How to Avoid the Hangover

How To Support Your Body After Alcohol

Evidence-based strategies to reduce next-day symptoms and support recovery.

1. Before You Drink

Eat a Proper Meal

A balanced meal containing carbohydrates, protein and fats before drinking can reduce your peak blood alcohol level by up to half. This is the single most reliable way to ease next-day symptoms. Eat before you drink. 

Optional Pre-Drinking Helpers

Evidence from small human trials shows modest benefits.

• Prickly Pear Extract May reduce nausea, dry mouth and inflammation when taken several hours before drinking.

• Korean Pear Juice Around one cup before drinking may slightly ease next-day symptoms and support alcohol metabolism.

• Red Ginseng (Panax Ginseng) May reduce blood alcohol levels and lessen fatigue in small controlled studies.

• Berocca (Vitamin B)Assists in topping up Vitamin B levels before your liver uses a lot of it, processing the alcohol out. 

These are supportive additions, not cures. If you have pear juice and then 17 scotch & Cokes, I can’t help you. 

2. While You Drink

Pace Yourself

Spacing drinks out or alternating with non alcoholic beverages helps keep blood alcohol lower and reduces the inflammatory and metabolic burden on the body. You can get a buzz going, without overdoing it, and your body will ultimately deal with the alcohol more efficiently. 

Hydrate Gradually

Water helps with thirst and comfort, although it does not prevent hangovers. Sip steadily instead of chugging. This will help to dilute and slow down some of the alcohol's absorption. 

Eat Throughout the Evening

Food slows absorption and blunts blood sugar fluctuations. Be careful WHAT you eat, though, as both your hunger and satiety hormones are blunted, which means you could quite easily overconsume calories. Lean proteins, complex carbs and a controlled level of fats is key. Deep-fried and covered in grease seems like a good idea at the time, I know…

3. When You Get Home

A few small actions here can meaningfully improve how you feel the next day.

• Have a light snack with carbs and protein. Examples include yoghurt with fruit or wholegrain toast with peanut butter.

• Drink a moderate amount of water to support overnight hydration.

• Use an electrolyte drink if you sweated heavily or urinated frequently.

• Choose simple, gut-friendly foods rather grease heavy takeaway.

• Set up for sleep with a dark, cool room and minimal screen use.

• Vitamin B supplements here will help 

4. The Next Morning

Fuel and Recover

Balanced Protein and Carbohydrates Aim for a meal that replenishes glycogen and supports recovery. Examples: Greek yoghurt smoothie with fruit, eggs on wholegrain toast, oats with whey protein and banana.

Micronutrients That Support Alcohol Metabolism Adequate daily intake may improve resilience.

• B Vitamins, including niacin and B6

• Zinc

• Magnesium

• Potassium-rich foods

• Antioxidant-rich plants such as berries, citrus, leafy greens and capsicum

Electrolytes Useful if you sweated heavily, urinated frequently or vomited. They improve hydration and comfort but do not eliminate a hangover. As discussed, the hangover from alcohol is not dehydration. 

5. Symptom Support

These do not treat the root cause, but help manage discomfort while your body clears metabolites and inflammation.

• Ginger for nausea

• NSAIDs such as ibuprofen for headache or muscle pain, if tolerated**

• Light walking or gentle movement

• Rest and quality sleep to counteract alcohol disrupted REM cycles

6. Long-Term Lifestyle and Gut Support

Hangover severity is closely linked to inflammation and gut barrier stress.

Improving resilience over time includes:

• A diet high in colourful fruits and vegetables

• Wholegrains and adequate fibre

• Omega-3 rich foods such as salmon, sardines or chia

• Consistent sleep and circadian stability

These daily habits reduce overall inflammatory load and support liver and gut health.

7. What Won’t Fix Your Hangover

L Cysteine Supplements

High quality placebo controlled studies show no meaningful reduction in hangover symptoms. 

NAC for Hangovers

Although NAC is beneficial in specific medical contexts such as liver protection and alcohol use disorder trials, there is no strong evidence for single-dose hangover support. Take this to support your liver, not to reduce your hangover. 

Commercial Hangover Pills

Systematic reviews show that most marketed hangover products lack replicated human evidence of both safety and effectiveness.

     Hair of the Dog

I know it feels better at the time, but you are only drawing out your hangover for the following morning. At some point, you will have to deal with it!

8. The Bottom Line

• The most effective strategies remain eating proper meals, pacing alcohol, drinking earlier in the evening, and protecting sleep.

• Hydration helps with general comfort but does not fix hangovers.

• Supplements may offer small benefits, but none are proven cures.

• Strong baseline nutrition and lifestyle habits create the biggest protective effect over time.

PubMed ID Reference List

Prickly Pear Extract (Opuntia ficus indica) RCT showing reduced hangover severity and inflammatory response PMID: 15226168

Korean Pear Juice (Pyrus pyrifolia Shingo) Human crossover trial showing modest symptom reduction and enhanced alcohol metabolism PMID: 23587660

Red Ginseng Drink (Panax ginseng) Crossover human study showing reduced blood alcohol and symptom scores PMID: 24458173

Systematic Review of Hangover Interventions Concluded no reliable cure and poor evidence across products PMID: 16373736

Review of Commercial Hangover Products Evaluated eighty two products and found no robust human evidence for any PMID: 34364016