Natural Hangover Cures
By:
Allan Spreen
Tired? Nauseous? Headache-y? Thirsty? 'Tis the season for revelry, indulgence and hangovers of epic proportions. If you're nursing one right now, these tips may help alleviate some of your pain.
- Headache: Aside from the usual OTC remedies, the herb feverfew is helpful in cases of headache, including migraine, and is worth a try here. It doesn't have the stomach-irritating properties of anti-inflammatory drugs, which makes it preferable to aspirin. Consider feverfew capsules, which you can find in good health food stores. Follow label recommendations.
- Upset stomach/nausea: Ginger, aside from providing wonderful flavor, has long been used as a treatment for nausea and motion sickness. Take two 500-milligram capsules as early as possible, at the onset of nausea; this can be very helpful and won't cause drowsiness or dry mouth (especially important when you're already dehydrated). Drinking ginger tea will also soothe your stomach, and it tastes delicious, too. Another alternative is nux vomica, a homeopathic remedy that settles a troubled tummy. Umeboshi plums, available at Asian markets and health food stores, have long been reputed to cure hangovers. If you can get one down, you'll be pleased with the results.
- Dehydration: Alcohol flushes fluids, dehydrating the body and magnifying other hangover symptoms like headache and tiredness. Try to drink water the night before, both as you're drinking booze and before you go to bed. This will help lessen the pain of the next day's hangover.
- Lack of energy/listlessness: Take a strong B-complex (100 milligrams of each major B) before drinking, before bedtime and again the next day if you get a hangover. Vitamin B-12 (up to 2,500 micrograms, left to dissolve under the tongue) may be helpful in restoring the drained feeling after heavy drinking (along with the rest of the B-complex regimen previously mentioned).
And, of course, you can always drink in moderation and never face the torment of a full-blown hangover. Your choice!
