No food can erase the effects of a night of drinking alcohol, but the best hangover foods are hydrating and anti-inflammatory. Rest helps, too. Try to avoid greasy foods, sugar, and caffeine which can make your symptoms worse. Instead, stick to water and foods like bananas and crackers.
Dairy foods such as cheese, milk, ice cream, dessert, butter, and yogurt should be avoided when drinking alcohol as well as before and after. They will only make your health worse. Alcohol and dairy products taken together in the stomach might result in infection, stomach pain, and even constipation.
Bananas contain a good amount of potassium. Eating a banana will help to replenish the body's potassium levels after a night of heavy drinking. Bananas also contain fiber and sugar. Fiber promotes digestion and can alleviate digestive symptoms; sugar provides the energy a person needs to start the day.
Shapiro recommends maintaining a balance of carbs, protein and fat to prevent further blood sugar drops and spikes, and replenishing lost nutrients, electrolytes and B-vitamins. Some options: Two eggs with whole wheat toast and a side of fruit or avocado toast (for the potassium) An omelet with veggies.
The best advice might sound familiar: Eat and hydrate. “Eat a balanced meal full of foods that are high in protein and complex carbohydrates, as these help the body metabolize alcohol more quickly,” Dr. Seitz says. Rather than going to bed with your head still spinning, consider sobering up first.
Congeners are compounds, other than ethyl alcohol, that are produced during fermentation. These substances contribute to the taste and smell of alcoholic beverages. Darker spirits, such as bourbon, which tend to have higher levels of congeners than clear spirits, could worsen hangover symptoms for some people.
Eating and drinking
Eating before, during, and after drinking can help slow the absorption of alcohol into the bloodstream. Drinking plenty of water can also assist with dehydration and flushing toxins from the body.
Greasy Food
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.
Carb-heavy foods such as bread, sandwiches, toast, and crackers are some of the best things to eat with a hangover. They're easy for the stomach to digest and offer an immediate source of energy. Carbohydrates are also naturally high in sodium, so they can help replenish your electrolyte levels too.
“For the alcohol-influenced mind, junk food provides the perfect solution: salty, stodgy food to make us feel full.” However, while you might crave a McDonald's when you're hungover, Dr Simic advises you against this.
Milk does not contain magic hangover-curing ingredients. It's a nutritious drink that will provide you with some energy and hydration. And more importantly, you may be able to tolerate it better than a meal in the morning when hungover. But it really doesn't matter what type of milk you go for.
Consuming alcohol causes a temporary drop in blood sugar levels and hormones that suppress the appetite [7]. The sugary and carbonated liquids in alcohol cause feelings of fullness [8].
Drink water before indulging in alcohol, before bed and the day after. Dehydration is a major contributor to the hangover symptoms you've come to know and loathe.
"Drinking water may help against thirst and a dry mouth, but it will not take away the misery, the headache and the nausea."
For example, the liver will be overworking to process alcohol, you'll be tired from little and/or poor quality sleep, you're likely to be urinating more as alcohol is a diuretic, leaving you dehydrated and headache-y – and any post-night out vomiting can irritate the stomach for several days.
The bottom line
Try to avoid greasy foods, sugar, and caffeine which can make your symptoms worse. Instead, stick to water and foods like bananas and crackers.
Congeners are found in larger amounts in dark liquors, such as brandy and bourbon, than in clear liquors, such as vodka and gin. Congeners are more likely to produce a hangover or increase the severity of a hangover. But drinking too much alcohol of any color can still make you feel bad the next morning.
The “first night effect” (FNE) is a well-known phenomenon in polysomnographic (PSG) recordings characterized by decreased total sleep time, lower sleep efficiencies, reduction in REM sleep, and longer REM latencies on the first night of testing (Agnew, Webb, & Williams,1966).
Alcohol also decreases the release of vasopressin (a hormone that regulates the amount of water in your body), which results in your body flushing out water much faster than normal. This can cause dehydration which, in turn, can trigger headaches, which could impact your sleep and make you feel tired the morning after.