Wild and carefree - that’s the mark of a truly great party. However, a great night out is often quickly followed by a great big hangover. This can involve headaches, nausea, listlessness, sensitivity to light and noise… the list goes on. So, what can you do to avoid spending the next day lying in a darkened room? We’ve put together our top tips & tricks for preventing and fighting hangovers. We’ve also recommended some special micronutrient combinations to help support the body in its mission to atone for the sins of the night before.
If you’ve partied the night away, it’s a good idea to replenish your stores of micronutrients as soon as possible the next morning. Combining the four BIOGENA products Leber Galle Formula, Siebensalz® Magnesium, Mineralstoff Formula and Zink & Acerola provides the perfect nutrient top-up that supports your body the morning after a party.
The liver - our metabolic factory: The liver is the largest metabolic organ in the human body. It processes the nutritional components we take from food, produces proteins, serves as a storage organ and has a regulating effect on the hormone and immune system. But, like no other organ, the liver also has to deal with many substances that need to be eliminated from the body. Alcohol, medicines and environmental toxins can challenge our most important excretory organ. This makes it all the more important to provide sufficient nutritional support for the liver and its auxiliary organ, the gallbladder. Herbal extracts have long been used for this purpose. Leber Galle Formula contains milk thistle, which helps to maintain liver function, and artichoke, which supports the stimulation of the liver-bile system.
Minerals and trace elements - as vital as vitamins: Minerals and trace elements are essential for human life. In specific phases, the targeted supply of minerals can help to keep the mineral balance in equilibrium. BIOGENA Mineralstoff Formula contains a full spectrum of essential minerals and trace elements.
Supporting the body's defences: A strong immune system is especially important during the colder season, as well as during prolonged periods of physical or mental stress. At such times, it’s important to provide your body with targeted immune support. Zinc, which is the second most abundant trace element in the human body, plays an important role here. Along with Vitamin C, it’s one of the immune classics. The cherry-red acerola fruit contains a particularly high concentration of vitamin C, along with numerous other secondary plant substances. This makes it an excellent source of vitamin C. Zinc and vitamin C both contribute to the normal function of the immune system as well as protecting cells from oxidative stress. Zinc also supports acid-alkaline metabolism, while vitamin C plays a role in energy metabolism and helps reduce tiredness and fatigue.
The very best medicine is always prevention: the best way to escape a hangover is to enjoy alcohol in moderation or abstain altogether.
Sweet long drinks and sugary cocktails may taste great, but the high sugar content inhibits the liver's ability to break down alcohol. This makes for a much worse hangover the next day. On top of that, the sweetness masks the taste of the alcohol, which can lead people to "accidentally" over-indulge.
Alcohol dehydrates the body. Drinking a glass of water with every alcoholic drink helps to keep the body well hydrated throughout the evening.
A fit and healthy body has a well-running metabolism. This means that regular exercise is not only good for you in general, but it also helps to break down alcohol more quickly. Tip: 24 hours before the party, hit the gym for a full-body workout.
On an empty stomach, alcohol is quickly absorbed into the blood. Foods containing fat and carbohydrates slow down this process. Snacking at the party (e.g. on nuts, olives or pretzel sticks) is a way of taking on board the salt and minerals that the alcohol leeches away.
“I’m never drinking again!”… we’ve all been there. The fun party mood is quickly followed the next day by hangover and regret: a pounding head and a queasy stomach. These tips will help you get back on your feet as quickly as possible:
The most important thing after a night of drinking is to refuel with liquids. However, picking up where you left off the night before is not a good idea. The infamous "hair of the dog" strategy may make you feel better in the short term, but in the end it only serves to postpone those typical hangover symptoms for later. Tap water, still mineral water, a strong broth if you like, teas or diluted fruit juices all serve to refresh and replenish those depleted fluid stores.
Coffee, or rather the caffeine it contains, stimulates your circulation. This helps - if you can stomach it - to fight off headaches. However, hungover people beware: too much caffeine can irritate the stomach, which is already suffering from the effects of the night before. Moderation is key.
If you don't wake up with a queasy stomach, a hearty hangover breakfast is always a good idea. The perfect hangover breakfast is wholesome and gives the body back the minerals it has lost: a full English breakfast complete with bacon, sausage, eggs, baked beans, tomato and mushrooms, with wholemeal toast and fresh fruit juice on the side, will fill you up and compensate for the alcohol-related loss of minerals.
Minimising light and noise will help relieve your headache. If you allow yourself to rest, do not exert yourself too much and refrain from smoking, you will give your body the time and space it needs to regenerate and rejuvenate.
If you feel fit enough, you can also fight a hangover with fresh air: exercise pumps more blood through your body and gets the circulation going again. This helps to boost the body's own regeneration processes.
An ice pack from the freezer on your forehead helps fight a headache by constricting the blood vessels, which soothes the pain. Teas made from lemon balm and lime blossom also help against headaches, and ginger tea relieves nausea. You can also use herbs to combat the smell of stale alcohol: chew fresh parsley or mint.
There is no magical cure for hangovers. However, it’s no secret that prevention is the best medicine: enjoy alcohol in moderation, try not to mix your drinks, and drink at least one glass of water with every glass of alcohol - this keeps the body hydrated. If that doesn't work, our tips are sure to help keep the hangover at bay the next morning. However, if you want the hard truth: the one and only sure-fire way to prevent a hangover is to abstain from alcohol altogether.
