Top 10 Hangover Cures, Ranked: What Works and What Is a Myth

A short list of hangover cures is one of the most-shared things we have ever posted. Here is a longer and more honest version. The truth, which nobody wants to hear on a Sunday morning, is that time is the only real cure. The tips below make the waiting easier.

The ranking

1. 1. SleepYour body does its repair work while you sleep. A late lie-in beats any potion, so build one into the schedule.
2. 2. WaterAlcohol makes you lose fluid. Sip water steadily rather than gulping a litre in one go.
3. 3. Real foodA solid breakfast helps blood sugar and settles the stomach. Eggs, toast, fruit and plain carbohydrates are all fine.
4. 4. Oral rehydrationA sachet or a sports drink replaces salts as well as water. Pharmacies sell them cheaply.
5. 5. Something gentleGinger tea, a banana, plain soup. They will not cure anything, but they are easy to keep down.

1. 6. Painkillers, with careRead the label and ask a pharmacist. Take them with food, never exceed the dose, and be especially careful with paracetamol after heavy drinking because of the liver.
2. 7. Fresh airA slow walk will not cure the headache, but it helps the mood and the grogginess.
3. 8. A little coffeeIt helps alertness. In large amounts it irritates the stomach and does nothing for dehydration.
4. 9. A greasy fry-upComforting and the stuff of legend, but there is no proof it cures anything. A plain breakfast is as good.
5. 10. Vitamins and pillsThe evidence is thin, and the money is better spent on breakfast.

Myths worth skipping

• Hair of the dogAnother drink only postpones the hangover. It can also keep a bad habit going.
• Sweating it outSaunas, hot baths and hard workouts dehydrate you further. Avoid them.
• Coffee until it worksPast a cup or two, you are adding jitters to a headache.
• The cold showerIt wakes you up for a minute. It does not remove alcohol.

Pack for the morning

• Water bottles
• Rehydration sachets
• Paracetamol or ibuprofen (read the label)
• Plasters
• Sunglasses
• Breakfast voucher

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