Alleviating Hangovers with Apple Cider Vinegar
Waking up with a pounding headache, queasy stomach, and foggy brain after a night of drinking too much is an all too familiar feeling for many. That collection of unpleasant symptoms plaguing you the morning after overindulging alcohol is known as a hangover.
Hangovers can range from mild to severe. But no matter the intensity, they inevitably put a damper on your day. When you're hankering for a remedy to help you recover from a hangover faster, apple cider vinegar may come to mind as a potential cure.
Apple cider vinegar has recently gained traction as a popular health supplement used to treat a variety of conditions. But can the tart and tangy vinegar really rescue you from a hangover?
What Causes Hangovers
Before diving into whether apple cider vinegar hangover remedies really work, lets first look at why hangovers happen in the first place.
Hangovers occur as a result of drinking too much alcohol. When you drink excessive amounts of booze, your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) rises. This causes intoxication as alcohol is a nervous system depressant.
Your liver then has to work overtime to metabolize and eliminate all that alcohol floating around your circulatory system. This rapid alcohol breakdown causes biological reactions that translate into the array of unpleasant hangover symptoms.
Common Causes of Hangover Symptoms
Here are some of the key culprits behind making you feel so miserable and ridden with hangover anguish:
Dehydration - Alcohol acts as a diuretic, meaning itmakes you urinate more frequently thereby depleting your body of water andimportant electrolytes like potassium and sodium.
Stomach Irritation - Alcohol directly irritates the stomachlining which can trigger nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain.
Gut Inflammation - The ethanol in alcohol causeswidespread inflammation including in the intestines which may result indiarrhea and other forms of GI upset.
Toxic Byproducts - As your body breaks down alcohol, it releasestoxic chemical byproducts like acetaldehyde which cause many undesirablehangover symptoms.
With a basic understanding of what underlies a hangover, let's see if apple cider vinegar offers any redemption.
Can Apple Cider Vinegar Cure Hangovers?
Apple cider vinegar has traditionally been used as a health tonic to help improve gut health and digestion. With many hangover symptoms stemming from stomach irritation, it would seem plausible that ingesting the acidic vinegar may help alleviate an aching hangover.
Unfortunately, however, most of the evidence regarding using apple cider vinegar to treat hangovers is anecdotal. There are no scientific studies specifically analyzing the effectiveness of apple cider vinegar hangover cures.
Examining the Apple Cider Vinegar Hangover Theory
The proposed reasoning behind why apple cider vinegar may help cure hangovers centers on a few key elements within the vinegar.
1. Hydration
Since dehydration is a major contributor to hangover symptoms, getting more fluids into your body can help lessen the severity of a hangover. The water content and natural electrolytes in apple cider vinegar can help rehydrate your body.
2. Alleviate Stomach Issues
The acetic acid found in apple cider vinegar may help calm GI issues like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea that accompany a hangover. Acetic acid has antibiotic and antifungal abilities which may improve gut issues related to alcohol toxicity.
3. Detoxification
Some argue that apple cider vinegar can help detox the body from accumulating alcohol toxic byproducts like acetaldehyde because it increases urine production and reduces circulating antidiuretic hormone levels.
Other Purposed Hangover Remedies
Since firm evidence is lacking regarding apple cider vinegars effectiveness for hangovers, examining other common hangover remedies can provide more reliable guidance on curing veisalgia misery.
1. Hydration
Drinking more non-alcoholic fluids especially those replenishing electrolytes losses like sports drinks, coconut water, and broth-based soups can improve hydration levels and salt balance to help lessen hangover severity.
2. Slow Alcohol Metabolism
Taking over-the-counter pain medications like ibuprofen or aspirin before bed after a night of heavy drinking may help slow down alcohol metabolism and toxicity thereby decreasing hangover intensity.
3. Boost Blood Sugar
Consuming honey or fruit juice the morning after binge drinking can help increase blood sugar levels that drastically plummet with alcohol use complicating hangover symptoms.
4. Soothe Your Stomach
Ginger is a time-tested natural remedy to alleviate nausea and vomiting related to both hangovers and other stomach ailments.
5. Replenish Vitamins
Alcohol hinders the bodys ability to properly absorb key vitamins and minerals. Taking a multivitamin with B-complex and magnesium the morning after drinking may help restore nutrient levels.
Lifestyle Adjustments to Prevent Hangovers
Rather than searching for a magical elixir to cure the inevitable veisalgia after an evening of too much merriment, consider making some positive lifestyle adjustments to help prevent bad hangovers in the first place.
Smart Drinking Strategies to Avoid Hangovers
Here are some smarter drinking best practices you can follow to help moderate alcohol consumption and avoid feeling cruddy the next day after drinking:
Alternate each alcoholic drink with a glass of water to stay better hydrated.
Drink no more than one alcoholic beverage per hour and sip slowly rather than guzzling down booze.
Consume alcohol only with food which can help slow absorption rates.
Stop drinking at least a couple hours before bedtime to allow your body adequate time to process the alcohol.
Damage Control Measures
Additionally, putting some damage control measures in place after an evening of heavy drinking may help minimize the punch of a looming hangover.
Have some coconut water and honey before bed after heavy alcohol consumption to replenish fluids, electrolytes, and blood sugar levels.
Take an over-the-counter pain medication containing acetaminophen to potentially slow alcohol metabolism.
Swallow a magnesium supplement to replace this electrolyte depleted by alcohol.
Get plenty of quality sleep allowing your body to recovers without disruption.
The Verdict on Apple Cider Vinegar for Hangovers
Apple cider vinegar is unlikely to make a remarkable difference curing veisalgia misery no matter how much online hype exclaims its magical elixir powers. There are no solid studies verifying its usefulness as a hangover remedy.
However, regularly consuming the vinegar may promote overall health, prompt proper digestion, and help prevent vitamin deficiencies that could lessen the occurrence or severity of hangovers.
Rather than relying on quick hangover fixes that are not well substantiated, instead focus on smarter drinking strategies to avoid overconsuming alcohol in the first place alongside taking preventative damage control measures to minimize the wrath of a hangover.
FAQs
What causes the symptoms of a hangover?
Hangovers are caused by excessive alcohol consumption. As the body processes and eliminates alcohol, biological reactions occur resulting in dehydration, inflammation, stomach irritation, and toxic byproducts that translate into hangover symptoms like headaches, nausea, fatigue, etc.
Why is apple cider vinegar thought to help cure hangovers?
The hydrating ability and electrolytes in apple cider vinegar may help replace fluids lost from alcohol’s diuretic effects. Also, the acetic acid may settle stomach issues and promote toxin elimination to theoretically alleviate hangover symptoms.
Is there scientific proof that apple cider vinegar cures hangovers?
No, there are currently no scientific studies validating claims that apple cider vinegar remedies hangovers. The evidence is primarily anecdotal from people self-reporting that ingesting apple cider vinegar helped cure their hangover symptoms.
What lifestyle changes can prevent bad hangovers?
Preventative measures to avoid hangovers include: pacing alcoholic drinks with water, eating while drinking, stopping alcohol intake hours before bed, taking vitamins/minerals before passing out, and following other smart drinking strategies to moderate overall consumption.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.
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