It’s an American tradition to ring in the New Year with an adult beverage or two (or more). But we all know where that leads — a New Year’s Day hangover.
Ask around and you’re likely to hear a bunch of home hangover remedies that people swear by, including drinking pickle brine or a “Prairie Oyster” (tomato juice, tabasco, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper and a raw egg).
Some have even suggested putting slices of lemons under your arms can help (just how is anyone’s guess). Others argue that you can banish your blahs simply by having “a nip of the hair of the dog that bit you,” meaning another drink.
While these home remedies offer questionable benefits, health experts say there are bona fide ways to ease the symptoms of a hangover — but they usually require planning plan ahead. Here’s a primer:
No. 1: Boost your nutrition. The best way to reduce your risks of next-day headaches, nausea, and vomiting is to bolster your body with food and nutrients BEFORE you start hitting the bottle.
“The most important thing is to prepare for a night of drinking,” says Las Vegas-based hangover specialist Dr. Jason Burke. “You have to give your body the tools it needs to deal with alcohol.
“The biggest misconception is that a hangover is just dehydration. The main causes are actually oxidative stress and inflammation.”
Several hangover-prevention products are on the market. They typically contain vitamins and herbs with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, which help protect your body from the booze.
Milk thistle, in particular, is said to be beneficial for its ability to keep liver enzymes normal during an alcohol onslaught.
No. 2: Eat well New Year’s Eve. Along with taking nutrients, experts recommend eating a hearty meal that includes fat, protein, and fiber before you start boozing.
“It is important to eat something before you drink so the absorption of alcohol into your bloodstream is slowed,” says registered dietician Katherine Brooking. “Focus on healthy fats and lean sources of protein.”
No. 3: Choose drinks wisely. Once armed with the proper nutritional supplements and a bellyful of alcohol-absorbing grub, feel free to tip a few. But be aware that your choice of inebriant will affect how you feel the next day.
“Drink high-quality, well-filtered liquor,” suggests Dr. Burke, an anesthesiologist who founded Hangover Heaven — a mobile medical clinic that uses IV treatments on folks who overindulge.
He notes that clear spirits like vodka and gin will wreak less havoc on your body than colored liquors such as whiskey, Scotch, and bourbon.
No. 4: Go easy on the bubbly. And even though it’s a tradition on New Year’s to have champagne, go easy on the bubbly. The carbonation speeds up the absorption of alcohol, which can worsen a hangover.
It also helps to drink a glass of water between cocktails. Not only will it keep you become better hydrated, but you’ll probably wind up downing less of the hard stuff.
No. 5: Take ibuprofen. If you do overindulge, try to avoid just flopping into bed when you get home. Dr. Burke recommends taking a couple of multivitamins and Advil, which will reduce inflammation, before crashing.
Just be sure to avoid painkillers with acetaminophen (such as Tylenol), because they can be tough on the liver and kidneys when combined with alcohol.
No. 6: Make breakfast count. If you still wake up with a pounding head and upset tummy, take antioxidants and get some caffeine into your system, says Dr. Burke.
He adds that you should rehydrate with Pedialyte or low-cal Gatorade rather than water because the added electrolytes help the body absorb fluids better.
“The human body was not designed to drink alcohol,” Dr. Burke tells Newsmax Health. “So take precautions. It’s much easier to prevent a hangover than to deal with it in the morning.”