You’ll hear an annoying beep in your ears. Your mouth feels like a nail file. The light coming in through your windows blinds you and with difficulty you try to remember the previous evening. Are you going to throw up? Maybe. But first you have to drink some water.

Cause of a hangover

There are few things worse than waking up with a hangover. We are all familiar with it, some maybe a little more than others. We are in the middle of the holidays and that means that there is a hangover lurking every moment.

But why do we feel so miserable the morning after an evening of drinking? Alcohol stimulates the production of hormones, causing you to urinate more and thus lose more water. That’s also the reason why you feel so dehydrated the next morning.

Toxic

We also know that alcohol in our body is converted into acetaldehyde and acetate. These metabolites are toxic to our cells, causing us to feel nauseous, sweating, an accelerated heartbeat and headaches. As if that’s not enough, alcohol also inhibits our cytokine system, which is important for our immune system. An increase in cytokine after drinking alcohol also causes headaches, fatigue and even memory loss.

In addition, some drinks are mixed with other ingredients that improve the taste or smell of the drink, but also cause a worse hangover. The worst culprits are red wine, brandy and whisky.

So what is the miracle cure that should save us from a hangover? We share with you 9 golden anti hangover tips. Don’t forget that it’s always good to drink in moderation.

1. Boost your breakfast with leafy vegetables

Our bodies can convert acetaldehyde into acetate, but this depends to a large extent on the amount of antioxidants in our body. The most essential antioxidant is glutathione. This substance is made from the amino acid cysteine, which is found in high concentrations in protein-rich foods. Beef, chicken, eggs, oatmeal and lentils are your best sources. It is therefore not surprising that people feel better after a deep-fried breakfast, which contains many of these ingredients.

Nevertheless, there is still room for improvement. The production of glutathione from cysteine depends on several cofactors – magnesium, glycine, glutamate and adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Dark leafy vegetables are a fantastic source of magnesium. So combine your sausages, beans and an egg breakfast with a buttered chard and some spinach for an extra boost. It’s even better if you add tomatoes and mushrooms. These ingredients are rich in glutamate which is also needed for glutathione production.

2. Move

With a hangover it may be tempting to stay in bed all day, but a little exercise is helpful. A quick walk of fifteen minutes will get your lymphatic system going, which will purify you faster. The fresh air is also good for your brain.

3. Vitamins, vitamins, vitamins

If you consume alcohol too often or in too large quantities, it acts as a kind of anti-nutrient. It increases your body’s demand for important vitamins and minerals, which may make you feel tired, lazy and weak. Not ideal for the holidays. It is therefore useful to take nutritional supplements, as long as they are complementary to a healthy and varied diet and have been well researched.

4. Drink in moderation

Limit the amount of alcohol you drink. The higher the promillage, the worse the hangover.

5. Add antioxidants to your diet

Try liposomal glutathione, an antioxidant supplement that makes your body break down the toxic by-products of alcohol faster. Take a few before you go to sleep and a few as soon as you wake up again.

6. Water is your best friend

If you drink alcohol, try to drink water all the time. See H2O as your drinking partner – alternate each alcoholic drink with a glass of water, so drink them every now and then. You’ll notice the next day what a difference it makes to your headache.

7. Avoid greasy food

No matter how tempting a burger with fries may be at the end of a night out, try to avoid them. The fat and sugars cause your blood sugar to become even more unbalanced and they also cause extra toxins in your liver. All this together makes the hangover even worse.

8. Avoid whisky

Sulfites (which are often added to wine as a preservative) and so-called congeners (fermented substances found in dark drinks such as bourbon) contribute to hangover symptoms, like headache. So it’s useful to avoid these.

9. Take a break

Do not drink any more alcohol. An extra glass the next morning might help temporarily with the symptoms, but eventually it will prolong your hangover.

And no matter what you do, always drink in moderation.