Surprising Hangover Cures

Science-Backed Ways To Feel Better After A Night Of Drinking, From Pears To Mashed Potatoes

These six unconventional hangover cures could surprise you.Photo courtesy of Pexels

Everyone has their own beliefs about effective hangover cures — which typically include gulping Gatorade, eating greasy burgers for breakfast, or waking up and reaching for the aspirin bottle.

Hangovers are mostly the result of dehydration, which occurs after a night of drinking because alcohol is a urine-producing diuretic. Headache, nausea, dry mouth, fatigue, and dizziness are common features of  hangovers. Here are some scientifically-backed hangover cures that might surprise you.

PEARS & PEAR JUICE

Want to avoid a hangover altogether? Before going out drinking, try eating an Asian pear or drinking some pear juice. According to a government-funded study conducted in Australia, the Asian pear may be able to prevent feeling hung over after a night of drinking.

“Believe it or not, there are effects that pears may have on the amount of blood alcohol after an alcoholic drink,” Professor Manny Noakes, research director of Nutrition and Health at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).

ASPARAGUS

Asparagus has proven to be a good food to break down alcohol in the body. In a 2009 study, researchers found that amino acids in asparagus boosted the speed of cells that worked to break down alcohol, preventing damage from its toxic byproducts.

EXERCISE

A recent study, published online in the British Journal of Sports Medicine in September, found that exercising at even basic recommended weekly physical activity levels (at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity) could potentially offset some of the harmful effects of drinking alcohol.

According to researchers, the findings do not suggest that exercise completely offsets these effects of alcohol; they do show just how significant physical activity is to our overall health.

GINGER

Ginger contains magnesium, zinc, and chromium, which helps prevent chills, fevers and excessive sweating, Medical Daily  has reported. It can also be ingested to reduce pain and inflammation – making ginger tea a potential option for beating your hangover.

MASHED POTATOES

Gastroenterologists say that consuming mashed potatoes before drinking can help prevent hangovers, Medical Daily reported.

“It’s not about lining your stomach as such – but if you put fat in your stomach before a drink, once it gets into the duodenum [the first part of the small intestine] it will slow down gastric emptying, so that drink will not be emptied so quickly from the stomach,” Dr. Nick Read, a gastroenterologist and medical adviser to the IBS Network, told the Daily Mail in December 2013. “This means you’ll get drunk less quickly, which could mean a milder hangover.”

Nov 20, 2016 01:27 PM By Kelsey Drain

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