How to Prevent a Hangover

. Eat something

Commonly referred to as “soakage”, eating something before a night of moderate to heavy drinking definitely helps to lessen the effects of a hangover. In fact, the more you eat, the more time it will take for the alcohol to affect you. This is because food helps to reduce the formation of acetaldehyde in your stomach, and it is this substance that is thought to be the main cause of hangovers.

• Fatty, carbohydrate-filled foods, such as pizza and pasta, are best for preventing hangovers, as fat slows your body’s absorption of alcohol.^[1]
• However, if you are trying to eat healthily, go for oily fish that contain healthy fatty acids, such as salmon, trout and mackerel. ^[2]

Expert Tip

Harpal Singh

Eating food is great – test test test

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. Have a spoon of olive oil

This may sound a little gross, but many Mediterranean cultures swear by this hangover prevention technique. Basically, it’s the same principle as eating fatty food before drinking – the fat in the olive oil will limit your body’s absorption of alcohol. So if you can stomach it, swallow a tablespoon of olive oil before you head out for the night. ^[4]

• Alternatively, you can increase your intake of olive oil less directly by dipping some crusty bread into it, or drizzling it over a salad.

. Drink milk

Milk is often said to help prevent hangovers as it forms a coat on the lining of the stomach, which may help to limit the amount of alcohol that gets absorbed into your bloodstream. While there is little scientific evidence to back up the notion that milk helps to prevent a hangover, there are many people who swear by the method. If nothing else, milk is a healthy source of calcium and B vitamins, so drinking it can’t hurt.

. Stick with one type of alcohol

Mixing drinks is your worst enemy when it comes to hangovers. This is because different alcohols contain various additives, flavorings, and other elements which, when combined, can give you the mother of all hangovers as your body struggles to process everything at once. Choose beer or vodka or wine or rum, but whatever you do, don’t have them all in one night. Choose your drink and stick to it.

• Cocktails are particularly lethal, as they usually contain two or more alcohols mixed together. If you can’t resist the bright colors and tiny umbrellas, try to at least limit yourself to a maximum of two Cosmopolitans!

. Choose light liquors

Dark liquors – like brandy, whisky, bourbon and some tequilas – have a higher concentration of toxins called congeners, which are formed during the process of fermenting and distilling alcohol. These toxins can contribute to the severity of your hangover, so if you’re going to drink the hard stuff, stick with light colored liquors like vodka and gin to lessen your intake of toxins

. Avoid “diet” mixers

Mixers such as diet lemonade or diet cola are not a good idea when you’re drinking. This is due to the fact that diet mixers contain no sugar or calories, without which the alcohol shoots directly into the bloodstream. Sticking with the regular version of mixers keeps a few calories in your system, which should work in your favor once morning rolls around

• Even though regular mixers are better than diet versions, fruit juice is a better option than either. Juice is uncarbonated – which is good as any carbonated beverage increases the speed of alcohol absorption – while it also contains a certain amount of vitamins, which certainly doesn’t hurt.

. Take a couple of painkillers

If your head is hurting, try taking a couple of painkillers such as aspirin or ibuprofen to ease the pain. Always take these pills in the morning, rather than the night before when you still have alcohol in your system. Alcohol is already a blood-thinner, and the painkillers will only thin your blood even further, which can be dangerous.

• Never take acetaminophen-based pills when you have alcohol in your system, as mixing these two substances can be very dangerous.^[13]
• Drinking the next day can have the effect of making you feel better, but remember that your body will have to metabolize all of the alcohol in your system at some point, so drinking more is simply prolonging the pain of recovery.