As alcohol is a diuretic (increases fluid loss) we tend to excrete more B vitamins than usual and if these B vitamins are not replenished in enough time, a hangover may arise.
Vitamin B has long been praised as a hangover helper, and it's true that it can greatly reduce the symptoms of a hangover. Choose supplements including B-1, B-6 and B-12, to boost your body's metabolism and replace the B vitamins lost the night before.
Bump up the B vitamins before and after drinking
In fact, in one study, vitamin B6 reduced the number of hangover symptoms by approximately 50 percent. For anyone who has suffered after a night of overindulgence, this is certainly good to hear.
Factors that may make a hangover more likely or severe include: Drinking on an empty stomach. Having no food in your stomach speeds the body's absorption of alcohol. Using other drugs, such as nicotine, along with alcohol.
Although definitive studies are missing, individuals who consider themselves “light drinkers” can also have a magnesium deficiency from alcoholism. Hence, replacement of magnesium along with water is one of the fastest ways of improving hangover symptoms.
One study on chronic alcoholics suggested that magnesium supplementation over six weeks decreases abnormally high activities of three enzymes related to liver function: serum gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT), aspartate-aminotransferase (ASAT) and alanine-aminotransferase (ALAT), and increases muscle strength [4].
As magnesium is so important to over 400 different chemical reactions and is depleted by alcohol, I recommend supplementing with 300-500mg of Magnesium glycinate or bisglycinate. Glycine helps to slow alcohol absorption and helps support the detoxification of alcohol through producing the antioxidant glutathione (5).
Hangovers vary from person to person, but usually involve a headache, nausea, tiredness and dehydration. Dehydration is one of the main causes of your hangover symptoms.
“There is also the build-up of acetaldehyde – which happens at the mid-point when your body is metabolising alcohol. As you age, your ability to metabolise alcohol drops. That's what you can smell on a heavy drinker's breath the morning-after-the-night-before.
Your body no longer metabolises certain things, including alcohol, as well because your liver doesn't work quite as efficiently as it did when you were 21. Enzymes in your liver begin to process alcohol by breaking it down into acetaldehyde, a toxin commonly thought to be a contributor to hangover symptoms.
Heavy drinkers may benefit from adding vitamin B1, B2, B3, B6, and B9 supplements as indicated by symptoms of deficiencies, and under professional medical guidance. Vitamin B1 deficiency can be treated by ceasing alcohol consumption (with professional help), improving nutritional factors, and taking B1 supplements.
Supplementing with a high-quality glutathione supplement can help your hangover tremendously, and therefore also anxiety associated with hangovers! In fact, glutathione has been called the "hangover cure" by many!
Berroca is not widely marketed as a hangover cure because it is not one. With that said, Berroca does effectively address some of the symptoms associated to the common hangover providing some relief. The best thing to treat a hangover is good old fashioned water. Adding Berroca to that may help you rehydrate!
Two nutrients are known to play an important role in alcohol metabolism, namely nicotinic acid and zinc [20,21]. Dietary intake of these micronutrients is necessary, as the body is unable to synthesize them itself [22,23].
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 reasons for this include changes in body composition to brain sensitivity and liver functioning. Lifestyle factors are at play, too. And since people tend to take more medications—both prescription and over-the-counter—as they age, there are more chances for uncomfortable and even dangerous booze-drug mixing.
Sip a glass of water
When you wake up hungover, especially if you're nauseous, it can feel like putting more liquids into your stomach is the last thing you need. But, drinking can cause mild dehydration, and rehydrating is important for feeling better.
They determined that being hungover can involve impairment of your cognitive functions and interfere with the normal performance of everyday tasks like driving. So, does being hungover mean you're still drunk? Not always, but it can produce the same effects — other than the fun, feel-good ones.
Is Vitamin B12 Good For Hangovers? The only reliable hangover cure is limiting alcohol intake in the first place. Nonetheless, taking vitamin B12 supplements before and after drinking alcohol may help replenish the amount of this essential nutrient in your body and allow it to recover faster from hangover symptoms.
Magnesium deficiency is diagnosed via a blood test and sometimes a urine test. Your doctor may order the blood test if you have symptoms such as weakness, irritability, abnormal heart rhythm, nausea and/or diarrhoea, or if you have abnormal calcium or potassium levels.