Hangover symptoms are usually caused by dehydration – alcohol makes you pee more, which makes you dehydrated. While hangover cures are generally a myth, there are some foods, drinks and supplements which some people believe can help you get back to normal.
Coconut water with pear and lime juice
According to a study published in November this year, coconut water mixed with pear and lime juice is the ultimate cure for a hangover.
The juice was said to boost two enzymes that break down alcohol in the body, helming relieve hangover symptoms.
The study, published in the journal Current Research in Food Science, found the drink was made even more effective when paired with some cheese, tomato and cucumber.
“A beverage made from a blend of sweet lime, pear, and coconut water could be used to overcome hangover,” the authors, from the Institute of Chemical Technology in Mumbai, wrote.
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“The consumption of this beverage with cheese, cucumber and tomatoes may further alleviate the hangover symptoms.”
The juice blend is made of 65 percent pear juice, 25 percent of sweet lime and 10 percent coconut water.
These ingredients help bolster the enzymes alcohol dehydrogenase, found in the liver, by 23 percent and the enzyme aldehyde dehydrogenase, found in the liver, kidneys and lungs, by 70 percent.
The study also suggested avoiding coffee, milk, oats, eggs and spices, including pepper, nutmeg and cinnamon.
How to avoid a hangover
The NHS says there are no cures for a hangover, but there are things you can do to avoid one.
To avoid a hangover it advises:
- Don’t drink more than you know your body can cope with. If you’re not sure how much that is, be careful.
- Don’t drink on an empty stomach. Before you go out, have a meal that includes carbohydrates (such as pasta or rice) or fats. The food will help slow down the body’s absorption of alcohol.
- Don’t drink dark-coloured drinks if you’ve found you’re sensitive to them. They contain natural chemicals called congeners, which irritate blood vessels and tissue in the brain and can make a hangover worse.
- Drink water or non-fizzy soft drinks in between each alcoholic drink. Carbonated (fizzy) drinks speed up the absorption of alcohol into your system.
- Drink a pint or so of water before you go to sleep. Keep a glass of water by the bed to sip if you wake up during the night.
