this should last for months.

Hangover Remedies - B6 Supplements

Studies have shown that B6 supplements taken in large doses might have some effect on hangovers. That's in large doses, though, so there are probably more effective remedies.

Hangover Chasers - Drinking Remedies

A lot of people use over-the-counter carbon filters like "Chaser", RU-21, Sob'r-K Hangover Stopper, Rebound and Berocca as hangover remedies. Some of these claim to be hangover cures, while others make no such claims. Rebound, Berocca and RU-21 are, more or less, multivitamins.

Chaser and Sob'r-K Hangover Stopper include interesting instructions. You're supposed to take 1-2 of these pills before drinking, then several times throughout the night. When you take the pills, you're supposed to drink them with a glass of water.

From what we've learned on this website, you know that drinking plenty of water helps to reduce the chances of a hangover. So these hangover pills instruct you to drink several glasses of water throughout the night. I suppose if it makes you feel better to take the vitamin supplements along with them.

Milk Thistle Pills

Milk thistle has been used for two millennia as a cure for certain liver ailments. Milk thistle removes toxins from the liver, including some of those put there by alcohol. Studies are circumspect about milk thistle curing long-term ailments of the liver, but in the short term, there is evidence milk thistle hangover remedies work.

Remedies for Hangovers

You should be able to find a suitable binge relief remedy off that list of hangover remedies. If none of them work and you still get bad hangovers, I would suggest you moderate your drinking somewhat. If that doesn't sound like a particularly good idea, I'd suggest you suffer for about 24 hours and realize it's only a matter of time before you detox, dry out and get better.