The holiday season is full of opportunities for boozy fun. A festive cocktail here, a mulled wine there. So if learning how to prevent a hangover is at the top of your wish list, we get it.
Before you hark back to your college tactics or old wives’ tales passed down from your parents, we’re sorry to say that most hangover prevention tricks just plain don’t work. When you drink too much, there’s only so much you can do while your liver clears the damage. But there are a few things you can do to ward off a post-party puke-fest.
What causes a hangover?
Well, drinking alcohol—but you already knew that. There are several reasons alcohol can make you feel crummy. That’s because “alcohol is a toxin to the body,” Keith Humphreys, PhD, a psychiatry professor at Stanford University who researches the prevention and treatment of addiction disorders, tells SELF. As fun as it might be, you’re always going to be putting your body a bit through the wringer when you over-imbibe.
According to the Mayo Clinic, alcohol can cause dehydration, irritate the lining of the stomach (which is why you might feel puke-y), expand blood vessels in a way that can cause headaches, and prevent you from reaching deep stages of sleep, which can make you feel exhausted. It also triggers an inflammatory response from the immune system and causes blood sugar to drop, which can make you feel weak and shaky and make it difficult to concentrate. All of these things can contribute to your state of misery the morning after.
If you have fond memories of being able to throw several back as a college student without consequence, but now even a few drinks can ruin the next day, that’s par for the course, Dr. Humphreys says. “Our body’s ability to metabolize lots of things weakens with age,” he says. Alcohol is no exception.
How to prevent a hangover before drinking
You might have seen supplements that claim to prevent a hangover. Some say to take them before you start drinking, some after, and some say both before and after. But sorry, Dr. Humphreys says there’s no evidence they work—it’s probably a lot more marketing than science.
There are some things you can do to help avoid a hangover before you start drinking, though. The first one? Eat, says David Seitz, MD, medical director for Ascendant Detox, a drug and alcohol treatment center in New York. “Eating food while drinking can help slow the absorption of alcohol into your bloodstream and reduce the severity of a hangover the next day,” Dr. Seitz tells SELF.
Some people say that high-fat or high-protein meals are better, but Dr. Humphreys says what matters most is that you eat a full meal and that you keep eating as the night goes on. (Those gingerbread men aren’t going to eat themselves!)
Another huge must: Drink water, Dr. Seitz says. “Alcohol consumption can lead to dehydration, so it is important to stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water and other non-alcoholic beverages,” he says. That’s true before you go out, but also while you’re drinking and after you get home.
How to prevent a hangover as you drink
You’re less likely to get a hangover if you don’t drink much and don’t have drinks back-to-back. Keep an eye on both the number of drinks you’re having as well as the frequency. One serving of alcohol (which is 12 oz. of beer, 5 oz. of wine, or 1.5 oz. of liquor) or fewer per hour will give your liver a better chance of keeping up, Dr. Humphreys says.
But if you’re hoping for a magic number of drinks that will keep you from a hangover, we’re sorry to say it doesn’t exist. (You know, besides “zero.”) Exactly how many drinks it’ll take to cause a hangover depends on too many factors to give a generalized guide. Your body weight, how regularly you drink, and whether you have an intolerance to alcohol all contribute to how hungover you might feel, Dr. Humphreys says.
Some people can get a hangover from even one drink, but for most, it’ll take more than that, Dr. Humphreys says. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines “binge drinking,” a common pattern of excessive alcohol use, as four or more drinks for women and five or more drinks for men in a single outing. Some people might be able to drink that much and still wake up feeling fine, but others will be hugging the toilet.
“Be sure to know your limits, and practice moderation when consuming alcohol,” Dr. Seitz says. If you need a little help, he continues, “ask a friend or family member to help you keep track of how much alcohol you are consuming” and check in with you if you go over your limit.
One thing that does help defang a hangover: Keep the unspiked drinks flowing. Try having a water or club soda after each glass of wine or take sips of water as you’re drinking a cocktail. This will both help you stay hydrated and help you consume less alcohol without having to teetotal completely, Dr. Humphreys says.
There’s also no special order of alcohol that will keep you from feeling sick. That means you can forget the whole “beer before wine, you’ll be fine” adage, Dr. Humphreys says. But if you’re trying to be extra clever, select your drinks more carefully. As the Mayo Clinic explains, darker alcohols like brandy and bourbon are more likely to cause a hangover due to ingredients that give them flavor. Clear spirits like vodka or gin might go easier on you the next morning. But, ultimately, too much of any type of alcohol can cause a hangover.
How to prevent a hangover before bed
Many drinkers suggest taking a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID), like ibuprofen, before you go to sleep for the night to stop a hangover from setting in. But there’s not a whole lot of evidence taking these ahead of time will help, Dr. Humphreys says. And make sure you check the label of any over-the-counter pain medication you pop: As the Mayo Clinic points out, mixing acetaminophen (Tylenol) with alcohol (or before or after you drink) may do a number on your liver as well.
The best advice might sound familiar: Eat and hydrate. “Eat a balanced meal full of foods that are high in protein and complex carbohydrates, as these help the body metabolize alcohol more quickly,” Dr. Seitz says.
Rather than going to bed with your head still spinning, consider sobering up first. “It might help to stay awake for a few hours after drinking to help metabolize the alcohol more quickly,” Dr. Seitz says. “When you’ve had enough time to sober up, you can go to bed and get a full night’s rest.”
What to do if you have a hangover
If you’ve faithfully followed all of this advice but still wake up feeling crummy—or if you threw caution to the wind and are now in hangover hell—there are a few things that can help with a hangover in the morning.
First, yes, there is some truth to “hair of the dog” helping with hangover symptoms—meaning, having an alcoholic drink first thing in the morning. Hangovers are partly caused by a withdrawal from alcohol, Dr. Humphreys explains. But drinking more essentially just delays your hangover. “You still have to go through withdrawal from that, unless you keep drinking all day,” Dr. Humphreys says. Which is obviously not going to be great for you.
Instead, do some basic TLC. Get some food in your system, Dr. Seitz says, and drink water or some other non-alcoholic beverage to rehydrate. Although that greasy slice of pizza may seem like a hangover miracle cure, there’s not really anything special about it—Dr. Seitz and Dr. Humphreys both say that what’s important is just that you get food in your system. So if it makes you feel better, have at it. (It might make you feel more bleh in the end, though, depending on how your stomach is dealing.)
You can also turn to an NSAID, like ibuprofen, to help with a headache, and ginger or peppermint tea might help with nausea. “Ultimately, the best way to get rid of a hangover is to let it run its course and allow your body time to recover,” Dr. Seitz says. “The most you can do is to keep yourself as comfortable as possible until the hangover passes.” Ideally: Snuggle up with a holiday movie—and try to take a nap.
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