Here's What You Should Eat For Breakfast To Cure A Hangover
A hangover is, well, unpleasant. Maybe you were out celebrating a new job, watching your favorite team win, or simply hanging with friends and having a few drinks. However, the morning comes, and you don't feel the best. Nausea, headaches, dizziness, dry mouth, and fatigue are just some of the symptoms you might experience after a rowdy night out, according to Mayo Clinic.
Surprisingly, you may not even have to spend all night drinking to feel the negative effects the next day. In fact, one drink is sometimes enough for a person to have a hangover (via Mayo Clinic). Thankfully, there are ways to treat a hangover that don't involve drinking more alcohol or swallowing raw eggs, according to Thrillist. While nothing will instantly make you feel better, drinking lots of fluids and eating foods with high amounts of vitamins and minerals can help alleviate symptoms.
Salmon restores B vitamins
Eating fish when hungover might seem off-putting, but if you can stomach it, salmon can help you feel better. Drinking too much alcohol can lower B vitamins in your body, making you feel fatigued and nauseous, explains Livestrong. Salmon contains both B6 and B12, which can replenish lost vitamins and make you feel better throughout the day, according to Cleveland Clinic.
Another symptom of a hangover is inflammation. And fatty fish, like salmon, can help. A 2020 study published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine found that the severity of a hangover was correlated with how inflamed the body was from alcohol consumption. Salmon, sardines, and herring are some types of fish that contain omega-3 fatty acids, which have been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties (via Healthline).
If the thought of eating salmon when hungover is too much to stomach, there are other foods that contain B vitamins including, oranges, brown rice, and certain fortified breakfast cereals (per WebMD).
Avocados replenish vitamins and minerals
Drinking too much alcohol causes your body not only to lose vitamins and minerals, such as potassium and salt, but it stops the absorption of them as well, according to UC San Diego. When hungover, it's important to replenish those lost vitamins through good food like avocados.
Avocados are a nutrient-dense superfood containing important vitamins like A, D, E, and K, explains Mayo Clinic. And the benefits don't stop there. Avocados are especially helpful in replenishing potassium stores, which can become depleted after a long night of drinking.
Potassium is an electrolyte that regulates nervous system functionality and your heartbeat, according to MedlinePlus. In fact, one avocado contains 20% of your daily value of potassium, which is more potassium than the average banana, according to Healthline. They also have compounds that can protect your liver, which is important during a hangover (via Healthline).
Eggs help break down alcohol toxicity
Many people eat eggs every day, but they probably didn't know that this food also helps with hangovers. A report from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism explains that when large amounts of alcohol are consumed, the liver metabolizes alcohol into many toxic byproducts, including acetaldehyde. This causes damage to the liver, pancreas, and brain. Eating eggs can actually help break down acetaldehyde, explained Everyday Health.
Eggs also have an amino acid called cysteine which helps your body produce glutathione, an important antioxidant. However, drinking too much alcohol can deplete this antioxidant making it difficult for your body to help break down acetaldehyde in your system, according to Healthline. By eating eggs, you are increasing cysteine to help remove acetaldehyde. If you don't like eggs then chicken, beef, and whole grains also contain cysteine (via Everyday Health).