The medical term for drinking too much is veisalgia (which means “pain” in Greek). We call it the dreaded hangover. If you need help we have you covered with info on the best hangover cure on earth.


“There is no consensus definition of veisalgia,” says a popular medical journal but most of us know it when we get one. Alcohol is a heavy diuretic, and most symptoms of overimbibing are a result of being dehydrated. Under these circumstances, the brain shrinks away from the skull and the blood vessels in the head expand.  This causes a headache. The body’s capillaries begin to shrink, leading to mild hypothermia, or that cold, sickly feeling. Dehydration starts as your liver processes that 1st beverage, but other effects begin several hours later, as the alcohol makes its way through the small intestine. Alcohol breaks down into acetaldehyde, which the body attempts to expel because it’s toxic. Fat builds up in the liver as well, reducing some blood flow and preventing toxins from being flushed out of the liver. Also, alcohol inhibits the metabolization of glutamate, one of the body’s main stimulants. In the beginning, this inhibition makes the imbiber feel nice and mellow, but as the alcohol wears off, the body overcompensates for the lack of glutamine by producing more of it. 

The following are some ways to cure a hangover naturally:  

1. Pain pills. Obvious? Not so fast though.  First, make sure the painkiller isn’t acetaminophen, which, according to the FDA, causes liver damage when mixed w/ booze. Ibuprofen and naproxen sodium are better, but can cause internal bleeding and kidney damage if used long term (longer than two weeks). Aspirin, when taken with nutrients, may be the best over-the-counter option, but it can also cause stomach bleeding when used long term in combination with alcohol. And don’t take it before you drink:  Studies have shown that taking aspirin before drinking can increase the rapidity of drunkenness, especially in women. “In one study, the average blood alcohol levels of subjects who had consumed alcohol an hour after ingesting two Maximum Bayer aspirin tablets were 26 percent higher than subjects who consumed ethanol without first taking aspirin.”

2. Drink Water. Common sense says that if alcohol causes dehydration then water is a great hangover cure drink. But not too much water, which can lead to “water intoxication,” which dilutes the sodium in the body and can be fatal. The standard guideline of 12 eight-ounce glasses a day should be adequate to rehydrate your body.

3. Taurine.  An amino acid similar to l-cysteine can help.  The high amounts of caffeine in energy drinks also help to constrict cerebral blood vessels, alleviating that headache the next day; however, caffeine is a diuretic and may exacerbate dehydration. Chicken, eggs, dairy products, and some fish are also great sources of taurine, which explains the craving for a big, greasy breakfast the next morning.

4. Fried food. Even if there weren’t evidence to back up the benefits of a greasy breakfast, it would qualify as a hangover treatment simply because it’s so damn good, as mentioned above. But two elements of a big greasy breakfast have some scientific backing: Both egg yolks and garlic contain cysteine, an amino acid that works great as a hangover cure. All those carbohydrates help stabilize blood sugar and neutralize stomach acids.

5. Marmite or Vegemite on toast. Made from brewer’s yeast and a bunch of weird stuff, both contain vitamin B complex, folic acid, and salt, all of which are reduced when you drink. Despite rumors to the contrary, Vegemite is legal in the U.S., but it can be hard to find in stores as it's not very common in the US.

6. Ginger. A long-trusted anti-nausea treatment, ginger has also been shown to be a powerful antioxidant and anticoagulant. Whether taken in pill form, in tea, or in a juice, it may counteract some of that hungover wooziness. A 2001 study published in Obstetrics & Gynecology showed that ginger helping with upset stomachs in pregnant women, and if it can combat morning sickness, it can deal with a little morning-after sickness, right? Be aware: Fresh ginger can irritate the stomach lining, so it should never be taken straight on an empty stomach.

7. Foreign soups such as menudo, haejangguk, pho, or ramen.  Soups hold an honored place as hangover cures in many countries, with various ingredients, such as tomatoes, cabbage, and tripe, ascribed medicinal qualities. Medicine or no medicine, soup will certainly rehydrate the dehydrated, pump up the protein and blood sugar levels, and slow the rate of alcohol absorption. The vegetables will offer some nutrition, and the heat and spices will make you sweat, releasing toxins.

8. Honey. Like fruit juice, honey has a lot of fructose and glucose, and it’s full of antioxidants, which, according to London’s Royal Society of Chemistry.  Mix some with lemons in tea.  Lemons also great as a hangover cure.  

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