In This ArticleView AllIn This ArticleWhat Causes a Hangover?Does Drinking Water Help?Tips to Avoid a HangoverFAQs
In This ArticleView All
View All
In This Article
What Causes a Hangover?
Does Drinking Water Help?
Tips to Avoid a Hangover
FAQs
You’ve heard the old one-for-one rule: Drink one glass of water for every alcoholic beverage you consume to help with the next-day hangover. And it makes sense, as alternating adult beverages with trusty ol' H2O is a good way to slow down your drinking and help you stay hydrated. But are your efforts actually staving off a hangover, or are they just adding extra restroom runs to your night? The answer isn’t as straightforward as you’d think.
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Symptoms
Depending on how much you drank the night before and other factors, like whether you skipped dinner, symptoms of a hangover can range from mild to debilitating. And these side effects can span both your body and brain. Common hangover symptoms include:
Does Drinking Water Between Alcoholic Drinks Help with Hangovers?
Interestingly, there is very little research into what exactly causes hangovers and even less into what you can do to prevent or cure a hangover, Betz says. And there isn’t any solid research that directly shows drinking water can help prevent a hangover.
While many people believe that drinking too much alcohol causes dehydration and a subsequent electrolyte imbalance, research shows that electrolyte levels in people with hangovers versus those without are about the same. And folks with lower electrolyte levels don’t tend to have worse hangovers, perCedars-Sinai.
“However, we do know that hormones like vasopressin, aldosterone and renin that are associated with dehydration are higher in people who have a hangover. So, it is reasonable to assume drinking water could help a hangover,” Betz says.
While the jury is still out on whether chugging water is scientifically proven to help with hangovers, it’s still a great low-cost, low-effort way to try to avoid the impending doom. “Drinking extra water with alcoholic beverages likely won’t hurt you—and it might help lower those dehydration hormones to help your hangover,” Betz says.
The best way to avoid a hangover is to (you guessed it) avoid or limit alcohol in the first place. But if you do decide to drink, following certain protocols before starting your night and while you’re drinking might help how you feel the next day. Next time you plan to go out for drinks, try the following tips from Betz:
How Much Alcohol Should You Be Drinking?
How Much Alcohol Is Too Much?TheCenters for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC) recommends no more than one alcoholic drink per day for women and no more than two alcoholic drinks per day for men.
How Much Alcohol Is Too Much?
TheCenters for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC) recommends no more than one alcoholic drink per day for women and no more than two alcoholic drinks per day for men.
The Bottom Line
While there isn’t any solid evidence proving that drinking water between alcoholic drinks can help prevent a hangover, doing so might help indirectly. Alternating one alcoholic beverage and one glass of water can help slow down your drinking, so you’ll likely drink less alcohol overall—and the less alcohol you drink, the lower your risk of battling a hangover the next day. But if you’re alternating drinks and still throwing back multiple shots or polishing off a bottle of wine, that strategy can backfire fast.
At the end of the day, the best way to avoid a hangover is toavoid alcohol altogether, or at least limit it to no more than one to two drinks a day, Betz says. “It is important to remember that alcohol isn’t a benign substance—drinking too much is associated with a higher risk of most cancers, heart disease, high blood pressure and depression.”
What Happens to Your Body When You Drink a Cocktail Every Day
Frequently Asked Questions
A good rule of thumb is to drink one extra glass of water per alcoholic drink. Alternating alcoholic drinks and water can help slow down your drinking and help you drink less alcohol overall.
No, water does not help metabolize alcohol. Once alcohol is in your system, the only thing that can break it down is liver enzymes, Betz says. “Alcohol dehydrogenase is the main enzyme that breaks alcohol down in our bodies.”
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