Hangovers and How to Survive Them

What Drinking and Hangovers Do to Our Bodies

Let’s not kid ourselves. Most of us will be drinking over the holidays. And some of us will have a drink that will qualify as ‘one too many’.

This will not only dehydrate our bodies, but also fill it with substances that will cause anything from feeling mild ‘under the weather’ symptoms to severe headaches.

Social Pressures of Drinking During Holidays

Alcoholic drinks are always associated with most celebrations. And there are a variety of reasons why. As an intoxicant, alcohol tends to reduce our inhibitions and allow us to behave more naturally.  Drinking makes us act in ways that are typical of celebratory occasions.

Drinking also serves as a delineator between work-related and recreational activities. Alcohol acts as a reminder that this is not your typical day-to-day activity and drinking it makes us as we are taking part in a special event and acts as a marker to let us know that things are not “business as usual.”

Be Mindful of the Toxins That Enter the Body

As we enjoy ourselves during the holidays, we must always think about the consequences in addition to having a good time! It is good to keep in mind that while we’re enjoying a ‘good glass’ of this and that, we are also loading our body with chemicals.

Most hangover symptoms are actually caused by diuretic or dehydrating effects of booze. Chemical by-products of the fermentation process such as congeners – a class of chemicals that can also further worsen hangovers –  are what gives an alcoholic drink a distinct flavor. Some commonly used congeners include methanols, tannins, and acetaldehyde that can be usually found in higher concentrations such as whiskey, bourbon and red wine. Make sure to limit your intake when these dark drinks are available!  

Pharmacological Interventions Are Not Effective

But does taking less can guarantee a hangover-free morning? For some people, as little as one drink can trigger a hangover. So it’s safe to say that you should always be prepared for the aftermath of drinking alcoholic beverages.

The popularity of hangover products is continuously growing as people believe that they cannot afford to have bad days. But even with the increasing number of “cures”for hangovers, many researchers including Dr. Emmert Roberts from Stanford University,  continue to be dubious of their claims. Dr. Roberts recently reviewed 21 studies on hangover interventions and he concluded that : “Only very low quality evidence of efficacy is available to recommend any pharmacologically active intervention for the treatment or prevention of alcohol-induced hangover. Of the limited interventions studied, all had favorable tolerability profiles and very low quality evidence suggests clove extract, tolfenamic acid and pyritinol may most warrant further study.”

Five Journeys’ Approach to Dealing With Hangovers

Although there are several well-known remedies for hangovers, very few of them have scientific support. Nevertheless, there are a number of scientifically supported methods to prevent or reduce the unpleasant symptoms that frequently follow a night of drinking.

1. Drink more fluids!
   • Alcohol has a diuretic effect, which means that it causes more urination. This may result in the loss of electrolytes and fluids that your body needs to function properly. Hangover symptoms can also include diarrhea and vomiting, causing further dehydration. Increasing your water intake may alleviate these symptoms so stay hydrated throughout the following day to feel better!
2. Have a healthy breakfast
   • The exhaustion and headaches associated with a hangover could theoretically be caused in part by the brain working without enough of its primary fuel because drinking may drop blood sugar levels. In addition to that, many drinkers neglect to eat, further reducing their blood sugar levels. Eating food rich in Zinc such as nuts, eggs, dairy products and whole grains may lessen the symptoms of your hangover. 
3. Take supplements

The majority of individuals consume their vitamins and minerals through capsules or topical creams. However, the body doesn’t absorb all the nutrients because digestion and absorption take time. Want to feel better in minutes? With Five Journey’s IV therapy, key vitamins and nutrients are injected directly into the bloodstreams, where they’re immediately absorbed by the body. With IV therapy, you can easily go back to your daily routine after a long night of celebration!

Additional Resources:

• 7 steps to cure your hangover – Harvard Health
• Can Anything Help a Hangover? – The New York Times
• The efficacy and tolerability of pharmacologically active interventions for alcohol-induced hangover symptomatology: a systematic review of the evidence from randomised placebo-controlled trials – PubMed (nih.gov)