The 7 Best (and Worst) Foods to Help Nurse a Hangover - GoodRx (2024)

Waking up in the morning after having a couple drinks too many can leave you looking for relief. Unfortunately, there’s no one best hangover food. But if you find yourself peering into your fridge or scanning a diner menu, some choices may be better than others at easing the effects of hangover.

Do certain foods help you recover from a hangover?

Currently, there is no hangover cure or high-quality evidence suggesting that food can help you overcome a hangover.

That being said, consider foods and drinks that can best ease your hangover. For example, since alcohol is dehydrating and inflammatory, choose options that are:

• Hydrating

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• Offer electrolytes

• Light on the stomach

• Anti-inflammatory

Keep in mind, it can still take 24 hours to recover from a hangover no matter what you eat or drink.

Best foods and drinks for a hangover

Apart from water, here are seven foods and drinks to try to nurse a hangover.

1. Coconut water or an electrolyte beverage

Because alcohol causes you to pee more, coconut water and sports drinks are commonly used for rehydration. This is because they have water and electrolytes like:

• Potassium

• Sodium

• Magnesium

• Sugar

In a lab study, coconut water combined with pear and sweet lime also seemed to boost the activity of two enzymes involved in breaking down alcohol. But more studies looking at its effects on people are needed to understand its potential.

Whichever hydrating beverage you choose, remember to sip slowly. Having too much liquid in one go might cause more stomach pain or make you feel queasy.

2. Bananas

If one of your hangover symptoms is frequent vomiting, this can cause you to lose electrolytes, like potassium. Because bananas are rich in potassium and gentle on the stomach, they can be great hangover helpers. They might help balance electrolytes without adding to queasiness.

No bananas around? Try other high-potassium foods include avocado, yogurt, and dried fruit.

3. Pear juice

A small study showed that Korean pear (Pyrus pyrifolia) juice — a commonly used remedy for hangover prevention in Korea — might possibly help lower blood alcohol and improve hangover side effects, like trouble concentrating and light and sound sensitivity.

Korean pears are also known as:

• Asian pear

• Japanese pear

• Yama-nashi

• Apple pear

But the participants were all young and healthy men; so whether pear juice is effective for the general population is unclear.

4. Asparagus

Asparagus contains enzymes that appear to help the body metabolize ethanol. That could help ease hangover symptoms and protect the liver. The study results are not clear since the research was on cells, not humans. And the researchers found that the enzymes were in high concentrations in asparagus leaves (or ferns) so eating spears may not give the same benefit.

Still, eating vegetables plays an important role in keeping our bodies healthy.

5. Crackers and starchy foods

If your stomach isn’t feeling so good, you may benefit from sticking to bland, starchy foods that are easy to digest. Think crackers, toast, or oatmeal.

If it sounds good and you are able to tolerate food, spread some peanut butter on top for more nutrients, like protein and healthy fat.

6. Salmon

Salmon contains anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids that might help lower inflammation from alcohol breakdown. If fish isn’t what you want to eat on a sensitive stomach, consider flaxseed or walnuts instead.

7. Chicken

One small study showed that people who got more zinc and niacin (vitamin B3) in their diet reported less hangover severity the next day. You can get both micronutrients in a chicken breast. If you prefer vegetarian sources, you’ll get the nutrients in beans, nuts, and fortified whole grains as well. Keep in mind that participants ate high zinc and niacin foods often, not as a hangover cure.

What foods can make a hangover worse?

Just as some foods might be better for hangover symptoms, other foods might make you feel worse.

Here are some examples:

• Greasy foods: Foods like french fries and sausage are inflammatory and might slow your body’s recovery from excessive alcohol consumption. Since diners are a common destination after a night of drinking, consider a side of fruit or an omelet with veggies.

• Sugar: It’s possible that blood sugar spikes from eating sugar can result in hangover-like symptoms, Dr. Seema Sarin explained in an interview. If you already have a headache, skipping sugary foods while your body heals is a good idea.

• Caffeine: While a big cup of coffee is often thought to help a hangover, it likely is not the best choice. One study found that coffee actually slowed the rate of ethanol elimination. Plus, its dehydrating effects can compound your hangover intensity.

Can vitamins or supplements help a hangover?

It’s unclear. While a number of vitamin patches or chewables claim to prevent a hangover, the research is lacking. The thought behind these remedies is that they deliver key nutrients, like B vitamins and zinc. Research shows that people whose diets were rich in these micronutrients experienced less severe hangover symptoms.

What can I do to prevent or lessen the effects of hangovers?

If you are going to be drinking, there are certain tips that can help you lower the likelihood of unwanted hangover symptoms:

• Don’t drink alcohol on an empty stomach.

• Have a glass of water between alcoholic beverages.

• Limit your drinks. Women should limit their alcohol intake to one drink per day while men can have up to two.

• Stick to clear alcohols since darker drinks tend to cause worse hangover symptoms.

If you can, take a sick day to rest and recover. A hangover can lead to irritability, poor decision making, and trouble focusing. And remember, the only way to truly avoid a hangover is to refrain from drinking alcohol. As such, a large amount of research suggests that any amount of alcohol has health risks.