It proves the point that drinking in moderation — or abstaining altogether — is the best way to avoid a hangover. In fact, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), there’s no proven way to cure a hangover; it just takes time for the body to recover. Still, that hasn’t stopped researchers and everyday imbibers from trying to learn how to lessen the effects of a night of too much drinking. Shaunessy Bishop-Stall, author of Hungover: The Morning After and One Man’s Quest for the Cure, spent more than 10 years researching ways to prevent the aftereffects of overindulging in alcohol and trying them out himself. Here’s what science has to say about what might help ease the severity of a hangover—and what definitely won’t work, no matter what your perceived propensity for hangovers.
Fact: Darker spirits might worsen a hangover.
Compared with lighter spirits, such as vodka, darker alcohol contains more compounds called congeners, which are produced during the fermentation process and can worsen the severity of a hangover, according to research published in November 2013 in the journal Current Drug Abuse Reviews. The study authors note that congener content can vary from spirit to spirit, but bourbon tends to contain particularly higher amounts.
Fact: You might absorb carbonated drinks more quickly than flat ones.
Celebrating with some bubbly? You might want to sip that champagne slowly — and in moderation. Two small studies, published in July 2003 and October 2007, found that carbonation may increase the rate of alcohol absorption, which could cause some people to become more intoxicated more quickly.
Fact: Vitamin B3 and zinc may help hangovers.
When it comes to supplements that have been shown to be effective in helping hangovers, vitamins B3 and zinc top the list. A small study published in August 2019 in the Journal of Clinical Medicine found that nicotinic acid (vitamin B3) and zinc significantly reduced hangover severity in 23 healthy social drinkers.
Fact: Drinks with diet soda may make you drunk quicker.
You may want to rethink that diet soda and rum and opt for regular cola instead. That’s because one small study published in April 2013 in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research found that people who downed vodka mixed with an artificially sweetened soft drink registered higher blood alcohol levels than those who had the same cocktail with sugar-sweetened soda. The theory is that because the body treats sugar as food, drinking a diet beverage is similar to drinking on an empty stomach.
Myth: You can take a pain reliever before going to bed to prevent a hangover.
Not only will this be ineffective in preventing a hangover, but it may also be harmful. According to the NIAAA, taking acetaminophen with alcohol can cause liver damage. If you need to take something for your hangover headache, you can try aspirin or ibuprofen, but keep in mind that they can increase the amount of acid in your stomach and irritate the lining. Just don’t make it a regular practice, and don’t take it preventively.
Myth: Having a sports drink before going to bed can ward off a hangover.
Some people believe downing an electrolyte-infused sports drink before bed can prevent a hangover, says Bishop-Stall. The NIAAA says there’s little evidence that this is effective. Electrolytes — sodium, calcium, potassium, chloride, phosphate, magnesium — are minerals in your blood, urine, tissues, and other bodily fluids that have an electric charge. They help move nutrients into and waste out of your cells and ensure your nerves, muscles, heart, and brain work properly. Dehydration, which can happen when you drink alcohol, can throw the levels of electrolytes out of whack. Contrary to the commonly held belief that drinking electrolytes may help reduce the severity of hangovers, research has increasingly shown that’s not the case. The BMJ Nutrition, Prevention, and Health article found that drinking a supplement of vitamins and minerals, including magnesium and potassium, was not effective in improving people’s hangover symptoms. Additional reporting by Katherine Lee
