The 7 Best Foods and Drinks for a Hangover (and 4 to Avoid)
Key takeaways:
High alcohol consumption can dehydrate you and irritate your stomach, leaving you feeling sick.
Since drinking too much alcohol can lead to dehydration, consider hydrating with water, coconut water, or a sports drink.
Some foods can actually make hangover symptoms worse. Avoid greasy, spicy, and sugary foods if you have a hangover.
Table of contents
Waking up in the morning after having a couple drinks too many can leave you looking for relief. There’s no cure for a hangover. But if you find yourself peering into your fridge or scanning a diner menu, some choices may be better than others at easing the effects of a hangover.
Do certain foods help you recover from a hangover?
There’s no evidence that any food can help you overcome a hangover. There just aren’t any quick cures for hangovers.
That being said, some foods and drinks can be easier on your stomach when you have a hangover. Drinking alcohol can lead to dehydration and inflammation. So, if you’re hungover, you want to choose food and drink options that are:
Hydrating
Rich in electrolytes
Light on the stomach
Anti-inflammatory
High in protein
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Keep in mind, it can still take 24 hours to recover from a hangover no matter what you eat or drink.
Best foods and drinks for a hangover
Apart from water, here are seven foods and drinks you can try to nurse a hangover.
1. Coconut water or an electrolyte beverage
Alcohol causes you to pee more, which may or may not lead to dehydration. Alcohol can also upset your stomach, which can lead to vomiting. Vomiting causes dehydration and electrolyte loss. That’s why it’s important to replace lost fluids and electrolytes with drinks like coconut water or sports drinks. These drinks contain water as well as:
Potassium
Sodium
Magnesium
Whichever hydrating beverage you choose, remember to sip slowly. Having too much liquid in one go might cause more stomach pain or make you feel queasy.
2. Bananas (and avocados)
If one of your hangover symptoms is frequent vomiting, this can cause you to lose electrolytes like potassium. Because bananas are rich in potassium and gentle on the stomach, they can be great hangover helpers. They might help balance electrolytes without adding to queasiness.
No bananas around? Try other high-potassium foods that are easy on the stomach like avocado or yogurt.
Looking for the best hangover remedy? Our experts reveal what really works to cure a hangover.
Feel worse after drinking red wine or whiskey? It’s not just you. Byproducts in certain alcoholic drinks can cause worse hangovers.
Ever wonder why you need to go to the bathroom so often when you’ve been drinking? Here’s why alcohol makes you pee.
3. Pear juice
Korean pear (Pyrus pyrifolia) juice is a commonly used remedy for hangover prevention in Korea. A small study showed that Korean pear juice might possibly help lower blood alcohol levels and improve hangover side effects such as trouble concentrating and light and sound sensitivity. But the participants were all young and healthy men. So, whether pear juice is effective for the general population is unclear.
Korean pears are also known as:
Asian pears
Japanese pears
Nashi pears
Apple pears
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4. Asparagus
Asparagus contains enzymes that may help the body break down ethanol, the key ingredient in alcohol. In theory, taking in more of these enzymes could help ease hangover symptoms and protect the liver. But this effect has only been shown in a lab, not in humans.
And in lab studies, these helpful enzymes were only found in high concentrations in asparagus leaves. It’s not clear if asparagus spears (the part of the asparagus you actually eat) also contain high levels of this enzyme.
5. Crackers and starchy foods
If your stomach isn’t feeling so good, you may benefit from sticking to bland, starchy foods that are easy to digest. Think crackers, toast, or oatmeal.
If it sounds good and you’re able to tolerate food, spread some peanut butter on top. The added protein can help your body recover from alcohol-induced inflammation.
6. Salmon
Salmon contains anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids that might help lower inflammation from alcohol breakdown. If fish isn’t what you want to eat on a sensitive stomach, consider flaxseed or walnuts instead.
7. Chicken
One small study showed that people who got more zinc and niacin (vitamin B3) in their diet reported less hangover severity the next day. You can get both micronutrients from a chicken breast. Chicken breasts also contain protein, which can also help with recovery.
Foods to avoid when you’re hungover
Just as some foods might be better for hangover symptoms, other foods might make you feel worse.
Here are some foods to avoid if you’re feeling hungover.
1. Greasy foods
It’s a myth that greasy foods absorb alcohol from your body. In fact, foods like french fries and sausage are linked to inflammation. And more inflammation can slow your body’s recovery from consuming too much alcohol. Instead of a greasy meal, consider a side of fruit or an omelet with veggies.
2. Coffee
It’s also a myth that caffeine helps you get over a hangover faster. One study found that coffee actually slowed the rate of ethanol removal from the body. Plus, caffeine can make you pee more often. This isn’t normally an issue. But when your body is already low on fluids from a hangover, caffeine can compound your dehydration and worsen hangover symptoms.
3. Spicy and acidic foods
Alcohol irritates your stomach lining, which can trigger stomach upset and indigestion. Alcohol can also worsen heartburn and GERD (reflux). So it’s a good idea to avoid foods that can trigger heartburn symptoms. These include spicy foods and acidic foods.
Can vitamins or supplements help a hangover?
There’s no evidence that vitamins and supplements can cure a hangover. Some vitamin patches or chewables claim to prevent hangovers. But there’s no good research to support these claims.
Some research shows that people who routinely get plenty of B-vitamins and zinc in their diet experience less severe hangover symptoms. But there’s no evidence that a one-time dose can help improve hangovers.
What can I do to prevent or lessen the effects of hangovers?
The best way to prevent a hangover is to drink less alcohol.
Other tips that can help include:
Avoid drinking alcohol on an empty stomach. Eating before drinking alcohol might help prevent an upset stomach and nausea.
Have a glass of water between alcoholic beverages. Drinking water periodically can lower the risk of dehydration.
Stick to clear alcohols. Darker drinks may contain byproducts that cause worse hangover symptoms.
If you can, take a sick day to rest and recover. A hangover can lead to irritability, poor decision making, and trouble focusing.
The bottom line
There’s no way to erase the effects of a night of drinking alcohol, but the best hangover foods and drinks are hydrating and anti-inflammatory. Rest helps, too. Try to avoid greasy foods, sugar, and caffeine. They can make your symptoms worse. Instead, stick to water, electrolyte drinks, and bland foods like bananas and crackers.
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References
Burch, K. (2022). Do sugary cocktails actually cause a hangover? The research-based effects of mixing sugar and alcohol. Insider.
Kim, B., et al. (2009). Effects of asparagus officinalis extracts on liver cell toxicity and ethanol metabolism. Journal of Food Science.
Lee, H., et al. (2013). Effect of Korean pear (Pyruspyrifolia cv. Shingo) juice on hangover severity following alcohol consumption. Food and Chemical Toxicology.
National Center for Biotechnology Information. (2020). Pyrus pyrifolia var. culta.
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. (2021). Hangovers.
Palmer, E., et al. (2019). Alcohol hangover: Underlying biochemical and neurochemical mechanisms. Alcohol and Alcoholism.
Srinivasan, S., et al. (2019). Influence of food commodities on hangover based on alcohol dehydrogenase and aldehyde dehydrogenase activities. Current Research in Food Science.
Verster, J. C., et al. (2019). Dietary nutrient intake, alcohol metabolism, and hangover severity. Journal of Clinical Medicine.
