Getting hungover sometimes feels inevitable this time of year—holiday cheer, more like holiday cheers (am I right?!). When parties have us switching between mulled wine, spiked eggnog, and apple cider champagne, it’s only a matter of time before someone’s auntie decks the halls in gnarly chunder. We’re here to remind you that it doesn’t have to go down like that—there are a handful of easy ways to dodge a rough hangover. Of course, the simplest way to not get hungover is to just not drink alcohol. But that’s also preposterous. So here are some more realistic suggestions (and as always, drink responsibly):
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Opt for drinks with low levels of congeners
Don’t worry, we also didn’t know wtf congeners were. Put simply, congeners are substances other than the desired alcohol (like methanol, acetone, acetaldehyde, esters, tannins, aldehydes and more) produced during fermentation. Drinks high in congeners include whiskey, cognac and tequila, while colorless drinks — like vodka, gin and rum — have low levels of congeners. According to Heathline, in studies that compared the effects of vodka (low in congeners) and whiskey (high in congeners), both the frequency and intensity of hangovers were greater for whiskey.
A little Hair of the Dog
Allegedly, the origins of this expression stems from a method of treating a rabid dog bite; hair from the dog was placed in the wound. Thus, having another drink the morning after lots of drinking is like taking hair from the dog that bit you. The actual science behind this theory is that after drinking, your body converts methanol into formaldehyde, a highly toxic substance that may be partly responsible for many hangover symptoms. However, consuming alcohol the morning after “tying one on” can inhibit this conversion process, preventing formaldehyde from forming. That being said, what goes up must come down and this solution really only delays a hangover.
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HYDRATE
This one’s simple—drink an excessive amount of water, avoid getting dehydrated, and you (most likely) won’t feel like a huge piece of shit the next day. A good rule is to drink a glass of water in between drinks, and chug at least one big glass of water before going to sleep.
Take a Liquid IV
We promise this isn’t a sponsored ad (but Liquid IV, let’s link & build you genius company!). If you’re not familiar, Liquid IV is an electrolyte powder you add to water, and when consumed before you start drinking, we swear it genuinely lessens hangover symptoms. It utilizes “Cellular Transport Technology (CTT)” which is based on an optimal ratio of sodium, glucose, potassium, and vitamins designed to enhance rapid absorption of water and other nutrients into your bloodstream. Like the name suggests, it’s supposed to be the next best thing to an IV drip, because we’re not all Rihanna.
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Avoid sugar
Because alcohol and sugar both cause dehydration and are both processed through the liver, when combined, you get a much more severe hangover than when drinking alcohol alone. Sugar also adds additional inflammation, which is thought to be one of the contirbuting factors to a hangover, so it’s best to avoid this bad boy at all costs.
Drink some seltzer
Just drink Zaddy’s
Based on most of these tips, it feels like your best bet on not feeling like you’ve been hit by a 14 wheeler the morning after boozing is to just drink Zaddy’s. Each can is low in congeners/ sugar, with seltzer to help you metabolize/hydrate. No need to over complicate things, we’ve made clean drinking easy for you <3
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Zaddy's is distributed throughout California by RNDC
