Preventing a Beer Hangover

There is a wide variety of hangover cures out there, and each drinker will have his or her own. However, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, as the saying goes. By taking some steps to prevent getting a beer hangover in the first place, you can spend your morning after the party doing something more enjoyable than staring at the toilet bowl swearing never to drink again.

Of course, the only guaranteed way to avoid a hangover is to avoid alcohol entirely. This is including beer. Of course, if you are looking for ways to prevent hangovers, this probably is not an option for you. If that is the case, keeping your drinking down to a minimum will help you to avoid the worst of the side effects.

Next, your goal is stay hydrated. No, drinking more beer is not going to keep you hydrated. Drink plenty of water, fruit juice, and other non-alcoholic beverages before you go out, while you are drinking, and when you get home again. Most of the really bad hangover symptoms come from dehydration, so staying hydrated will go a long way to helping you feel better.

It is best to avoid mixing drinks. However, if you are going to, you should save your beer drinking for last. Because of the carbonation, beer is absorbed more rapidly than some of the harder liquors. So, if you drink beer, first, it will also speed up the absorption of anything you drink after it. If you start with beer, stick to beer for the whole evening.

You have heard that “milk does a body good” and it is also true for hangovers. Having a glass of milk before you start drinking will help coat your stomach. This will slow down the alcohol absorption and help prevent irritation from the alcohol.

Eating while you drink beer can also be helpful. This is one of the few cases where bar food actually comes in handy. Starchy and fatty foods like the greasy burgers and fries they serve will help dilute the alcohol, slowing down absorption and making it easier for your body to process it.

Nurse your beers when you can. By limiting yourself to a drink an hour, your body has more time to process the alcohol, reducing your chances of having a hangover in the morning.

Taking some vitamin B can be helpful as well. You can find it in most multivitamins or on its own. It can help give your body back some of the nutrients that were lost due to the frequent trips to the restroom.