Memorial Day is a time to remember our fallen service members and spend time with friends and family. The unofficial kick off of grilling season usually accompanied by a drink or two, or three.
With too much celebration on a Monday, going to work on Tuesday can be downright painful. Especially if you are recovering from a hangover. Despite all the over the counter hangover “cures” out there, experts really don’t completely understand what causes a hangover or what will cure one.
We know dehydration often accompanies excess drinking, especially if drinking leads to vomiting. Alcohol as a beverage is low in the electrolytes sodium and potassium. Sodium helps you retain fluids. Alcohol as a “chemical” lowers ADH or anti-diuretic hormone. ADH causes your body to reabsorb fluids, so by lowering ADH and without sodium to hold onto the fluids, you urinate more. The headache common in hangovers is your body telling you that you are dehydrated.
What and how much you ate that day will also make a difference. Alcohol lowers blood sugar and impairs sleep, worsening your headache and that zombie like feeling the next day.
The type of alcohol you are drinking plays a role. It takes more beer and a lot less brandy or whiskey to produce a hangover.
Lack of sleep, low blood sugar, dehydration, the type of alcohol you choose and even body composition all contribute to the severity of a hangover.
