Can Electrolyte Drinks Really Prevent a Hangover?
Abstaining from alcohol is the only guaranteed way to prevent a hangover, but can electrolyte drinks help if you do want to say cheers with friends? You’ve planned a night out with friends, and you have no desire to wake up with a hangover the next morning. Granted, you could skip the alcohol completely and not worry about any side effects. But if you want to imbibe, could an electrolyte drink help prevent a hangover?
What Are Electrolytes? Electrolytes are essential minerals that play major roles in fluid balance by helping bring water into the cells and regulating muscle and nerve function in your body. You consume electrolytes from foods and beverages. Although sports drinks might be the most well-known beverage source, coconut water and some juices also contain electrolytes.
There are good reasons to consume electrolytes, such as during workouts and times of illness—hangovers included. “Electrolytes are mainly lost through sweat, but they are also lost through waste production and vomiting,” says Jackie Kaminski, M.S., RDN, a National Academy of Sports Medicine ambassador in Palm Beach, Florida. “Anytime you’re losing fluids, you’re losing electrolytes, and it’s important to replace those.”
Excerpted from Eating Well
