Is There Anything That Can Cure a Hangover?

It’s the start of the new year, an inspiring time to set intentions like “I should have a glass of water” and “I need to find my wallet” and the classic “I’m never drinking again.” If you were enjoying some lively libations late last night (and technically, early this morning), your pounding head is likely preventing you from feeling a “fresh start” vibe. No shame here: run through this research-based list of hangover cures to get back to normal.

Speaking of research: most of the available writing on this subject will tell you to drink less alcohol, avoid dark liquors, or hydrate more between drinks. That would be valuable advice if we had access to a time machine, but now, the drunk deed has been done. We’re not talking retroactive hangover avoidance tips—we’re talking immediate hangover alleviation tips. We’re also not going to tell you to exercise, no matter how badly Big Sweat wants you to think that will work.

Drink Electrolytes

Buying two bottles of Gatorade from a gas station at 10 a.m. on the morning after is its own walk of shame. But sports drinks or sachets like Pedialyte that are high in electrolytes will help ease some hangover symptoms, particularly dehydration. Because alcohol is a diuretic, your body loses a lot of important minerals when you drink. The result is thirst, headaches, fatigue, and feeling just plain terrible. Replenishing those fluids is paramount if you want to feel better faster.

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Eat Soup

It’s good for the soul, and it’s good for the newly sober. Ask your party friends, and they’ll likely have their favourite go-to bowl (pho and instant ramen were the most popular picks on an Instagram poll. Local dishes like the khao soi from Fat Mao Noodles are personal faves). The New York Times even claims to have a kimchi soup recipe that cures hangovers. It’s not just urban legend: the liquid and salt in soup help replenish those aforementioned lost fluids, plus soft, digestible solids will get your gut feeling better.

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Take Vitamin B6

B vitamins, like vitamin B6, can help suppress the symptoms of a hangover, including nausea and dizziness. B6 is an immune booster that’s good for your brain and nervous system. If you’ve got vitamins handy, one will do, or you can eat foods rich in vitamin B like potatoes, bananas, chickpeas, and fish.

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Listen to Your Grandma

Every culture and family has their own beliefs when it comes to hangover cures, and if it worked for your ancestors, it might work for you—in fact, many quirky traditions are backed by science. Drinking a caesar or bloody mary, for example, may work, because a hangover is a form of alcohol withdrawal (and “hair of the dog” simply gives you what you’re withdrawing from, while tomato juice provides fluids and B vitamins). Pickle juice has a lot of salt, helping combat the effect of the diuretic. Some Italians eat spaghetti at midnight to help curb the hangover, and carbs are known to elevate your blood sugar.

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Sleep

It’s not a flashy or trendy cure, but sleep is a surefire way to rest your body and give yourself a chance to recover. In the short term, drinking does usually make you fall asleep more easily (there are countless videos of frat guys drawing on their passed-out drunk brothers’ faces to prove it), but alcohol actually makes your quality of sleep much worse. So even if you sleep in after a night out, you likely need some more shut-eye to get back to normal. Give yourself permission to go back to bed. The new year can start tomorrow.

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