Ben Greenfield’s Hangover Treatment & Prevention Information

Could 7, 2024

Most individuals assume hangovers are merely attributable to dehydration after an evening of heavy consuming. However even if you happen to dutifully chase each alcoholic beverage with water, you may nonetheless get up the following day feeling depressing.

The reality is, preventing a hangover is far more sophisticated than merely chasing your beer, margarita, or glass of wine with a pitcher of water, coconut water, Gatorade, or Pedialyte.

It’s because dehydration is only one consider a hangover.

Your physique goes by an intense physiological curler coaster while you eat extreme quantities of alcohol. Because the night time goes on and drinks maintain flowing, all kinds of reactions begin occurring — disrupting your electrolyte ranges, hormone regulation, immune operate, and extra. The tip result’s that cluster of acquainted hangover signs like complications, nausea, fatigue, and common distress.

Nonetheless, though I do not personally endorse consuming to extra, I understand that generally it simply occurs: resembling that extra-strong margarita that sneaks up on you earlier than you realize it, that cup of wine that in some way retains getting crammed by your waiter and makes its approach repeatedly to your lips as you have interaction in dialog, or the night time out together with your vital different that simply appears to final a bit too late with a bit an excessive amount of socially lubricating gasoline.

So within the uncommon prevalence (hopefully!) that you just do drink a bit an excessive amount of — and even only one serving of alcohol appears to kick your arse — there are certainly confirmed steps you may take earlier than, throughout, and after consuming to assist reduce the injury and bounce again quicker.

Earlier than the celebration will get began, uncover suggestions for strategic consuming, staying hydrated, and conserving your digestive system primed. I am going to additionally cowl the right way to flush out toxins, rebalance vitamins, and get up feeling refreshed (slightly than fully wrecked).

Whether or not it is a weekend bender in Vegas or your buddy’s marriage ceremony reception, this detox roadmap presents a complete, go-to technique to counteract the consequences of alcohol indulgence. With the fitting preparation and restoration ways, you may get pleasure from your self with out sacrificing the following couple of days to a debilitating hangover — and get far more out of this text than the usual “drink extra water” recommendation you would possibly get if you happen to simply Googled “the right way to treatment a hangover.”

Lastly, if you happen to’re questioning why I might even endorse consuming any alcohol within the first place, then take a look at the useful assets I’ve included on the finish of this text.

What Causes a Hangover? Why You Really feel Like Crap After Consuming

Ever woken up feeling such as you’ve been hit by a freight prepare after an evening of partying?

Seems, consuming alcohol ignites a number of organic processes that trigger you to really feel horrible after a number of too many drinks, which I am about to unpack for you.

Your pituitary gland usually produces antidiuretic hormone (ADH), which will increase your blood strain by inflicting your physique to retain water. While you drink alcohol, your pituitary gland churns out much less ADH, so that you cease retaining a lot water, which is one motive the lavatory line is so lengthy at events. However as quickly as your buzz begins to put on off, ADH manufacturing will increase as soon as once more, inflicting a rebound of fluid retention, swollen fingers and toes, a puffy face, and a headache as your blood strain rises.

On the similar time, your kidneys pump out extra of the enzyme renin and the hormone aldosterone. This promotes the secretion of vasopressin, which will increase blood strain by inducing sodium retention and potassium loss. That is why people with coronary heart points are significantly vulnerable to coronary heart assaults throughout a hangover: their cardiovascular system goes into an electrolyte-rollercoaster-hyperdrive, making an attempt to retain fluids.

And that’s not all. Cortisol works with aldosterone to stability electrolyte ranges, so if you find yourself hungover, your physique pumps out extra cortisol. This not solely contributes to much more fluid retention but in addition raises blood sugar ranges by changing amino acids into glucose in your liver, a course of generally known as gluconeogenesis. As blood sugar ranges rise, the pancreas produces extra insulin, leading to irregular stress on each the pancreas and the liver. These elevated ranges of cortisol may also trigger catabolism (decreased protein availability in skeletal muscle groups), in addition to a redistribution of physique fats out of your legs and arms to your stomach.

Oh sure, there’s nonetheless extra…

As you drink and drive your physique to metabolize alcohol, your liver converts ethanol into acetaldehyde and acetate, which causes elevated manufacturing of tiny blood vessel constrictors referred to as thromboxanes. Thromboxanes additionally trigger blood platelets to stay collectively and kind clots and reduce ranges of pure killer cells, that are essential to the immune system. This surge in thromboxane creates signs similar to these of a viral an infection, together with nausea, headache, and diarrhea.

Lastly, most alcoholic drinks comprise congeners, which considerably contribute to hangover signs. Congeners, that are present in excessive concentrations in dark-colored liquors like brandy, wine, darkish tequila, and whiskey, comprise free radicals and positively charged molecules that may considerably disrupt your acid-alkaline (pH) stability and enhance your physique’s must step up antioxidant exercise to scavenge all these free radicals. As your physique goes into fight-or-flight mode that can assist you deal with all these congeners, you get gastrointestinal points, nausea, complications, sweatiness, clamminess, and/or chills.

Tips on how to Stop a Hangover: Comply with This Protocol to Cease Struggling

So what are you able to do about this cluster of reactions that may happen when you foray into the realm of two or extra alcoholic drinks?

Listed below are my finest practices for a bout of higher-than-normal alcohol consumption (or every other outburst of hedonism, poisonous extra, or partying).

1 to three days earlier than the celebration

• Log some further sleep. A number of analysis research have proven that if you realize you are approaching a time frame the place you will be brief on sleep, logging a bit of further sleep helps mitigate the consequences of later sleep loss.
• Restrict your consumption of vegetable oil and omega-6 fatty acids, and emphasize monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) and saturated fatty acids (SFAs). Animal research have confirmed that prime quantities of omega-6 fatty acids from polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) enhance liver injury in response to alcohol consumption, whereas extra secure fat like cocoa butter and coconut oil shield in opposition to it. When you do eat omega-6s, strive to ensure they arrive from entire meals, resembling nuts, seeds, and eggs.

The day of the celebration

• Power coaching or HIIT earlier than heavy consuming or consuming can enhance glycemic response to carbohydrate-laden meals or drinks. Train additionally will increase antioxidant exercise and might scale back liver injury from extra alcohol consumption. Chilly remedy, resembling a barely longer three- to ten-minute chilly soak, can act equally.
• Eat a number of egg yolks or a serving of liver or liver capsules (use code PVFRIEND15
  to avoid wasting 15%) — scrambled eggs and liver for brekky anybody? While you eat alcohol, your liver shall be burning by its choline shops so it may possibly mitigate the injury of consuming, and this may high off these shops. Choline supplementation or including some further to your regular dose of fish oil may also work effectively.

1–3 hours main as much as the celebration

• Eat a spoonful every of extra-virgin avocado oil, extra-virgin olive oil, or crimson palm oil. The polyphenols in olive oil and avocado oil, in addition to the vitamin E in crimson palm oil, can shield in opposition to alcohol-induced oxidative stress. Moreover, the monounsaturated and saturated fat in all three oils shield the liver. In a pinch or a rush, simply select one. One other good, lower-calorie supply of vitamin E tocotrienols is annatto, as described in this current podcast with Barrie Tan. 
• Eat a lightweight meal. Though a liver that’s emptied of glycogen shops does mean you can convert extra of the fructose in cocktails and wines into liver glycogen slightly than fats, if you happen to plan to drink closely, you continue to need some meals in your abdomen to sluggish the absorption of the alcohol. Nonetheless, you don’t need a lot meals that you just’re overloaded with energy from each the meal and the booze. If you don’t eat, you danger flooding your physique with an excessive amount of ethanol too quick, and the following conversion into acetaldehyde can overwhelm your antioxidant defenses. Ideally, this meal ought to embody loads of polyphenol-rich vegetation and spices, together with turmeric powder, ginger, berries, and beets, since something pungent or colourful is implausible for alcohol metabolism. One other option to get in herb or plant matter is to take 1 to 2g of curcumin or a spoonful or two of Dr. Thomas Cowan’s vegetable powders. Examples of fine mild meals embody a contemporary salad topped with fish, beets, and nuts; a multitude of scrambled eggs, turmeric powder, and kale served up in a corn tortilla or nori wrap; and some small handfuls of nuts, dried ginger, darkish chocolate, and berries (not solely does the cocoa fats in chocolate shield in opposition to ethanol-induced liver injury, however the cocoa polyphenols can enhance your antioxidant capability. Be sure to salt a lot of these mild meals with good salt like Celtic, Colima, or Baja Gold.
• Take 500 to 600mg of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) and 1g of vitamin C. NAC is a precursor to glutathione, the antioxidant accountable for metabolizing alcohol. Hospitals give NAC mega doses to deal with Tylenol-based and alcohol-based liver poisoning. Vitamin C helps NAC provide glutathione, a vital antioxidant. If you cannot get NAC, use transdermal glutathione (which you’ll uncover extra about in an upcoming podcast on Glutarylâ„¢ with Dr. Nayan Patel). 
• Take 300 to 400mg of magnesium. Alcohol depletes magnesium and may also trigger constipation, and magnesium helps with each. I counsel taking BiOptimizers Magnesium Breakthrough (use code BEN10 to avoid wasting 10%).
• Combine a number of spoonfuls of collagen powder right into a smoothie or drink of your alternative (such because the inexperienced tea under) or drink a cup of natural bone broth. The glycine in collagen and gelatin reduces lipid peroxidation and antioxidant depletion within the liver. Including vitamin C with a complement or a squeeze of lemon can enhance glycine absorption.
• Drink a cup of inexperienced tea or matcha. Inexperienced tea accommodates polyphenols that shield in opposition to ethanol-induced oxidative stress, and the caffeine and L-theanine within the tea can provide you a secure, sluggish launch of additional vitality with out too many jitters (if you happen to plan to be out late). 

Throughout the celebration

• Earlier than you begin consuming, strive taking a shot of ZBiotics (a brand new, genetically engineered probiotic pressure designed to help consuming) or a few capsules of dihydromyricetin (DHM), each of which will help your physique course of acetaldehyde. If you wish to “really feel” your alcohol, save the DHM for after the celebration since it may possibly bind to enjoyable GABA receptors, thus conserving the socially lubricating results of alcohol at bay.
• Drink solely the highest-quality alcohol obtainable and keep away from high-fructose corn syrup, added sugars, and different nasty components. A number of significantly good selections are Mezcal tequila, gin, or vodka combined into glowing water with bitters or a splash of contemporary juice; natural or biodynamic wine; a noncaloric soda resembling Zevia combined with wine and ice for a glowing cooler; or a ketone cocktail various resembling these made by KetoneAid. I’ve loads of wholesome cocktail and mocktail recipes in Boundless Cookbook and Boundless Kitchen.
• Until you’re consuming the super-fancy, costly stuff, dilute wine and different spirits with glowing mineral water to enhance hydration. If individuals ask why you’re bastardizing the wine with water, inform them that you’re so refined and stylish that you’re making your self a flowery French sparkler.
• Add a pinch of salt or one effervescent electrolyte pill to every glass of water you eat.
• Keep energetic to make sure you metabolize snacks and alcohol higher. My very own trick? I carry out forty air squats each time I take advantage of the restroom at an extended alcohol-fueled dinner or celebration, and I attempt to stroll the room or dance and transfer as a lot as potential. 

Earlier than mattress, after the celebration

• Rehydrate and get further antioxidants! Combine ½ teaspoon of salt, the juice from 1 lime or lemon, 1 tablespoon of blackstrap molasses, and 1½ cups of water (ideally mineral water or, regardless of the additional sugar content material, coconut water, so long as you might have been cautious to not have an excessive amount of sugar on the celebration). Ideally, drink these 30 to 45 minutes earlier than mattress to present your self sufficient time to pee earlier than you go to sleep. Different good electrolyte choices are Quintessential Hypertonic Elixir, which tastes like salty, salty seawater however is a really wealthy supply of minerals, or BEAM Minerals, which is accessible as humic and fulvic acid, and might help with binding toxins. For further antioxidants, you too can embody as much as 1500mg of a vitamin C complement with this water.
• Devour magnesium, if you happen to haven’t taken any magnesium but (you don’t need free stools from an excessive amount of magnesium!).
• Take 4 capsules of activated charcoal to sop up any toxins within the intestine. Opposite to fashionable perception, charcoal doesn’t take in alcohol, but it surely does take in toxins, so this step is barely really vital if you happen to’re uncertain of the purity of the compounds you’ve been consuming, or when you’ve got fuel and bloating from extra sugars or unusual celebration meals.
• Use melatonin. Alcohol reduces melatonin secretion, which may contribute to annoying early awakenings when all you wish to do is sleep in. If I’ve had an enormous night time in Vegas (fairly uncommon, but it surely sometimes occurs), I’ll typically use a 300mg melatonin suppository from MitoZen.

Within the morning

• Drink the identical pre-bed, electrolyte and antioxidant-rich drink from the night time earlier than.
• When you’re sleep-deprived, use my final sleep deprivation hack: a serving of NAD and 5g of creatine.
• Devour a breakfast that features eggs so you will get much more choline and/or eat a handful of desiccated liver capsules, or, higher but — though you’ll be hard-pressed to seek out pâté at Denny’s or a pancake home — eat a serving of organ meat.
• Train frivolously (e.g., take a stroll within the sunshine) or sit in a sauna. Do something that will get you sweating (infrared sauna remedy is finest because of the added detox impact). Afterward, take a chilly plunge or a chilly bathe, or take a five-minute bathe through which you alternate between twenty seconds of chilly water and ten seconds of scorching water.
• When you’re actually, actually hungover, strive my go-to hangover treatment brew. Simply mix all the following components in a blender till easy.
  • 1 cup coconut water
  • ½ avocado
  • Juice of ½ lemon
  • 1 (1-to-2-inch) piece of ginger, peeled and chopped
  • 2 massive egg yolks
  • 1 heaping teaspoon of contemporary, dwell spirulina 
  • Pinch of fine salt

For added efficacy, embody 2 to three tablespoons of frozen broccoli sprouts, a handful of dandelion greens, and 200 to 300mg of ginseng, which may speed up the clearance of acetaldehyde.

Lastly, if you happen to can’t get into the sunshine since you’re, say, caught in a maze of Vegas casinos or don’t have the vitality to go away your resort room, you may jump-start your circadian rhythm by using the Ayo, the Beacon40, the Re-Timer, or related blue-light-producing units within the morning. Alternatively, if you’ll want to keep awake and phase-shift your circadian rhythm ahead earlier than the precise celebration, you should utilize these light-producing units earlier than the celebration.

Why I Drink in Moderation Each Day

As I discussed initially of this text, I don’t endorse drunkenness or extra alcohol consumption.

Nonetheless, I personally drink about one serving of unpolluted alcohol practically each night time, and — I believe as a result of I’m by no means tempted to cheat on the weekends after abstaining each weekday — haven’t been drunk in over twelve years.

For extra on why a moderated quantity of alcohol consumption could be acceptable — together with how as much as one drink per day is related to a decrease danger of all-cause mortality, enhancements in DNA markers of getting old, and being presumably helpful to your well being due to delicate mobile stress — take a look at this analysis by Dr. Chris Masterjohn.

Moreover, a large research on over 3,411 alcohol shoppers urged that if you happen to’re going to drink alcohol and wish to scale back mortality danger, then you must drink like an Italian. It seems {that a} safer strategy to booze includes a Mediterranean alcohol-drinking sample characterised by low to reasonable complete alcohol consumption, unfold evenly throughout the week with out binge consuming. This sample additionally features a choice for wine, particularly crimson wine, over laborious alcohol, together with a bent to eat alcohol throughout meals.

I additionally perceive that having occasional bouts of partying tends to be a societal norm, and whereas it’s fairly uncommon after I celebration to exceed three servings of alcohol, I needed to equip you with all of the instruments you’ll want to fight the injury and maintain an evening or weekend of partying from destroying your productiveness and happiness for days on finish.

When you’re keen on studying extra in regards to the potential advantages of reasonable day by day consuming, in addition to the science behind how as much as one drink per day could be related to constructive well being outcomes, I encourage you to hearken to this current podcast episode: “Solosode 471: Why Ben Greenfield Drinks One Serving Of Alcohol Per Day, The Results Of Alcohol On Longevity, How To Detox After Partying, The Greatest Dietary supplements For Consuming & A lot Extra.”

Additionally, be happy to take a look at all the opposite assets I’ve on utilizing reasonable alcohol consumption as a longevity-enhancing biohack:

Earlier than I’m going, I might love to listen to from you! You may share your questions, suggestions, or suggestions and tips for lowering the consequences of a hangover (or anything coated on this article) within the feedback under, and I am going to make sure to reply!