Ask the doctors: Certain foods may ease hangover symptoms
Q: My brother says the hangover foods that people swear by don't really help. I have to disagree. When I've had too much to drink and am paying the price the next day, a few tacos always make me feel better. Is there any science behind either of our views on this?
A: Would it surprise you to learn that you are both right? To understand why, we need to begin with the dreaded hangover. For anyone fortunate enough never to have had one, a hangover is a unique set of symptoms that result from drinking too much alcohol. It usually involves nausea, headache, dry mouth, dizziness and fatigue. Rapid heartbeat, anxiety, low mood, disturbed sleep and increased sensitivity to sound and light are also possible.
For some people, just a glass of wine can lead to a rough morning after. Others only feel the effects after a night of heavy drinking. Regardless of the amount of alcohol consumed, the underlying culprits are the same. Chief among them is acetaldehyde, a toxic by-product made by the liver as it metabolizes alcohol for removal from the body.
Although the liver converts acetaldehyde into harmless acetate in the end, that process takes time. When we drink alcohol faster than the liver can complete that conversion — about one drink per hour — acetaldehyde builds up. This contributes to inflammation in the liver, pancreas, gastrointestinal tract and brain, the biological basis of hangover symptoms.
Alcohol is also a diuretic, adding to dehydration and electrolyte imbalances. These lead to headache, fatigue and dizziness the next day.
Which brings us to the food question. Your brother is correct that nothing you eat, whether before, during or after drinking, can speed up how fast the liver processes alcohol. But you are also correct that the right food and fluids can help ease the discomfort that follows.
The tacos you crave hit the hangover food trifecta: salt, fat and protein. Salt helps retain fluids and replenish electrolytes. Fat slows stomach emptying. Protein helps blood sugar levels stay stable, which can dip after drinking alcohol.
Other foods people have found to be helpful include eggs, which contain cysteine, an amino acid. Researchers have found this amino acid helps the liver process alcohol. Broth-based soups offer a superfood boost of fluids, salt, minerals and other nutrients in a way the body can absorb easily. Fruits, which are already high in needed water, are also rich in antioxidants.
These can help with the inflammation that comes with a hangover. Berries are particularly high in antioxidants, and bananas will give you a potassium boost. And speaking of water, staying hydrated before, during and after drinking alcohol is also key.
Despite a quest that dates back millennia, there is still no cure for a hangover. There remains only one way to prevent one, which is not to drink. The food you eat and beverages you drink can't change how fast alcohol leaves your system. But they may help ease the landing.
• Dr. Eve Glazier is an internist and associate professor of medicine at UCLA Health. Dr. Elizabeth Ko is an internist and assistant professor of medicine at UCLA Health. Send your questions to askthedoctors@mednet.ucla.edu.
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