5 Ways To Minimize A Hangover

1 min

If you are planning on attending a New Year’s celebration, you may want to take a few precautions to lessen your chances of starting the New Year with an alcohol-related hangover. The surefire way to keep a clear head is not to drink at all and to be the designated driver for your friends who do drink. Alcohol is a strong toxin to both the liver and the nervous system, and it can irritate the upper digestive tract and urinary system as well. If you do drink, remember:

1. Moderation is the best way to avoid hangovers – make sure to pace yourself.
2. Eat food if you have more than a drink or two.
3. Avoid dehydration (and cut down on alcohol intake) by drinking as much water – or a bit more – than you do alcohol to maintain a hydration balance. Commit to a large glass of water or club soda between every drink. You can also dilute each drink you have with sparkling water or club soda.
4. Take a B-complex vitamin supplement plus extra thiamine (100 mg) to counter the B-vitamin depletion caused by alcohol.
5. Choose beverages that are “cleaner.” Some distilled beverages are rich in substances called congeners – toxic impurities that can greatly add to your woes. Bourbon, rum and cognac are particularly “dirty,” while vodka, which is alcohol and water with just trace amounts of impurities, is the “cleanest” spirit.

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