Natural relief from a hangover
We all know that ‘morning after the night before’ feeling when ‘just a few drinks’ has suddenly turned into a lot more than you had planned and you’ve ended up over-indulging. The pounding headache, the upset stomach, and your mouth resembles some as yet uncharted region of the Sahara desert. Welcome to your hangover!
Causes of a hangover
There is an obvious answer to the question of what causes a hangover. Drinking heavily the night before. But snarky answers aside, why do you feel so terrible after drinking too much?
Alcohol is what is known as a diuretic, which means that it purges your body of water before it can be absorbed. Paradoxically then, one of the biggest factors in a hangover is dehydration – despite how much you drank the night before.
As well as being the main ingredient in any number of cocktails, alcohol is also an irritant to the stomach. This is why most people suffer from an upset tummy and even nausea after a night on the tiles. It also strips your body of vitamins and minerals and disrupts the quality of the sleep you get.
If you’re a woman you unfortunately possess less enzymes that metabolise alcohol in your body when compared to your male counterparts. This means you are much more likely to suffer from a hangover.
Scientists have also recently proven what we have all suspected for years: that hangovers get worse as you get older. This explains why you cannot recover as well from a big night out as you could when you were a student!
Hangover cures
Unfortunately, despite great advances in several areas, science has yet to come up with a hangover cure. So just like lunches, there is no such thing as a free drinking session. We do have a few suggestions that will alleviate your pain and suffering, and one final fool proof tip for avoiding a hangover.
Eating is not cheating
More a prevention than a cure, making sure that you have eaten before drinking alcohol will help to delay the effect of alcohol on your system. Drinking alcohol on an empty stomach means that it will be absorbed into your body much more quickly and you will feel the effects faster too.
Hydrate during the evening and before you go to bed
Alternating your drinks is another good preventative measure. By alternating between an alcoholic drink and a soft drink you cut down the amount of alcohol that you drink, may cut the number of calories and will help to rehydrate the body.
And speaking of hydration, making sure that you drink water before retiring for the evening will help to keep you hydrated through the night and therefore minimise the effects of dehydration.
Natural Support: Milk Thistle
Milk Thistle is a popular herbal remedy for a hangover due to its long history of having been taken to help protect the liver from damage. So are we saying there are pills for a hangover? Well, Milk Thistle can be taken as tablets both before and after your night out. Although it cannot prevent a hangover, it may ease your symptoms and is worth trying as a hangover supplement.
What is Milk Thistle good for?
Thisilyn Milk Thistle and Thisilyn Maximum Strength Milk Thistle are traditional herbal medicinal products used to relieve the symptoms associated with occasional over indulgence of drink and food such as indigestion and upset stomach, exclusively based upon long-standing use as a traditional remedy. Always read the label.
Refuel
There also seems to be some truth in the ‘fry-up’ that some people claim is the ultimate hangover cure. Eating can improve your blood sugar levels which is another cause of that ‘morning after’ feeling. Avoiding coffee for breakfast and substituting it with fruit juice. The fructose in the fruit will help speed your body’s metabolism of alcohol. And eat foods high in protein such as eggs as they help produce serotonin and endorphins, the body’s ‘feel good’ chemicals.
And that fool proof tip to avoiding a hangover altogether? Abstinence from alcohol the night before. Sorry!
