If you’re in the throes of a hangry hangover right now, skip straight to the morning-after foods for real food that helps you replenish.

If you’d like to understand how you got here (other than the obvious), keep reading.

Around the holidays, or any big celebration, alcohol tends to creep up. Who would willingly pass up a sip of traditional eggnog? Not me! But too much of a good thing can leave you on top of the world for a little while, then paying for it the next day.

The common tips are great, and you should definitely do them: drink lots of water, and eat while you’re drinking. To tackle the hangover blues even further, it helps to first understand what alcohol does in the body.

What alcohol does in your body

It makes you pee more, and dehydrates you

• Vasopressin drops. Alcohol suppresses this anti-diuretic hormone, which normally tells your kidneys to hold on to water.
• More water and electrolytes leave. You urinate more often and lose fluid and minerals.
• Dehydration follows. Expect dizziness, fatigue and headaches.

Acetaldehyde builds up

• Your liver breaks alcohol down into acetaldehyde, using an enzyme called alcohol dehydrogenase. Oddly enough, acetaldehyde is more toxic to the body than alcohol itself.
• Glutathione clears it. With acetaldehyde dehydrogenase, this powerful antioxidant converts it to acetate, a harmless substance.
• Your glutathione supply is limited. When stores run low, acetaldehyde builds up.
• The result: headache, dizziness, fatigue, nausea, sweating, excessive thirst and brain fog.

Glutamine rebound

• Alcohol suppresses glutamine, an amino acid involved in immune function, muscles and the gut lining.
• When you stop drinking, your body makes extra to compensate, a process called glutamine rebound.
• That extra stimulation may contribute to overactive bowels, restless sleep, anxiety and even a rise in blood pressure.

Stomach, blood vessels and blood sugar

• Stomach: alcohol increases stomach acid, which can mean nausea, stomach pain and even vomiting.
• Blood vessels: they expand with alcohol, which can trigger headaches.
• Blood sugar: it rises and falls, adding to shakiness, mood swings, fatigue, hunger or nausea, and headache.

A weaker immune response

• Phagocytes, your immune system’s soldiers, are sent to destroy invaders. Alcohol can interfere with their job.
• Cytokines, the messengers that regulate immunity and inflammation, are affected too.
• The result: your body may be less able to fight off infections for a day or so after a big night out.

Don’t panic, it’s all about balance

Okay, so this all sounds a bit scary! But like most things in wellness, it’s about balance. You’re not drinking heavily all the time (hopefully), but celebrations bring more social gatherings, and there may be mornings you don’t feel great.

Why hangovers can hit harder in menopause

Many women notice that alcohol affects them differently in perimenopause and menopause.

• Hangovers can feel rougher.
• Sleep can get even more disrupted.
• Hot flashes may flare up.
• Shifting hormones, less muscle mass and less body water can all change how your body handles alcohol.

The same steps below can help, and they’re a good reason to keep your intake on the lighter side. For the bigger picture, read How Alcohol Inhibits Weight Loss & Wellness.

Prepare your body before you head out

Now that you know what those tasty beverages are doing inside your body, you can prepare in advance. Before heading to the party, some people like to supplement with:

Your antioxidant team

• Liposomal glutathione: a natural antioxidant with a key role in alcohol detoxification.
• N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC): a precursor your body uses to make glutathione. Animal studies suggest it may reduce alcohol toxicity, and it may bind to acetaldehyde.
• Vitamin C: supports glutathione production and helps with acetaldehyde. It’s one of the vitamins alcohol depletes.
• R-lipoic acid (R-ALA): may enhance the effectiveness of vitamin C and NAC.

The B vitamin alcohol drains

• Vitamin B1 (thiamine): low levels are linked to lethargy, impaired awareness and memory problems.
• Combination support: some animal research combining B1, vitamin C and NAC found protection against acetaldehyde toxicity, so a B-complex alongside vitamin C and NAC is a common approach.

Minerals and electrolytes

• Zinc: alcohol depletes it, and low zinc can trigger diarrhea or weaken immune responses.
• Magnesium: significantly depleted by alcohol. It may help with sleep quality, headaches, body aches and dehydration.
• Potassium: depleted by alcohol’s diuretic effect. Low levels can cause weakness, drowsiness, nausea, stomach aches and even fainting.

We’ve put these together in a bundle for your convenience. Visit our medical-grade supplement dispensary, click the Fullscript order button and look for the Hangover Support bundle. Order direct, with our special discount, and it ships right to your door.

So what about the next morning?

Alcohol depletes a lot of vitamins and minerals, and that’s partly what makes you feel so unwell. The day after, it helps to replenish:

• Electrolytes (magnesium, potassium, sodium), because diuretics make your body excrete more than usual.
• Antioxidants (vitamin C, vitamin E, glutathione) to help clean up what’s left of the alcohol.
• B-vitamins.
• Cysteine, glutathione’s precursor.

You can take these as supplements if you like, but what we really want the day after is some hearty food, right? We need calories at this point, and supplements don’t have any.

But don’t run to McDonald’s! Choose foods rich in these nutrients instead:

Rehydrate and replace electrolytes

• Coconut water: electrolyte minerals, plus glucose for energy and brain function.
• Water: to rehydrate and help flush out what’s left.
• Bananas: potassium and vitamin C.
• Avocado: magnesium, B-vitamins, vitamin C and potassium.
• Spinach: magnesium, vitamins A and C, and B-vitamins.

Antioxidants and vitamin C

• Fruit: oranges, pineapple and papaya are rich in vitamin C.
• Tomatoes: vitamin C, lycopene and glutathione.
• Nuts: vitamin E, an antioxidant.
• Dark chocolate: magnesium and antioxidants.

B-vitamins, cysteine and minerals

• Eggs: cysteine, B-vitamins and selenium, an antioxidant.
• Oatmeal: vitamin B1, magnesium and zinc.

Settle your stomach

• Ginger: a spice traditionally used to ease nausea and stomach aches.
• Peppermint: may help calm the stomach.

Our hangry-hangover favourites

Now for the best part. Here are two replenishing, satisfying real-food ideas to tackle the morning after.

The replenishing green smoothie

• Coconut water: potassium.
• Pineapple: vitamin C, plus bromelain, a natural enzyme that supports digestion.
• Banana: vitamin B1 and potassium.
• Avocado: vitamin E and magnesium.
• Spinach: magnesium and glutathione precursors.
• Pumpkin seeds: magnesium.
• Ginger: to help settle your stomach.
• Honey: minerals and gentle blood sugar support.

Strawberry oatmeal cookies

Rich in several of the nutrients alcohol depletes, which makes them a tasty day-after snack. Get the full details in our Strawberry Oatmeal Cookies post.

They’re delicious and nutritious any time, of course, but these hangover-helper qualities make them the perfect day-after snack.

Disclaimer: This information is for general knowledge and should not be taken as medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare provider before starting any new supplement or health regimen. Neither this information nor any food will fully eliminate a hangover. It is intended to help support your body after overconsumption of alcohol.

---

Think estrogen is the only hormone affecting what happens to your body in menopause? Think again.

There are several other hormonal and metabolic players influencing your weight, energy, hunger, sleep and ability to maintain muscle. I break them down in Beyond Estrogen—and explain what you can actually do to support your metabolism as these changes occur.