To cure a hangover, it's important to eat light meals during the day, to increase your fluid intake, and to take medication that can help relieve symptoms, like analgesics for headaches.

Hangovers are caused by excessive alcohol intake, and are associated with symptoms such as nausea, malaise, excessive thirst, dizziness and/or headache.

To avoid a hangover, you are advised to drink alcohol in moderation and to eat healthy meals before and after drinking.

Ways to cure a hangover

Some tips for a fast hangover recovery include:

1. Drinking coffee

Coffee is a stimulating drink that helps to relieve dizziness and weakness. It also has anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects that can reduce and prevent headaches in some people.

However, it is important not to overdo it with coffee intake, as excess caffeine can lead to dehydration and worsen hangover symptoms. You can drink up to 2 cups of coffee throughout the day.

2. Drinking plenty of water

Drinking plenty of water helps to cure a hangover as alcohol causes dehydration and leads to symptoms such as headaches, dizziness and excessive thirst.

You should drink 1.5 to 2 liters of water throughout the day, keeping in mind that your overall fluid intake can also consist of coconut water and teas.

3. Maintaining a healthy diet

Maintaining a healthy diet made-up of fruits, vegetables, low-fat proteins and whole grains can help to increase glucose and mineral salt levels in the body, which play a role in hangover symptoms.

Some foods that should be included in your diet include apples, bananas, grapes, tangerines, watermelon, tomatoes, pumpkin, chayote, rice, bread, sweet potatoes, chicken and fish.

4. Drinking teas with honey

Some teas such as ginger tea, peppermint tea and boldo tea contain substances with digestive, antispasmodic, analgesic and antiemetic effects. They can be consumed to relieve hangover symptoms like nausea, headache and poor digestion.

Honey is rich in fructose, a type of carbohydrate that quickly provides energy to the body and helps to promote hangover recovery.

5. Drinking fruit juices

Natural fruit juices made from orange, mango or watermelon are rich in fructose, which is a type of carbohydrate that increases blood glucose levels, boosts mood and relieves headaches.

6. Eating soups

Consuming soups like tomato, vegetable or bean soup can help replace any sodium and potassium that was lost from increased urination (which is a common symptom of alcohol consumption). Soups can help to combat hangover symptoms, such as dizziness, nausea and weakness.

7. Sleeping well

Sleeping well helps cure a hangover, because inadequate sleep can worsen hangover symptoms like headaches, fatigue and irritability.

8. Taking medications

Some medications, like antacids or activated charcoal can help to improve abdominal discomfort and indigestion, while analgesics can help to relieve headaches.

What causes hangovers

A hangover occurs due to the excessive intake of alcohol. For alcohol to be eliminated from the body, it needs to be transformed into acetic acid in the liver, which is first transformed into acetaldehyde. Acetaldehyde is actually more toxic than alcohol itself. Because the liver takes a while to complete these conversions, alcohol and acetaldehyde will continuously circulate in the body until they reach the liver to be transformed.

Acetaldehyde is a toxic substance that deposits itself in various organs of the body. It reaches toxic levels and results in hangover symptoms. In addition, during the metabolism of excess alcohol, the body is unable to get rid of sugar in the blood as efficiently when fasting, which can cause hypoglycemia, Alcohol also causes the elimination of much more water, which can lead to dehydration.

How to prevent hangovers

Some ways to prevent a hangover include:

Drink 1 glass of water or natural fruit juice between each glass of alcohol, and another before bed
Take 1 g of activated charcoal before and after drinking alcohol
Eat healthy meals before and after drinking
Eat snacks while drinking alcohol

These tips can help prevent dehydration and hypoglycemia, reducing the risk of a hangover.

When to go to the doctor

It is important to seek urgent medical attention when you have symptoms headaches, vomiting and nausea that are accompanied by other symptoms like seizures, changes in breathing, changes in heartbeat, pale skin, low body temperature or fainting.