One festive toast at a party uptown, flowing drinks downtown, and the next thing you know it’s the dreaded holiday hangover. While there is no “cure” for a hangover, Dr. Romy Block and Dr. Arielle Levitan, co-founders of Vous Vitamin and co-authors of the award-winning book "The Vitamin Solution: Two Doctors Clear the Confusion about Vitamins and Your Health," offer five tips for preventing a hangover.
- Drink Water (and Lots of It): Since alcohol dehydrates the body, begin and end your night on the town with plenty of water. If you’re hopping from one holiday party to the next, alternate between alcoholic beverages and water. Be sure to drink lots of water the following day, too, as your body will still be thirsty for hydration.
- Eat: Drinking on an empty stomach significantly increases your rate of intoxication so Drs. Block and Levitan advise eating before and/or during your celebrations. Having food in your stomach – particularly, proteins, fats and dense carbohydrates – helps dilute the concentration of alcohol in your belly and slows the absorption process.
- Caffeinate: Studies have shown that caffeine may help relieve a hangover-induced headache. Makes sense – the stimulant is often found in OTC headache medications. However, Drs. Block and Levitan do not recommend products that combine caffeine and alcohol due to safety issues. Save your caffeine for the morning after.
- Replace Electrolytes: Combat the diuretic effect of alcohol by replacing electrolytes with a sports drink or a supplement, like Vous Vitamin Recovery Act, which contains thiamine, folic acid and magnesium.
- Sleep: While alcohol may help people fall asleep faster, it has been shown to disrupt sleep patterns and results in a night of poor-quality sleep. After too many cocktails, rest and recuperate with time.