England football fans who drank their pain last night might well be nursing a sore head today – not ideal on a Monday morning when a five-day working week potentially looms ahead.
If you were one of the millions who imbibed too much alcohol while watching the knife-edge drama unfold at Wembley, FEMAIL has tips on how to get through what could be a very long day in the office.
Here, we consult expert nutritionists to debunk the myths on what will and won’t work to ease your head and clarify whether old favourites such as a hair of the dog (more booze, essentially) or a bacon sandwich might actually make you feel worse, rather than better.
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You can drink your way out of a hangover…but only if it’s H20, which will help the liver to recover more quickly (stock image)
HAIR OF THE DOG?
While it might seem like a good idea – particularly if you’re on holiday and have nowhere to be today – drinking more the next day never works according to healthcare professionals.
Shona Wilkinson, a nutritionist from Unbeelievable Health, says you’re just adding more misery to a body that is already trying to recover: ‘Don’t believe the hair of the dog myth. Although it may seem like a good idea at the time, it will simply prolong the hangover.’
According to official advice on the NHS website, you shouldn’t touch another drop for two days at least: ‘If you’ve been drinking heavily, doctors advise that you wait at least 48 hours before drinking any more alcohol (even if you don’t have a hangover), to give your body time to recover.’
A bacon sandwich may be all England fans fancy right now but foods that contain high levels of unhealthy fats (such as fried foods and processed foods) should be avoided – the liver has to work extra hard to process these types of fats
WHAT TO EAT TO BEAT A HANGOVER
Forget the traditional morning-after fry-up: to survive alcohol’s effects, you need to support your liver and digestive system long-term:
- Fibre not only keeps your gut moving, it also binds onto toxins and escorts them out of the body, and is great for the liver. Eat kidney beans, brown rice, oats, rye, apples and plums.
- Foods rich in antioxidants help liver detoxification and heal the gut wall. Plant sources include beetroot, berries, garlic, grapes, green tea, kale, onions, peppers, prunes, tomatoes and watercress.
- Soothe an irritated stomach with mint tea or avocado. Alternatively, soak golden flax seeds and chia seeds overnight in enough water to cover them, then add them to smoothies or cereals — they produce a mucilage to coat and protect the gut wall.
- Research has shown that the herb milk thistle (200–300mg daily) can be used to support liver health. Look for a blend at a health food shop, which might include other herbs such as dandelion and artichoke.
- Other stomach-soothing and supportive supplements include turmeric as an anti-inflammatory, or the antioxidant glutathione, which helps to feed and heal gut cells.
Turmeric is an anti-inflammatory that helps heal gut cells
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WILL BEING SICK HELP?
While sticking close to the loo might make you feel better, the process of being sick only serves to dehydrate the body even more.
Dr Deborah Lee, of Dr Fox Online Pharmacy, explains: ‘When you drink alcohol, it’s very quickly absorbed from the stomach into your bloodstream, so vomiting now will make very little difference to your blood alcohol level.
‘To get over a hangover you need to be rehydrated. Vomiting makes you more dehydrated, so this is totally counterproductive.”
LOAD UP ON CARBS
Dr Lee says: ‘When you wake up with a hangover, your blood sugar levels will be low which can make you feel lethargic, weak, and may give you a headache.
‘Alcohol also reduces the ability of your kidneys to absorb water, meaning you pass more urine, and become dehydrated. It can also cause an electrolyte imbalance, meaning your sodium and potassium levels are disturbed.
‘Eat some carbohydrates for energy, try to replace vitamins and minerals, eat some protein and avoid fatty, oily food and salty food if you can.
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Coconut water has been shown in medical studies to be an excellent choice when you need rehydration as it contains high levels of electrolytes, is less acidic and has a relatively low sugar content.’
…BUT NOT A BACON SANDWICH
Is a McDonald’s breakfast or a bacon sandwich – both popular hangover cures – actually worth pursuing, or is the combination of grease, salt and carbs likely to set you back?
Nutritionist Shona says: ‘Foods that contain high levels of unhealthy fats (such as fried foods and processed foods) should be avoided as our liver has to work extra hard to process these types of fats when it is already under strain from dealing with the alcohol. Unhealthy fats can also worsen any inflammation in the body.’
The NHS recommends a broth to get you through the day, saying it’s ‘a good source of vitamins and minerals, which can top-up depleted resources. It’s also easy for a fragile stomach to digest.’
AVOID A CAFFEINE BOOST
Although it’s a popular remedy when you’re looking to sober up and recover after the night before, Shona advises that coffee is not the answer when it comes to a hangover: ‘Although you may think that it will give you energy, coffee can also contribute to dehydration. A better alternative is coconut water or water with electrolyte concentrate added as this will help aid recovery.’
IN THE OFFICE? TAKE A LUNCHTIME POWER NAP
Nutritionist Shona says: ‘Sleep can help give our body time to renew and restore itself so if you have the time to take a quick nap, it could work wonders.’
DRINK LOTS OF WATER!
According to Sue Jones, Director of Wellbeing & Nutrition at We Are Wellbeing, the familiar pain of a hangover is all down to dehydration – and the sooner you reach for the cold tap the better.
She told FEMAIL that drinking water should always be the first thing to try to help a sore head – even if you’re feeling sick: ‘Dehydration is a key cause of hangovers and some of the most common hangover symptoms include headaches, nausea and tiredness.
And if you reached for the rum and coke last night, you might be in more trouble than those who sipped G&Ts.
‘There is evidence to suggest that some people are more sensitive to dark coloured drinks such as whiskey, brandy, darker beer and red wine due to them containing larger amounts of congeners.”
COULD AN 8P PILL BE THE ANSWER FOR WOMEN WITH HANGOVERS?
Earlier this month, researchers at St Luke’s University Health Network in Fountain Hill, Pennsylvania concluded that a cheap pill that’s usually given to strengthen the immune system and reduce mucus in people with asthma or cystic fibrosis may be a successful option – but only for women.
In experiments, the academics found N-acetylcysteine (NAC) tablets reduced severity of hangovers for women, but not for men, after a heavy night of beer-drinking – but they can’t explain this ‘gender specific susceptibility’.
On Amazon, 120 600mg NAC capsules can be purchased for less than £10 – equating to only around 8p (11 cents) per tablet
On Amazon, 120 600mg NAC capsules can be purchased for less than £10 – equating to only around 8p per tablet. In the UK, the supplement is also available at Holland & Barrett.
N-Acetylcysteine (NAC) is a protein that contains the amino acid L-cysteine.
It also contains antioxidants that strengthen the immune system and prevent cell damage.
Be warned though: side effects many include nausea, vomiting and diarrhe
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