As Aussies gear up for a booze-filled day celebrating the Melbourne Cup, there are things that can be done to minimize the post-race hangover.
While avoiding alcohol is always the best way to avoid feeling sick the next day, eating well, staying hydrated or taking a pre-drinking pill can help minimize the subsequent headache and nausea.
Carbohydrates like wholegrain toast, oats, brown rice and chickpeas can help clear the liver of hangover-causing chemicals while drinking a glass of water for each alcoholic beverage or coconut water can keep you hydrated.
A new pill has also been released in Australia that supposedly curbs hangover before they start by breaking down alcohol before it reaches the liver – however some doctors are skeptical of its effectiveness.
Ahead of many Aussie gearing up for a day of drinking champagne to celebrate next week’s Melbourne Cup, a new pill has been released that claims to stop hangovers
The pill that claims to kill your hangover before it starts
Mrykl, pronounced ‘miracle’, is a ‘pre-drinking pill’ that claims to make hangovers a thing of the past with its breakthrough scientific formula however some doctors aren’t convinced.
Mrykl is a sell-out ‘pre-drinking pill’ with a formula that breaks down to 70 percent of alcohol within 60 minutes and 50 percent within 30 minutes after consuming booze
Two of the Swedish-made tablets are meant to be taken an hour before drinking and supposedly gets you less drunk by breaking down alcohol in the gut before it reaches the liver therefore minimizing a hangover.
A trial found its formula broke down to 70 percent of alcohol within 60 minutes and 50 percent within 30 minutes after consuming booze.
The hangover-preventing pill is now available in Australia for $52 but it is only intended for those who are light to moderate drinkers.
Myrkl’s probiotic formula, known as AB001, was developed through 30 years of research and contains Vitamin B12 and L-cysteine1 which has been scientifically shown to reduce hangovers.
A study from 2020 by the University of Helsinki found subjects who took L-cysteine tablets before a night of drinking had fewer hangover symptoms the next day than those who took a placebo pill.
Associate professor of psychology at the University of Birmingham Dr Sally Adams said she’s ‘skeptical’ of the study as a hangover is difficult to measure in a scientific capacity and its causes are not fully known
A Myrkl study found participants who had taken the pills seven days before drinking alcohol had ‘a substantial reduction of alcohol absorption into the blood’ compared to those given a placebo.
The types of foods you should avoid eating
While many of us crave greasy fried foods such as burgers and fries after a day of boozy indulgence, it’s best to avoid because it’s likely to irritate, rather than soothe, an unsettled stomach. Spicy foods can worsen dehydration and further aggravate an already unsettled gut.
Speaking to The Guardian, associate professor of psychology at the University of Birmingham Dr Sally Adams said she’s ‘skeptical’ of the study as a hangover is difficult to measure in a scientific capacity and its causes are not fully known.
‘It’s a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, which are all the right things that we would want to be happening in this kind of trial but I don’t know how they can claim that a hangover is affected by the pill when it’s not measured,’ she said.
Chief executive of Alcohol Focus Scotland Alison Douglas told Healthcare the pill means it will take longer for the effects of alcohol to be felt which could lead people to buy and consume more.
‘People may inadvertently end up drinking more than they normally would, putting them at risk of a range of long-term health conditions,’ she warned.
Dietitian Lyndi Cohen (pictured) said there are a few foods you can eat on the same day you’re drinking to prevent a post-party hangover
Line your stomach with carb-heavy foods
Dietitian Lyndi Cohen said there are a few foods you can eat on the same day you’re drinking to prevent a post-party hangover.
The foods to eat to prevent a hangover
- Whole grain toast
- Whole grain cereal
- avocado
- eggs
- spinach
- Brown rice
- Sweet potato
- Chickpeas
- mango
- yoghurt
- Chicken noodle soup
- bananas
- pretzels
‘While nutritious food won’t erase any unwanted memories, there are a few foods that will help speed up your recovery and help get rid of that hangover (and splitting headache) in advance,’ she previously told FEMAIL.
While no food can stop the roller coaster in your stomach, carbohydrates can help bring your blood sugar levels back up the morning after.
‘Alcohol lowers your blood sugar levels so anything that helps bring your blood sugar levels back up will make you feel better,’ she said.
‘Slow burning carbohydrates like a piece of wholegrain toast or oats can be a form of comfort food and will help re-stabilise your blood sugar levels.’
Other great options include brown rice, chickpeas, wholegrain breakfast cereal, sweet potato and eggs.
‘Whether scrambled, boiled or sunny side up, eggs contain cysteine, an amino acid that helps clear your liver of hangover-causing toxin acetaldehyde,’ Lyndi said.
Eating pretzels and bananas may seem like an odd combination but they can actually cure a hangover.
Research previously found both salt and potassium are electrolytes that can hold onto water to decrease dehydration. But adding in natural electrolytes that also come with carbohydrates will make for one step to feeling better, so bananas and pretzels fit the bill perfectly.
Eating a hearty bowl of noodle chicken soup can help restore sodium and water levels in the body, and liver function.
‘Bone broth contains lots of minerals that are naturally released from the bones during cooking – and these, together with the salt, could help to fight fatigue and boost your energy levels,’ Nutritionist Cassandra Barns previously said.
There are a few foods you can eat on the same day you’re drinking to prevent a post-party hangover, including eggs, avocados and wholegrain toast (stock image)
Match each drink with a glass of water
The most obvious thing to do is down water – lots and lots of it.
‘For each serving of alcohol, drink a glass of water,’ Lyndi advised – adding that this should be dead up to around two to three liters.
If water isn’t enough for you, Coconut water – touted as nature’s recovery drink – is also good for easing hangovers because it’s filled with the potassium and electrolytes your body is craving.
‘Coconut will also work wonders for getting your blood sugar levels up and help you to rehydrate,’ Lyndi said.
Previous studies have found ginger and peppermint tea can reduce nausea and motion sickness. Green tea is also known to be helpful to the liver.
Another unusual liquid to add to your diet is pickle juice as it can help stimulate the liver to detoxify and eliminate alcohol.
‘When pickles ferment, they also produce a certain type of soothing bacteria to help with an irritated stomach,’ Ms Barns said.
Another unusual liquid to add to your diet is pickle juice as it can help stimulate the liver to detoxify and eliminate alcohol (stock image)
Listen to your body
Getting a good night’s sleep after festivities will help to limit your hangover.
Besides clocking your eight hours, a decent workout session the day after the races can eradicate headaches better than many foods.
But if you’d don’t have the energy, Lyndi said you shouldn’t push yourself.
‘Pushing yourself to exercise if you don’t have the energy may result in an average quality workout and put you at a higher risk of getting sick,’ she said.
Hair of the dog
Many cultures endorse a ‘drink through the pain’ approach, with an alcoholic beverage drunk the morning after.
In Denmark you can even purchase a drink called Reparationsbajer, which means ‘recovery beer’. But the most common in other parts of the world is the Bloody Mary.
However, if you’re thinking of an alcoholic drink the next day seems like a good idea to take the edge off, think again.
Several scientific studies have shown hair of the dog to be ineffective though, and the practice may just delay a hangover or dehydrate on your body.
