Top Five Hangover Cures for Summer

Alcohol in any form is a diuretic. That's fancy talk for a substance that causes your body to excrete water…whether in the bathroom or through your skin. Dehydration is a very, very, and let me repeat VERY bad thing. Before you hit the sack after consuming a large amount of alcohol, the medical types recommend you down between 16 and 20 ounces of just plain water. And you can pre-plan, by drinking alternating alcohol and equal amounts of water at the time of the party.

Simply put, the best way to treat a hangover is to NOT get one. And the easiest way to not get one is to make sure you haven't consumed so much alcohol in such a short period of time that your body “attacks” you the next day. Your body metabolizes each dose of alcohol (one beer, one shot of liquor or glass of wine) in about 60 to 75 minutes. So, if you're not willing to give your body enough time to process, you're going to probably pay for it later. So, if you've decided to imbibe, slow and careful is the best policy…and the best “hangover cure” there is.

Remember that even though the diuretic effect of alcohol causes loss of some electrolytes, it's not so much that they must be replaced immediately. And research has shown that Gatorade is NO more effective than water from the tap. So, save your bucks.

Even though many, many people grab a quick cup of coffee the next morning…it's not going to help with a hangover. Of course, trying to sober up with coffee just makes you a wide awake drunk. but trying to help with the head ache with coffee is a real waste. In fact, caffeine can often complicate things and it's a diuretic by itself, so it can actually make things worse.

Two words: bad idea. Actually, three words: really bad idea. More alcohol may provide a numbing effect to the discomfort and pain, but it's merely kicking the can down the road. And, lets face it; you're going to have to deal with the hangover eventually. In fact, drinking more to relieve the symptoms can lead to a real dependency. And who needs that?