Hangover Hacks To Try This Christmas (And A Few To Avoid)

The Christmas season is almost upon us and that means any excuse to party! Unfortunately, the price of a great night can sometimes be a hideous hangover. One too many alcoholic drinks can lead to waking up with a horrible thumping headache, zero energy levels, and a raging and seemingly unquenchable thirst. 

But does a hangover always have to be an inevitable consequence of a good time? Many of us resolve to drink sensibly, and to have just one or two alcoholic beverages with a glass of water in between, but such good intentions can go out of the window when you are in good company and the night is still young.

However, there are tried and tested methods of reducing the intensity of the hangover, without sacrificing your enjoyment of a social gathering. Here are some remedies old and new that have been used throughout the ages. It will make you glad that we now have game changing hacks such as electrolyte tablets. 

The Pickled herring

In Germany, the traditional hangover cure is known as the ‘Katerfrühstück’ (tomcat’s snack). This involves consuming a pickled herring wrapped around pickled cucumbers and onions. The briny ingredients may help to replenish sodium levels in the body, speeding up the recovery process. 

The thought of having to eat pickled herring and cucumbers for breakfast might also put you off drinking in the first place…

The Bloody Mary

Some people swear by the need to fight fire with fire, hence the enduring tradition of downing a Bloody Mary the morning after the night before. For the uninitiated, this is a type of cocktail made with a shot of vodka, tomato juice, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, celery salt and Tabasco sauce. 

There is a ‘hair of the dog’ school of thought that consuming a moderate amount of alcohol can trick the brain into getting over a hangover. However, all it is likely to do is delay the effects for a short time, after which you will probably have an even worse hangover. There is some evidence that tomato juice may be moderately helpful due to the vitamin B6 content. 

The Prairie Oyster

Another unlikely hangover ‘cure’ is the Prairie Oyster cocktail. It contains similar ingredients to the Bloody Mary, with the added delight of a raw egg with an unbroken yolk (hence the oyster reference, due to the similar texture). It is believed that amino acids contained in egg yolk help to break down alcohol, but there is no scientific evidence to support this theory.  

Painkillers and coffee

Most of us have probably resorted to a couple of paracetamol and a large mug of coffee after a big night at some point, before retiring back to bed for a few hours. Painkillers can take the edge off a bad headache and coffee can perk you up a bit, but it’s also a diuretic, meaning that the rehydration process will take even longer to kick in. 

Why rehydration tablets are the ultimate hangover hack

Rehydration tablets are formulated to help your body absorb fluids more efficiently than by drinking water alone. Dehydration is the main culprit for the worst of your hangover symptoms, from a raging headache to sluggishness and puffy, dull skin, so taking a rehydration tablet can help you to recover much more quickly.

The tablets also contain electrolytes, which replenish the body’s minerals such as potassium, sodium, and magnesium. These are essential for maintaining energy levels and the optimum functioning of the muscles and nervous system, and they can be flushed out of the body as alcohol causes us to make more frequent trips to the loo.

Dissolving a tablet in a glass of water is also a lot less hassle than putting together an elaborate concoction of raw eggs and spices, and please save us from pickled herrings with a queasy morning after stomach. Sometimes the convenience of modern life really does lead to better outcomes…