Although low blood sugar levels are not necessarily the cause of a hangover, they’re often associated with it ( 1). One reason is that a good breakfast can help you maintain steady blood sugar levels. Eat a good breakfastĮating a hearty breakfast is one of the most well-known remedies for a hangover. Staying hydrated could reduce hangover symptoms such as thirst, fatigue, headache, and dizziness. summaryĭrinking alcohol can cause dehydration, which may worsen certain hangover symptoms. Stay hydrated throughout the following day by drinking water whenever you feel thirsty. Though this won’t necessarily prevent dehydration, it can help you moderate your alcohol intake.
When drinking alcohol, a good rule is to alternate between a glass of water and an alcoholic drink. Second, consuming excessive amounts of alcohol can lead to vomiting and diarrhea, causing further loss of fluids and electrolytes ( 6).Īlthough dehydration is not the only cause of a hangover, it contributes to many common hangover symptoms, including increased thirst, fatigue, headache, and dizziness ( 7).Īs such, increasing your water intake may alleviate some symptoms of hangovers - or potentially even prevent them altogether. This can lead to the loss of fluids and electrolytes that your body needs in order to function properly ( 4, 5). Stay hydratedĭrinking alcohol can lead to dehydration in a few different ways.įirst, alcohol has a diuretic effect, meaning that it increases the production of urine.
summaryĬhoosing drinks that are low in congeners, such as vodka, gin, and rum, could decrease the severity and frequency of hangovers, but more research is needed. However, more recent, high quality studies are still needed. In other words, the faster your body can process the alcohol you drink, the fewer hangover symptoms you may experience ( 3).Ĭhoosing drinks that are low in congeners could help speed up the metabolism of alcohol and therefore reduce the incidence and severity of hangovers. Those drinking high congener bourbon experienced worse hangovers than those drinking low congener vodka ( 2).Īccording to another small study in eight people, higher rates of alcohol elimination could be associated with decreased hangover severity. In one older study, 95 young adults drank enough vodka or bourbon to reach a breath alcohol concentration of 0.11%. Meanwhile, tequila, whiskey, and cognac are all high in congeners, with bourbon whiskey containing the most ( 1). Congeners may also slow the metabolism of alcohol, which can prolong your symptoms ( 1).ĭrinks that are low in congeners include vodka, gin, and rum ( 1). Some studies have found that consuming drinks high in congeners could increase the frequency and severity of hangovers. Different alcoholic beverages contain varying amounts ( 1). Through the process of ethanol fermentation, sugars are converted into carbon dioxide and ethanol, also known as alcohol.Ĭongeners are toxic chemical byproducts that are also formed in small amounts during this process.