We all want to know how to feel better ASAP after that regretful binge. Unfortunately, there is no cure-all, but I put together a list of some foods and beverages that might help ease your pain. I also threw in a couple liver-friendly foods that you can add to your diet to support overall liver function and health. At the end, I talk about foods you should avoid when you’re hungover, and trust me, you don’t want to skip this part either. From my experience, and of course some science, these foods might make you feel downright worse.
Beating the hangover…
Oats – skip the late afternoon brunch. Instead, make a warm bowl of oatmeal for breakfast. Oats are full of soluble fiber (that’s why they get all gummy and mushy), which is typically suggested as a cure for constipation, but it is also a great tool to help combat diarrhea–a common side-effect of drinking (DADS anyone?). Oats are also gentle on your stomach. Add some ground flaxseed for a fiber boost. WIN, WIN.
Celery – speaking of celery… I’m munching on some right now as I write this post. Despite being mostly water, celery is also full of electrolytes. Just one stalk is only 6 calories but has 32mg of sodium and 104 mg of potassium. Alcohol is dehydrating, so why not maximize your re-hydration by drinking water and eating it?
Grapes – grapes, grapes, the magical fruit. The more you eat, the more you… HYDRATE! If you can think ahead, freeze a batch of grapes before you go out at night for a cooling, hydrating, and stomach friendly snack when you can’t think of eating anything else. Even at room temperature, grapes are your hangover friend. They are full of water and just the right amount of sugar to help your body get back to normal.
Soups – soups are an easy way to get nutrition and hydrate when your stomach’s upset. If you can buy (or seamless) a freshly made soup, great! Otherwise look for a low-sodium canned version. Avoid cream based soups and keep it simple with limited ingredients. Personally, I suggest you make this simple carrot, ginger, orange, and pear soup from The Toasted Pine Nut; it’s quick, easy, and very soothing.
Ginger tea – ginger is a natural (and effective) remedy to cure nausea and stomach upset. In fact, I like to have ginger tea every night after dinner to relax and help me digest with ease. Herbal teas also work, but ginger is by far my go-to. Mmmm. You can also try ginger ale, a couple ginger snaps, or even pickled ginger (the kind you get with sushi).
Show your liver some love throughout the week…
Leafy greens – there are a plethora of reasons to include leafy greens into your diet (like weight management, heart disease and cancer prevention, etc), and liver health is no exception. Leafy greens have been shown to actually change the fatty acid profile of livers in rats, where rats consuming a diet high in leafy green vegetables had less inflammatory fats and greater concentrations of omega 3 fats in their liver than those fed a regular diet. You can try green juices and smoothies, but if you can eat them whole, that’s going to be the best. Bottom line: EAT YOUR GREENS.
Garlic – eating garlic may not sound appealing when you’re hungover, but incorporating more garlic into your overall diet may have beneficial effects in the long-term, by potentially reducing your risk of chronic liver disease. Studies in rats have shown that garlic slows the progression of fibrogenesis, an overactive wound healing process that occurs in a liver that has been subject to a variety of chronic liver injuries.
Avoid these…
Coffee – if the first thing you want after a night out is coffee, well, you’re definitely not alone. However, you may want to take a beat to think about how you actually feel after you get your coffee fix. Regardless of your usual intake, coffee is acidic and can be very irritating on the stomach lining. You may also want to consider that coffee triggers your bowels to get movin’, which could be a good or bad thing, depending on your sitch.
Fried foods – another guilty hangover pleasure for most people is fried food. Whether it’s a big plate of french fries or chicken tenders, these foods are only going to make you feel worse. Firstly, fried foods are high in fat, which is the most difficult to digest out of protein and carbohydrates. In addition, that fat is saturated–the kind that leads to heart disease. Oh and you know, unwanted weight gain from eating high calorie foods is something to consider too.
Salt shaker – you may be thinking you need to add salt to replace your electrolytes since you are dehydrated, but salty foods are no bueno when you’re battling a hangover. This is partly because salty foods tend to be the unhealthy ones you want to avoid like processed or fried foods, but also because the extra salt will make your body think you are even more dehydrated. Also, who wants to be bloated when you are also hungover?
Coconut water – wait… really? Ok so the deal with coconut water is that it may be hydrating (so are most beverages!) but it is still high in sugar and lacking in fiber. Coconut water has about 11-15g of sugar per 8 oz serving. Regardless, I would recommend coconut water over Gatorade if you’re needing something sweet to hydrate with, but the best thing you should reach for is water. Sugar itself is dehydrating since it draws water out of your intestines into your digestive tract.
References:
- Zhang F, Jin H, Wu L, et al. Diallyl Trisulfide Suppresses Oxidative Stress-Induced Activation of Hepatic Stellate Cells through Production of Hydrogen Sulfide. Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2017;2017:1406726.
- Johnson M, Pace RD, Dawkins NL, Willian KR. Diets containing traditional and novel green leafy vegetables improve liver fatty acid profiles of spontaneously hypertensive rats. Lipids in health and disease. Nov 05 2013;12:168.
