Does Coffee Help Hangovers? – Way To Cure It Using Caffeine
Does Coffee Help Hangovers? Not only does coffee not ease or cure hangover symptoms, but it also makes it worse. Let Centralparkwestcafe give you the truth and explain why.
What Is Hangovers?
A hangover is a term used to describe a group of symptoms that follow excessive drinking. Anxiety, irritability, nervousness, weakness, thirst, headaches, muscular pains, nausea, stomach discomfort, sensitivity to light and sound, vertigo, and elevated blood pressure are among the typical symptoms.
Each person experiences a hangover differently.
The Causes
Hangovers can be caused by a variety of things, including:
- Acetaldehyde exposure: Acetaldehyde is a toxic, short-lived byproduct of alcohol metabolism, mostly produced by the liver, which causes inflammation in the liver, brain, pancreas, gastrointestinal system, and other organs.
- Disturbed sleep: Alcohol use may cause people to fall asleep more quickly, but their sleep is fragmented, and they often wake up sooner. This results in decreased productivity and tiredness.
- Inflammation: Alcohol makes the body more prone to inflammation. Inflammation plays a part in the malaise that individuals experience when they are ill, thus it may also contribute to the symptoms of a hangover.
- Gastrointestinal discomfort: Alcohol immediately irritates the stomach lining, which causes an increase in acid production. An upset stomach and nausea may result from this.
- Mild dehydration: The hormone vasopressin, which the brain produces and sends signals to the kidneys to cause them to retain fluid, is suppressed by alcohol. Alcohol causes increased urination and excessive fluid loss as a result. As a result, you may have minor dehydration.
- Mini-withdrawal: Even though drinking can make people feel calmer, more at ease, and even euphoric, the brain soon adjusts to these good effects in an effort to keep things in balance. As a result, once the buzz subsides, some individuals may experience increased agitation and anxiety.
Since everyone differs so greatly from one another, it is hard to say how many beers will result in a hangover. Any time someone drinks too much, there’s a probability they’ll feel groggy the next day.
Hangover cure
A hangover can only be cured by time. Here are some things you may do to make yourself feel better in the interim:
- Enjoy a snack: Toast and crackers are bland items that may raise your blood sugar and calm your stomach. Potassium and salt losses can be made up by using bouillon soup.
- Keep hydration: Drink fruit juice or water to stay hydrated. Avoid the urge to drink more to get over your hangover. You’ll simply feel worse as a result.
- Use an analgesic: Your headache could be relieved by taking an ordinary dose of an over-the-counter painkiller. However, aspirin may cause gastrointestinal discomfort. Acetaminophen (Tylenol, among others) can also cause serious liver damage if you habitually consume alcohol in excess.
- Return to bed: If you get enough sleep, you could wake up without a hangover.
Does Coffee Help Hangovers?
Coffee does not cure a hangover and also is likely to offer little if any, help. However, some people might advise it as a recovery aid. In rare instances, it could even exacerbate the effects of a hangover.
Caffeine, which may be found in coffee, has a diuretic effect as alcohol does. As a result, it could further dehydrate the body, thereby extending or exacerbating some hangover symptoms.
Research on coffee’s impact on hangover symptoms is scarce. Instead, the majority of study focuses on combining caffeine-containing beverages with alcohol, such as energy drinks.
The hazards of combining coffee and alcohol are highlighted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Caffeine and alcohol consumption can lessen the effects of alcohol, making people feel more awake and sober than they otherwise would.
A 2011 study found that those who combine caffeine and alcohol are more likely to act riskily than those who only consume alcohol. The combination of coffee and alcohol did not prevent a hangover, according to a 2013 research.
How coffee can help with hangovers?
Coffee may help with hangovers:
- Coffee relieves pain: Caffeine can help hangover headaches by relieving pain. Coffee’s caffeine constricts blood vessels, reduces inflammation, and temporarily relieves pain.
- Hydration: Coffee may help hangover sufferers retain fluids. Alcohol dehydrates, hence hangovers often dehydrate. Hydration reduces hangover symptoms like headache, dizziness, and fatigue.
Coffee may help with hangover symptoms, but it is not a cure. Caffeine affects everyone differently, and too much can cause dehydration and other health problems. Always consult your primary care physician before using caffeine or other hangover remedies.
Limitations of coffee as a solution for hangovers
The following are many of the drawbacks associated with utilizing coffee as a remedy for hangovers.
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Caffeine’s dehydrating impact
Caffeine, which is included in coffee, can give some hydration, but it can also serve as a diuretic and promote fluid loss, which can lead to greater dehydration if you drink too much of it. This can make hangover symptoms, like headaches, dizziness, and exhaustion, much worse.
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The effect of caffeine on the ability to sleep
Caffeine is known to disrupt sleep, which is a necessary component of the healing process following an alcohol hangover. Hangover symptoms can be made to last longer and feel more intense if sleep deprivation is involved.
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Individual differences
Caffeine affects different people in different ways, and for some individuals, the negative effects of caffeine may outweigh any potential advantages it may have. Consuming a large amount of caffeine on a regular basis may also contribute to additional health issues.
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Not a cure
It is essential to keep in mind that coffee is not a treatment for hangovers; rather, it can only provide momentary relief from the symptoms. Drinking water, getting some rest and giving the body some time to recuperate from the effects of alcohol is always the best course of action.
Before using caffeine or any other substance to cure a hangover, you should always make an appointment with your primary care physician. Caffeine should not be relied on as the only remedy for dealing with hangovers; rather, it should be taken in moderation and consumed in an appropriate amount.
Caffeine Hangover Symptoms
When your body experiences caffeine withdrawal, you have a caffeine hangover.
The symptoms of a caffeine hangover and a hangover after drinking alcohol might be identical, even though they are physically quite different.
Your body starts to experience withdrawal when it doesn’t get as much caffeine as it’s used to since caffeine is an addictive drug. Once or twice days have passed since your previous caffeine intake, this usually occurs.
Although caffeine hangovers are unpleasant, there are no long-term negative consequences. To go past that, all you need is the time!
A caffeine hangover often has three symptoms:
- Nausea
- Lethargy
- Headaches
The most typical symptoms are headaches and lethargy, although occasionally nausea and vomiting can occur as well. Even so, it’s uncommon.
Is Black Coffee Good For Hangovers?
Want to cure a hangover but also want to drink coffee? Try drinking a cup of black coffee.
The best kind of coffee to drink when you have a hangover is black coffee.
However, why not choose a double mocha lait frappé instead of black coffee? After all, both include caffeine, which is the main component that aids in blocking adenosine, a substance that causes headaches associated with alcohol use.
Black Coffee Is Just Water
Nearly 98% of black coffee is water. Dehydration is the main issue a person has when they have a hangover. Additionally, a dehydrated body needs water.
There was once a time when it was believed that only water could be included in your daily requirement of eight glasses. Your rehydration also takes into account coffee and tea.
So certainly, it is always preferable to down some water as you wait for your morning coffee to cure your hangover. However, drinking black coffee will also help you get the essential fluids you need.
The Liver Isn’t Overworked by Black Coffee
Whenever you drink alcohol, your liver is under such much stress that some of its cells actually perish. Therefore, you shouldn’t give your liver extra effort, such as digesting sugar, which can also cause liver disease.
All substitute sweeteners also don’t give your liver a break. It is thus advised to refrain from using any form of sweetness in your hangover coffee.
In the table below, mocha is contrasted with black coffee.
| Black Coffee (200g) | Mocha (200g) | |
| Calories | 1 | 196 |
| Carbs | 0.3g | 25g |
| Fats | 0g | 8g |
| Caffeine | 150mg | 150mg |
| Sugar | 0g | 15g |
As you can see, black coffee offers the same amount of caffeine as your hangover drink while removing carbohydrates and sugar.
Coffee And Tea: Which Is Better For Hangovers?
Tea is better for hangovers than coffee because coffee can dehydrate you due to the caffeine content in it having diuretic effects which make you urinate more frequently. But tea is not.
The caffeine in a cup of green or black tea will help you feel less tired. Ginger tea, for instance, which helps lessen nausea, has additional calming qualities.
FAQs
What is the best drink to cure a hangover?
Pick up some Pedialyte, Gatorade, Powerade, or a comparable non-fizzy sports beverage. These beverages are loaded with particular minerals known as electrolytes, including magnesium, sodium, potassium, and calcium, which aid in controlling the body’s fluid balance.
Is Coke good for a hangover?
You should hydrate your body if you’re dehydrated after drinking. Dehydration is primarily to blame for how you feel and that headache. Coke, for example, has a lot of sugar and fluids that you may put back into your body to boost your energy levels. Additionally, caffeine will offer you more energy.
What drinks make hangovers worse?
Studies have shown that for a given blood alcohol level, dark beverages like red wine and bourbon cause greater hangovers because they contain more congeners than light drinks.
Final Thought
Coffee doesn’t relieve a hangover and is probably of little if any, value. Despite some people’s recommendations to the contrary. In rare situations, it could even exacerbate the effects of a hangover.
The only approach to prevent the symptoms of a hangover at this time is to refrain from drinking alcohol. Drinking lots of water, eating healthful foods, and getting plenty of sleep may help those with hangovers to lessen their symptoms.
Through this article, Centralparkwestcafe hopes you can now know the answer to your doubt.
He has lived in Thailand for more than 2 years and in Vietnam for over a year to explore the coffee culture.
He is the Co-founder of Centralparkwestcafe With more than 20 years in coffee, he brings more subtle perspectives that you may find interesting.
