Hangover cures - chemical v natural

“‘tis the season to be jolly...........”

Unfortunately it’s also a time of over-indulgence and hang-overs, when party party party and more than ‘one for the road’ is the name of the game. But it’s Christmas! Always a good excuse for excess of just about anything, and of course here in Spain, the festivities are extended right up ‘til the 6th of January.

But all these excesses have a price to pay, so it’s no wonder that more people take a vow of abstinence after a particularly indulgent New Years Eve. So if you’re one of the many that celebrate just a little too much and wake with regret the morning after, read on, we might just have the answer.

BUT WHY?
Dehydration is one of the main hangover culprits - you know the symptoms -headache, nausea, vomiting, thirst and probably the shakes tend to be the nasties that hit first. Too much alcohol causes increased urine production, it uses up your anti-diuretic hormone so the kidneys excrete too much water - hey presto you become dehydrated. Another reason for hangovers are the chemicals in some alcoholic drinks (congeners) especially dark coloured drinks such asred wine and whiskey. Alcohol also causes the blood vessels in the skin to dilate, (the blood becomes more acid - acidosis) this can make you sweat and feel sick, but although you may feel warm, you’re actually losing heat. That’s why alcohol should never be given to anyone to warm them up if suffering from exposure.

WHAT TO DO?
In my never ending quest for the perfect hang-over cure I came across a web site called hangover-over.com. They have invented an all natural pill which you take with your first two alcoholic drinks. They claim that “The result is they can prevent or drastically reduce the effects of a hangover.......Probably the most effective hangover preventative of its kind available.” So what’s in these miracle tablets? As expected, lots of natural herbal ingredients that you may already be taking, but in any case are readily available.

Here’s just a few of natures own remedies that may help you survive the day after in a little less discomfort.
Milk thistle - Silybum marianum (pictured above) has been used for thousands of years because of its medicinal effect on the liver. It’s thought that it actually helps to stimulate the production of new cells within the liver and also protects the liver from damage caused through alcohol.

Echinacea was originally discovered by the American Indians and has become really popular in recent years. It’s used generally to strengthen the immune system, it also helps to stimulate cell growth.
Activated Charcoal tablets are still used in the medical profession today as they help absorb toxins, so a couple taken before you go to bed should help. Dandelion has been known for centuries to be a great blood purifier and because it contains something called inulin it helps to balance blood sugar levels.

Dandelion tea is one way to take this herbal cure, and get some more fluids as well. The list of herbal ‘remedies’ is huge, but the final recommendation here has to be Siberian Ginseng, used by many athletes to beat fatigue, it’s another great all rounder. As an “adaptogenic” (which loosely means that the health benefits of ginseng go to where in the body they are most needed) it will help to normalise many of the body’s functions.

Now on to the more traditional hangover remedies.
Vitamin C is found in every cell in our body and performs lots of different functions, such as being an anti-oxident and helping with the immune system. So all of you that reach for a carton of juice the morning after, are doing the right thing.

Some say, that even better than just juice and water, you should go for one of the many sports drinks available.
Because they contain many of the minerals and carbohydrates your body is lacking, they will re-hydrate and help restore normal blood sugar levels.

A B vitamin complex will help to metabolise the toxins that are found in many alcoholic drinks, and will really help the body to cope with all the stress of recovering from a hangover

An important amino acid that counteracts the effects of acetaldehyde is cysteine, the main component of a chemical called glutathione which the body quickly uses up during the detox process. One food that is rich in cysteine is eggs, so if you crave a fry-up breakfast the morning after, maybe your body’s asking for some cysteine. You could always try the raw egg cure if you’re brave enough. If not ask for cysteine at the health food store. If you can face a bowl of soup, one made from a bouillon stock cube or some good home-made chicken soup will work wonders - really.

If you don’t have a sensitive stomach and need some pain relief aspirin can be helpful as it reduces inflammation, the soluble kind is best as it gets to work almost immediately. If you can’t take aspirin or ibuprofen based products, then take a couple of paracetamol. If all this fails, you’d better not get a hangover this festive period - cheers !

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