Grease, contrary to popular belief, won't absorb the alcohol (especially if you slept before eating—your body already absorbed it). Not only that, but if you've ever woken up with an upset stomach kind of hangover, greasy food's only gonna make it worse. Not that you shouldn't eat after a night of drinking.
Eating greasy foods may help slow the absorption of alcohol in the blood. However, this method is only helpful if a person eats the greasy foods before drinking alcohol. Eating greasy foods the morning after might upset the sensitive digestive system, making the hangover worse.
04/7Avoid: Excessive salty food
The next time you go out with your friends for boozing, skip French fries and cheesy nachos. Both the snacks contain a high amount of sodium, which can be bad for your digestive system when you are taking alcohol. Salty food makes you feel thirsty and you will eventually drink more.
Fruit, water, lean protein, and starchy veggies
From there, try to incorporate as many fruits and veggies into your drunk eating snacks as possible, suggests Harbstreet. Another solid place to start: lean protein and starchy veggies, says Gabrielle Tafur, RD.
“[Greasy food is] the worst thing you could have,” says Chernus. “It's because alcohol is processed through the same metabolic pathways as fat, and so when your body is breaking down the alcohol, it's kind of putting the fats to the side. Your body can't handle them at the same time.”
Unfortunately eating greasy food to cure a hangover is a myth, you should actually eat healthy food because the nutrition will help offset the negative effects of alcohol.
Bananas. Packing in 4 grams of fiber per large fruit, bananas are an excellent, portable snack to have on hand before drinking to help slow alcohol absorption into your bloodstream ( 10 ). Plus, they're high in potassium, which may prevent electrolyte imbalances associated with drinking alcohol ( 10 ).
Foods high in protein and healthy fats, like yogurt and salmon, can help slow alcohol absorption. Avocados and bananas also contain plenty of potassium, which you might lose after drinking.
Any food will help, but carbohydrates — like bread, pasta or potatoes — slow down how quickly your body absorbs the alcohol. Eating during or after drinking alcohol may make you feel less intoxicated, but it doesn't mean you've sobered up and are no longer impaired.
Physically having food in your stomach will slow the absorption of alcohol, meaning your blood alcohol level won't go up as high, Rosalind Breslow, Ph. D, R.D., of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), tells BuzzFeed Life.
Any food will help, but carbohydrates — like bread, pasta or potatoes — slow down how quickly your body absorbs the alcohol. Eating during or after drinking alcohol may make you feel less intoxicated, but it doesn't mean you've sobered up and are no longer impaired.
The Science Behind It
If you eat before ingesting alcohol, your body will thank you later on. The fat in something like a greasy burger actually sticks to the stomach lining longer, which slows the absorption of alcohol into your bloodstream.
Generally speaking, it takes about 6 hours for the effects of being drunk to wear off. If you count the hangover/detoxification period that happens after drinking alcohol, the effects may last longer. For most people, one drink leads to a . 02 blood alcohol level.
Feeling like crap may leave you wanting to eat like crap — but try not to. “Most people think that they need to eat greasy food to absorb the alcohol but that isn't true,” says Shapiro. “By then the alcohol has been digested and processed by your body so there is nothing to 'absorb.
Our bodies tend to lose potassium when we drink alcohol (especially when drinking excessive amounts),2 so eating potassium-rich foods prior to drinking can help boost the amount in your body. Spinach, avocado, potatoes, lentils, milk, and yogurt are also high in potassium and great to snack on before drinking.
"When you're hungover, you need to hydrate your body. The way you feel – that headache – it's mostly caused by dehydration. Something like Coca-Cola has lots of sugar and fluids and will put those back into your body to get your energy levels up. The caffeine will also give you an energy boost."
Contrary to popular knowledge, heading to the local takeaway joint is not a great idea. Turns out, a large, fatty meal is better at preventing a hangover than curing one, since fried foods can irritate the stomach.
Once alcohol enters the bloodstream, no amount of grease will get it out. You can slow down the rate of alcohol absorption by eating large meals before drinking, but that doesn't change how long it takes to sober up.
“On top of this, a study has shown that even though alcohol tends to be calorie heavy, it also causes a phenomenon that causes your brain to feel like it needs more food. “For the alcohol-influenced mind, junk food provides the perfect solution: salty, stodgy food to make us feel full.”
Some research suggests that alcohol might stimulate nerve cells in the brain's hypothalamus that increase appetite. According to one study, neurons in the brain that are generally activated by actual starvation, causing an intense feeling of hunger, can be stimulated by alcohol.