Why does eating cure a hangover? The real science behind this morning-after remedy

October 5, 2025 •

3 min read

While there's no magic food to instantly cure a hangover, eating can significantly help mitigate its symptoms by addressing the root physiological causes. Alcohol consumption leads to dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, and plummeting blood sugar levels, all of which contribute to the familiar morning-after misery. By providing your body with the right nutrients, a proper nutrition diet can assist in your recovery and make you feel human again.

Quick Summary

Food helps a hangover by raising low blood sugar and replenishing lost nutrients and electrolytes caused by excessive alcohol consumption. It supports the liver during detoxification and soothes an irritated stomach, providing much-needed energy and relief from discomfort.

Key Points

Blood Sugar Regulation: Eating easily digestible carbohydrates helps raise low blood sugar levels, counteracting the fatigue and weakness associated with hangovers.
Nutrient and Electrolyte Replenishment: Food helps replace vitamins (especially B vitamins) and electrolytes like potassium and sodium, which are depleted by alcohol's diuretic effect.
Liver Support: Consuming foods rich in amino acids, like eggs, provides the building blocks for the liver to produce detoxifying antioxidants like glutathione.
Stomach Soothing: Bland, simple foods like toast or oats can settle an irritated stomach, while high-fat or greasy foods may worsen digestive upset.
Inflammation Reduction: Some foods contain anti-inflammatory compounds that can help calm the inflammatory response triggered by excessive alcohol consumption.

The Morning-After Malady: Understanding the Hangover

To appreciate how food can help, one must first understand what causes a hangover. The unpleasant symptoms—including fatigue, headaches, nausea, and sensitivity to light—are the result of several physiological effects of excessive alcohol intake. These effects include dehydration, depleted electrolyte stores, a dip in blood sugar (hypoglycemia), and an inflammatory response triggered by the immune system. The liver, working overtime to process alcohol, also produces a toxic byproduct called acetaldehyde, which contributes to the overall feeling of illness. While time is the only definitive cure, smart eating can address these underlying issues and accelerate your recovery.

The Science of Replenishment: Why the Right Foods Help

Eating the day after drinking is not about 'soaking up' alcohol—which has already been absorbed into your bloodstream—but about replenishing the body's depleted resources and providing the necessary fuel for recovery. A nutritious breakfast, for example, can restore steady blood sugar levels, mitigating the weakness and irritability associated with hypoglycemia. Certain nutrients and amino acids can also support the liver's detoxification process, helping your body get rid of alcohol's toxic byproducts more efficiently.

What to Eat: The Best Foods for a Hangover

Choosing the right foods is key, as not all post-drinking cravings are helpful. While a greasy bacon-and-sausage breakfast might seem appealing, high-fat meals can further irritate an already-sensitive stomach and slow down the digestive process. Instead, focus on easily digestible options rich in key nutrients:

Complex Carbohydrates: These provide a slow, steady release of energy, stabilizing blood sugar levels and fighting fatigue. Think whole-grain toast, oats, or crackers. Adding honey can provide a quick boost of fructose to aid alcohol metabolism.
Eggs: Rich in the amino acid cysteine, eggs help the liver produce glutathione, an antioxidant crucial for breaking down alcohol's toxic byproducts.
Bananas: High in potassium, bananas are perfect for replenishing electrolytes lost through alcohol's diuretic effects. They also contain natural sugars and are gentle on the stomach.
Broth-Based Soups: Chicken noodle soup or a simple bone broth provides both hydration and sodium, helping to restore lost fluids and electrolytes.
Ginger: Known for its anti-nausea properties, ginger (in tea or fresh) can help settle an upset stomach.
Water-Rich Fruits: Watermelon, oranges, and berries offer hydration, electrolytes, and immune-supporting vitamin C.

Comparison Table: Good vs. Bad Hangover Food Choices


Food Choice	Why It's Helpful	Why It's Not So Helpful
Oatmeal with fruit	Provides complex carbs for steady energy, plus vitamins and fiber.	-
Greasy Fried Breakfast	Satisfies a craving.	High fat irritates an already sensitive stomach and delays digestion.
Eggs	Contains cysteine to support liver detoxification.	-
Coffee	Can help with grogginess.	Acts as a diuretic, potentially worsening dehydration.
Toast or crackers	Easily digestible carbs raise blood sugar and settle the stomach.	-
Hair of the Dog (more alcohol)	Provides temporary relief from symptoms.	Only delays the inevitable and prolongs recovery by adding more toxins.
Bone Broth	Replenishes lost sodium and electrolytes, easy on the stomach.	-
Spicy Foods	-	Can further irritate a sensitive digestive system.

The Importance of Hydration and Sleep

While food is a powerful tool, it's part of a larger recovery strategy that hinges on proper hydration and rest. Alcohol acts as a diuretic, causing increased urination and leading to dehydration. Drinking plenty of water or electrolyte-rich beverages like coconut water or sports drinks is crucial for rebalancing fluids and combating headaches and thirst. Additionally, alcohol disrupts the body's sleep cycle, preventing the deep, restful sleep needed for proper recovery. Giving your body extra time to sleep allows it to naturally repair and restore its functions.

Conclusion: A Strategic Approach to Recovery

Ultimately, eating doesn't "cure" a hangover in a single bite. It's a strategic part of a comprehensive recovery plan that also includes rehydrating and resting. By providing your body with the right kind of nutrition—easy-to-digest carbs, protein, and electrolyte-rich foods—you can address the multiple symptoms caused by alcohol's inflammatory and dehydrating effects. Understanding why and how certain foods help allows you to move beyond the myths and choose the best path toward feeling better. For more information on the physiological effects of alcohol, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) is an authoritative source.(https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/brochures-and-fact-sheets/hangovers).

Frequently Asked Questions

No, this is a myth. While you may crave it, greasy food can irritate an already sensitive stomach and take longer to digest. Bland, easily digestible foods like toast or eggs are a better choice.

Eating a hearty meal before or during drinking can slow alcohol absorption, but it won't prevent a hangover entirely. Eating a large amount of food after drinking may even slow down your body's metabolism of the alcohol.

Hangovers are often associated with low blood sugar levels, causing a craving for carbohydrates to get a quick energy boost. Easy-to-digest carbs like toast or crackers can effectively restore blood sugar.

No, eating does not accelerate the speed at which your liver processes alcohol that has already been absorbed. Only time can fully metabolize alcohol and bring your blood alcohol content down to zero.

Besides water, coconut water or sports drinks can effectively replenish electrolytes lost through dehydration. Broth-based soups also provide necessary fluids and sodium.

If you are nauseous, opt for bland, easy-to-digest foods in small portions, such as toast or crackers. Ginger tea can also help soothe an upset stomach.

Yes, eggs are beneficial because they contain the amino acid cysteine, which helps the body produce glutathione. Glutathione is a powerful antioxidant that aids the liver in breaking down alcohol's toxic byproducts.