A reason for this can be some hangover cure myths, which dictate that eating calorie-loaded and salty food 'absorb the alcohol' from the body and get rid of the headache. However, the real reason is that alcohol consumption often plays with our blood sugar levels, thus making us feel hungry more often.
“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.
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.
Once again this is a myth, but lots of people claim McDonald's coke has a magical effect on hangovers. People also say it has to be just right- not too fizzy, not too cold, not too flat, not too warm. Well I agree, when it is just right it can move the earth, but it is not a cure.
Full fat coke
The sugar in full-fat coca-cola will give you some much-needed energy if you're unable to catch up on any lost sleep. It will also help you feel less trembly, with the fizz also helping settle your stomach. Ice cold is often the preference, and from a can instead of a bottle.
"The combination of sugar, caffeine, fluid, fizz and cold gives people the impression that their hangover is better," she explains. "It is a fluid so will solve your thirst to a certain extent, but it does not contain much in the way of electrolytes; minerals that aid rehydration.
' What you are feeling are the effects of dehydration and low blood sugar. To bring your blood sugar back up to normal, you really just need to eat anything with some carbs, but balance it out with protein or healthy fats to prevent further blood sugar drops,” she says.
"Due to this, cravings for foods that provide quick energy, such as those high in sugar and fat are common effects of hangovers," she told Indian Express.
A hangover typically lasts anywhere from 12 to 36 hours, although it could last in some cases for up to 72 hours. Exactly how long a hangover can last will depend on several factors, such as the person's tolerance of alcohol, how much they drank, when they stopped drinking, and what kind of alcohol was consumed.
According to Sarah Adler, Queen Anne-based nutrition coach, healthy lifestyle expert, food blogger and owner of lifestyle brand Simply Real Health, when you eat too much of the sweet stuff, your blood sugar spikes and crashes within the next hour or two, resulting in the sugar hangover feeling.
Carb-heavy foods like bread, crackers, sandwiches, and pasta are typically easy to digest, which is what your body needs at this point. The myth that eating tacos, pizza, and burgers will help "soak up" the alcohol is just wrong. "Greasy food doesn't soak up anything, it's not soluble in water," White said.
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.
Taking a shower won't slow down your recovery from symptoms, but it won't help you instantly bounce back either. A hangover is very unpleasant, and we would love to do something as simple as a jump in the shower to make the symptoms disappear, but that is not the case.
Drink Lots of Water to Replenish Lost Fluids
“It does this by suppressing certain hormones that help the body hold on to fluid, and therefore you are losing fluids by urinating.” The Cleveland Clinic notes you can lose up to a quart of urine in the hours after you've had four alcoholic drinks.
Dehydration is a major contributor to the hangover symptoms you've come to know and loathe. Drinking water before bed and hydrating thoroughly the day after a night of heavy drinking can help to restore your body's hydration. Adequate water intake also ensures your body is able to flush toxins efficiently.
The Chinese study showed that Sprite could help clear alcohol's toxic byproducts faster than other beverages thanks to the amino acid taurine, a common ingredient in soft drinks. Taurine has been shown to speed up the ALDH process and promote the elimination of acetaldehyde.
“Hangovers are essentially the first sign of withdrawal from alcohol from over imbibing.” The headache, upset stomach, dehydration and dry, metallic taste in your mouth that lasts up to 24 hours, is caused by a toxic by-product of alcohol called acetaldehyde, said Mankes.
The sugar, and other nutrients, may have an influence of your brain chemistry making you feel better, but eating just slows the process of alcohol breakdown.