Many of us celebrate New Year’s Eve with a glass or two of champagne. One study found that 39 percent of men drank more than four alcoholic drinks on New Year’s Eve. Twenty four percent of females downed just as many.
This leads to hefty hangovers and many myths on how to cure them.
A viral TikTok claimed that a natural remedy is dunking your face in a bowl of ice water. A pharmacist from Texas claims that keeping your face submerged for 15 seconds turns on part of your brain that is responsible for digestion. However, there is no scientific proof it works.
Another myth is that having a drink the morning after will help. Experts say having a drink the next day will actually prolong your pain.
Science says drink water. Dehydration contributes to increased thirst, fatigue, headaches, and dizziness.
Next, eat a good breakfast. It helps to maintain steady blood sugar levels and science shows low blood sugar can worsen nausea, fatigue, and weakness.
New research also shows in small studies red ginseng reduced blood alcohol levels and hangover severity.
Prickly pear extract halved the risk of experiencing severe symptoms and ginger may protect against alcohol-induced liver damage.
One more thing to keep in mind is the type of alcohol you drank. There is evidence that many wines contain sulfites which can trigger headaches. Similarly, dark spirits like bourbon tend to have higher levels of compounds called congeners which may worsen hangover symptoms. Clear drinks like vodka may be your best bet.
