Does Vitamin D Help Hangovers

[Nico Sadiq]

Whilethe best way to handle hangovers is to not experience them in the first place, if you do have them, there are things you can do to feel better. For example, some people claim that you can take minerals and vitamins to help with hangovers.

Large amounts of alcohol can affect how our bones store calcium, so one of the best mineral supplements for drinkers may be calcium. Without calcium, our nerves and muscles may not work properly. Persistent, heavy drinking can result in early onset of osteoporosis.

Frequent urination helps people remove alcohol from their systems. But, it also removes much-needed vitamins and minerals. Taking supplements could help restore some of these minerals and vitamins for heavy drinkers.

Some regular drinkers swear that a combination of various types of vitamin B helps them fight hangovers, especially vitamin B12 (cobalamin), which may help improve the functions of the nervous system and brain.

Where to find vitamin B: You can take different vitamin B supplements on their own or combined with other B vitamins. A number of foods also contain B vitamins, including eggs, several types of meat, and many other foods.

Where to find vitamin C: Users swear that cold-fighting products that contain vitamin C and zinc can prevent hangovers. Foods that have high levels of vitamin C include citrus fruits (oranges and grapefruits) and other fruits as well as many vegetables, especially green ones.

Where to find drinks with minerals and electrolytes: electrolyte-rich drinks include sports beverages and drinks intended to treat or prevent dehydration in infants and children. Its important to understand that while sports drinks help replenish electrolytes, the large amount of sugar present in these drinks can worsen dehydration caused by excessive diuresis.

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Healthline spoke with Gantt Galloway, PharmD, senior scientist in the Addiction & Pharmacology Research Laboratory at the California Pacific Medical Center Research Institute in San Francisco, California, to learn about which ones work best.

1. Dark liquors cause worse hangovers than clear liquors. Dark liquors contain congeners, byproducts of alcohol production found primarily in brandy, red wine, and tequila. Congeners make hangovers more severe and long-lasting. Clear liquors like silver rum, vodka, and gin contain fewer congeners.

2. Eating salty, fatty food helps. Food that is high in fat and protein can delay alcohol absorption, giving your metabolism more time to clear the alcohol from your system. The salt will help replace lost electrolytes, and meat contains Vitamin B6, which reduces hangover symptoms.

For almost as long as humans have had hangovers, we've tried to cure them with remedies that run the gamut, from vitamin B to pickle juice. Some hangover treatments work better than others, but none are an actual cure. The only way to avoid a hangover is to limit how much you drink or to not drink alcohol at all. And if you find that hangovers are affecting your work or relationships, talk to your doctor about your drinking.

A big glass of water might be the easiest hangover solution. Alcohol dehydrates you by boosting the amount of urine your kidneys make. You also lose fluid when you sweat, vomit, or have diarrhea after a night of bingeing. And alcohol is a diuretic, which means it makes you pee a lot and lose a lot of liquid. Dehydration causes symptoms like a dry mouth and headache.

If you drink alcohol, drink water before you go to bed. It will curb the effects of booze in the morning. It's also smart to keep a bottle of water by your bedside. Another drink of water when you wake up will help keep you hydrated. Have a sports drink to replace the sodium, potassium, and other electrolytes you've lost from vomiting or diarrhea.

Some people say that getting fluids through an IV can help ease hangover symptoms. This method has the informal name of "drip bar." It can be pricey, and health insurance doesn't cover the bill. But there's no need to pay for IV fluids when you can drink a glass of water for free. Getting an IV insertion increases your risk that a vein may clot or become inflamed, or the injection site could become infected.

Researchers say Korean pears might work with your body's chemistry to break down alcohol faster. The extract has a protein that curbs the inflammation you can get from drinking too much. That may help hold off a hangover. Only a couple of studies have been done, which is far from proof that this hangover remedy works. But if you can find Korean pear juice at your local supermarket, it doesn't hurt to try a glass before you go out drinking.

This root has been a feature of Chinese medicine for thousands of years. Herbalists use it to treat everything from stress to asthma. In one small study, a drink made from red ginseng cut down hangover symptoms.

A different herb that goes by a similar name, Siberian ginseng extract, also improved hangover symptoms like headache, dizziness, and stomachache. But the Siberian type isn't the ginseng used in Chinese medicine.

Alcohol lowers your blood sugar. That may explain the dizziness and shaking some people get with a hangover. Your brain needs carbs for fuel. Have a couple of slices of wheat toast or a few whole-grain crackers to bring those blood sugar levels back up to normal. You'll give yourself an energy boost, too.

This medicinal herb grows along tropical coasts. It treats liver, kidney, and stomach illnesses. In one small study, taking Phyllanthus amarus extract twice a day for 10 days helped lower blood alcohol levels, ease hangover symptoms, and improve mood in regular drinkers.

You can find extracts made from this herb online and in health food stores. Some of these products go by the name "stone breaker" herb. That's because it may help lower your chances of getting kidney stones.

The idea behind this popular hangover remedy is that taking another drink will ease the effects of the last few you had. The name comes from an old folk tale that says the way to treat a dog bite is to cover the wound with hair taken from the dog that bit you.

When you drink, alcohol holds back a brain chemical called glutamate. That causes your brain to make more and more of it. When the alcohol wears off, you have a bunch of it floating around in your brain. It may be to blame for hangover symptoms like crankiness, headaches, nausea, and fatigue.

Down another drink the next morning, and you'll hold off the glutamate all over again. Your hangover symptoms may improve. But it won't last. The truth is, drinking again will just throw your body back into the same destructive cycle without giving it time to heal. Experts don't suggest trying this method.

Carbs. Drinking lowers your blood sugar, which fuels your brain, and this could contribute to your headache. Carbohydrates in food can help boost your blood sugar back to normal. Try bland foods that are easy on your stomach, like toast and crackers, and drink some juice.

A variety of remedies can help you feel a bit better, like over-the-counter pain medications for your headache and eating bland food to settle your stomach, but your hangover likely will be with you all day. Take a nap if you can to restore lost rest and to pass the time.

The causes are as varied as the symptoms. Alcohol is metabolized into acetaldehyde, a substance that's toxic at high levels. However, concentrations rarely get that high, so that's not the complete explanation.

Drinking interferes with brain activity during sleep, so a hangover may be a form of sleep deprivation. Alcohol scrambles the hormones that regulate our biological clocks, which may be why a hangover can feel like jet lag, and vice versa. Alcohol can also trigger migraines, so some people may think they're hung over when it's really an alcohol-induced migraine they're suffering.

The key ingredient seems to be "drinking to intoxication"; how much you drank to get there is less important. In fact, several studies suggest that light and moderate drinkers are more vulnerable to getting a hangover than heavy drinkers. Yet there's also seemingly contradictory research showing that people with a family history of alcoholism have worse hangovers. Researchers say some people may end up with drinking problems because they drink in an effort to relieve hangover symptoms.

1. Drinking fluids. Alcohol promotes urination because it inhibits the release of vasopressin, a hormone that decreases the volume of urine made by the kidneys. If your hangover includes diarrhea, sweating, or vomiting, you may be even more dehydrated. Although nausea can make it difficult to get anything down, even just a few sips of water might help your hangover.

2. Getting some carbohydrates into your system. Drinking may lower blood sugar levels, so theoretically some of the fatigue and headaches of a hangover may be from a brain working without enough of its main fuel. Moreover, many people forget to eat when they drink, further lowering their blood sugar. Toast and juice is a way to gently nudge levels back to normal.

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