The Real Hangover Cure
How to cure a hangover with good hydration.
When it comes to your standard hangover, knowledge is power and salt is your friend!Being on the other side of the holiday season, we can look back and all agree, the hangovers weren't the highlight... By now, most of us at some stage in life have experienced the head throbbing, energy zapping, stomach churning effects of a dreaded hangover. In those moments we are left wondering, "if only there was a magic cure for this feeling".
Other than our good friend coffee (even that has its downside in the hydration equation) there's no magic cure for a hangover (despite what Google tells us), however there is the magic of science. 🧠 To use a very clichè sporting reference, the best defence is a good offence. Use this knowledge to adequately prepare next time you are drinking, and you may just escape the dreaded hangover.
Let's put this extremely simply, as you may be reading this with a hangover... we get it.
When you drink alcohol, your liver freaks out, period.
Any amount of alcohol ingested is viewed and treated by the liver as a toxin, and as such, needs to be cleared as soon as possible. The liver is your largest internal organ and just as crucial for your survival as your brain and heart. It regulates blood sugar levels, manages cholesterol, helps digest food, and aids in blood clotting. It's famous however, for detoxification. Here's a little breakdown of how it manages alcohol.
- Alcohol travels from the gut to the liver via the portal vein.
- Alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) converts alcohol into acetaldehyde (a worse, more dangerous toxin)
- Aldehyde dehydrogenase converts acetaldehyde into acetate (a better, harmless toxin)
- Acetate is converted to water and carbon.
This process doesn't happen instantly, and when you drink a lot of alcohol, your liver can't keep up... hello hangover. 👋
Sure, the alcohol itself indirectly causes some of the symptoms associated with hangovers. However, it's a common misconception that alcohol causes hangovers. There is more to this story.
👉 Acetaldehyde Buildup - The nasty toxin part of metabolising alcohol. When it can't be cleared by the liver fast enough, buildup occurs, immune response ensues and inflammation sets in.
👉 Dehydration - Alcohol famously has a diuretic effect. When more fluids are leaving the body than entering it, dehydration is approaching, Aligning nicely with our hangover symptoms, headaches, lethargy and dizziness are all symptoms of dehydration.
👉 Electrolyte Imbalances - As we have spoken about, electrolytes are charged minerals that conduct nerve impulses and balance your body water. How you feel and your electrolyte status are very linked. Sodium, Magnesium and Potassium are all key
This might come as a surprise, moderation is probably best in this case, however, as they say, everything in moderation including moderation... If you are going to over indulge, hydration is key.
💧 Hydrate Hydrate Hydrate - When you're drinking heavily, you are dehydrating yourself and imbalancing electrolytes (bad). A solid hydration strategy including water and electrolytes PRE, DURING and AFTER drinking will see you more prepared than most people (good).
⚡️ Electrolytes - Whilst we of course side with a moderation approach to drinking first, using our Everyday Hydration Salts as a tool to managing a hangover would be a quality strategy. With 1000mg of sodium, 210mg of potassium and 70mg of magnesium, you would be effectively replacing what your body is peeing out.
Sodii's Everyday Hydration Salts is the first Australian Sugar Free Electrolyte product of its kind, with enough sodium, magnesium and potassium to truly make a difference in your day to day hydration.
