The Natural Hangover…Cure?
There’s no judgement here. ‘Cure’ is a stretch, I don’t think it exists, but I would like to help set you right again! So put on those sweatpants, bring your liver, and let’s pamper the heck out of it.
So you had one of THOSE weekends; you got a little carried away, got a bit inebriated, schlitzed, tipsy, befuddled, smashed, lit, bombed, right gassed; you know where I’m going with this.
I’m not here to lecture you on the negative side effects of drinking, you already know consuming it in excess is bad news. But, having a celebratory cocktail at a social event is engrained into our culture and as a Nutritionist striving to serve all people, I just don’t feel right altogether ignoring it. Also, I do partake from time to time..
*Short note here: the best prevention – don’t drink; the best hangover cure – time. Ok now that we’ve covered the obvious, let’s dig in.
First you take a drink, then the drink takes a drink, then the drink takes you.
F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Great Gatsby
Before you chug the glug.
There are preventative steps you can take, things you can do to help ease the process a bit.
- Eat food! Doesn’t matter what, any food helps.
- Why? – In the fed state, we have higher levels of ADH (alcohol dehydrogenase). ADH is the main enzyme responsible for the metabolism of alcohol. [1]
- B vitamins! If you take a B-complex or B-6 supplement prior to drinking, there is some evidence to suggest that this may help. [1]
These are helpful bits of advice but most of the time we aren’t exactly planning to take it too far.
Before we look at what we might be able to do to help bring you back ’round, lets briefly talk about the impact alcohol has on the body so that my suggestions make sense.
The metabolism of alcohol.
It all starts as soon as alcohol has been consumed, our bodies need to process it in an attempt to utilize it for energy.
The first time I read the complete list of nutrients required to process alcohol, I will say, I was a bit flabbergasted.
Metabolizing alcohol requires the following from our bodies:
Why does this matter?
Let’s take a close look at those B vitamins. When we drink in excess, inadequate levels of B vitamins can actually block nutritional pathways! This can lead to decreased levels of glutathione, phosphatidylcholine, and methionine.
Woah, woah, woah, big words. Yes, but as my ole’ pappy use to say say; big words, big deal.
- Glutathione has been dubbed “Queen of antioxidants” and is incredibly important (You can read more about glutathione in this post). Glutathione may protect us from:
- Alzheimer’s & Parkinson’s
- Asthma, COPD
- Autoimmune diseases
- Cardiovascular disease
- Liver disease [2]
- Phosphatidylcholine – may help lower cholesterol and protect cells of the brain, liver, and gastrointestinal tract. [3]
- Methionine – prevents liver damage and improves wound healing.
I think you can see the pattern here, all three of these play a role in protecting our cells, especially the liver.
Where do I go from here?
Of course we want to look for foods that will replace the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients that were used during alcohol metabolism.
We also want to increase B vitamins and antioxidants in an attempt to reverse cell damage and ramp up those nutritional pathways that were so rudely blocked.
Then there are foods we will crave that unfortunately, won’t help the cause like pasta, pancakes, biscuits and gravy, sugar, and so on. Your body, and especially your brain crave these for a reason. They want energy, and simple carbohydrates are the quickest source.
Simple carbs aren’t our friends though, they will take you on a wild blood sugar ride that will leave you feeling hungrier and more tired. To get the full down-low on the effect carbohydrates have on the body, read my Carbo-whatsit? post 🙂
What can we eat to feel better, quickly?
The million dollar question. I’ve dug and dug around and the truth is, there is no one ‘cure-all’. So, if you feel like complete garbage (or rubbish if you hail from across the pond) and that’s all you’re looking for, I can’t promise you immediate, complete relief.
We aren’t exactly sure why alcohol gives us such terrible headaches but there are a few strong theories and those are what I want to roll with.
Alcohol is a:
- Vasoconstrictor, meaning it causes our blood vessels to constrict and supply less blood to the brain thereby causing a headache.
- Diuretic, meaning increased visits to the lavatory and loss of salt, vitamins, and minerals.
- Chemical alterer, causing an imbalance of chemicals in the body and contributing to the ‘hangover effect’. [4]
Foods to LOVE on:
- Whole grains – full of fiber, B vitamins, zinc and minerals to help replace those that were used during the weekend celebrations and prevent further damage to cells.
- Quinoa, brown rice, barley, teff, farro, etc. The more it looks like the original plant, the better!
- Turmeric boosts enzyme activity to remove toxins, it increases bile production (needed for digesting fats), and it acts as an antioxidant repairing liver cells!! [5]
- Remember to pair this with black pepper to increase absorption by 2000% (I think that’s worth it).
- Sign up below for our newsletter to get the meal plan with a delicious Golden Turmeric Latte.
- Cruciferous vegetables contain something called glucosinolate which help the liver produce detoxifying enzymes!!! They are also high in glutathione or its precursors – double whammy!
- Brussels sprouts
- Broccoli & Cauliflower
- Kale
- Cabbage
- Bok choy
- Leafy veggies are high in chlorophyll (“more like bore-o-phyll” – Billy Madison) which assists the liver by removing toxins out of the blood and neutralizing heavy metals. [5]
- Anything green and leafy 😉
- Walnuts contain arginine, an amino acid that helps the liver in detoxifying.
- Nuts in general are a great source of healthy fats.
- Beets boost nitric oxide production which causes our blood vessels to vasodilate (widen) meaning increase blood flow to throughout the body. This may help reduce headaches.
I think we can all agree, plants are winning.
The FUN part – build yourself back up, bite by bite.
Bowls are my favorite go-to meal when I know I’m in dire need of some goodness but am lacking in time and motivation. They are easy, adaptable, delicious, and a great way to utilize random stuff in your fridge. (You can also make these while sitting on a stool if need be 😉 )
Create your base – these can be made/prepped in batches so you have base for the whole week:
- Rice noodles
- Bed of greens
- Cooked whole grain (quinoa, brown rice, farro, etc)
- Immunity boosting bone broth (recipe in meal plan offered below)
Make it saucy. Sauce is the boss:
- Cashew sauce – my recipe is here
- Pesto
- Chimichurri
- Tatziki
- Sesame Honey Ginger Sauce – my recipe is here
Toppings :
- Beans (black beans and great northern are some of my favorites)
- Roasted or raw veggies
- Grilled tofu
- Lean meat (grilled/baked chicken, pork, turkey, or fish)
- Olives (black, kalamata, whatever you prefer really! Just be sure to watch the sodium content)
- Citrus – lemon, lime, or orange
- Plain yogurt or sour cream
- Fresh herbs (cilantro, dill, parsley, chives, green onion, etc)
Happy eating!
Pearl
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It includes – Pumpkin Breakfast Cookies, Tuna & Edamame Detox Salad, Golden Turmeric Latte, Greek Chicken Burgers, and many more tasty morsels!!
References:
- Cederbaum AI. ALCOHOL METABOLISM. Clin Liver Dis. 2012;16(4):667-685. doi:10.1016/j.cld.2012.08.002
- Pizzorno J. Glutathione! Integr Med Clin J. 2014;13(1):8-12.
- Haiken M. Get Smarter: A Powerful Brain-Boosting Supplement You’ve Never Heard Of. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/melaniehaiken/2013/01/16/a-key-brain-boosting-supplement-youve-never-heard-of/. Accessed October 22, 2019.
- National Headache Foundation. “Alcohol and Headaches,” October 25, 2007. https://headaches.org/2007/10/25/alcohol-and-headaches/.
- Team F-THL. What Foods Cleanse Your Liver? https://www.fishertitus.org/health/what-foods-cleanse-your-liver. Accessed February 8, 2019.
