A Guide to a Hangover-free New Year’s Day
Holiday hangovers are the latest concern brands are looking to address.
With New Year’s Eve festivities that often lead to sore heads the next day, a slew of brands have responded with solutions that claim to ease the morning after pain and the post-alcohol scaries with supplements, patches and more.
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Hangovers are caused by alcohol and its toxic byproducts, according to Dr. Amy Myers, a functional medicine and gut health expert.
“Alcohol [ethanol] is broken down in the liver by the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase, which produces acetaldehyde, a highly toxic compound,” she said. “If you consume alcohol faster than your body can process acetaldehyde, this toxic substance builds up in your body causing nausea, headaches and an overall sense of feeling unwell.”
Obviously, the best way to avoid hangovers is to not drink at all, but if a celebratory sip is unavoidable this season, Myers recommends staying hydrated with water and electrolytes, getting extra sleep and taking charcoal, which binds to and removes toxins from the body.
In addition, she recommends supplements for nutrients that are depleted or functions that are negatively impacted — think B vitamins, antioxidants, anti-inflammatories, as well as liver- and gut-supporting products. Some notable ingredients include milk thistle, known to support liver health, and dihydromyricetin, which could increase the speed alcohol is metabolized.
With new products popping up and searches on the rise, it’s clear consumers are thirsty for solutions. According to Spate, the #HangoverCure hashtag on TikTok reaches nearly 2 million views a week and is growing with brands like Liquid I.V. and Pedialyte trending. According to Market Defense, this category is growing on Amazon with mass brands like Liquid I.V. and new entrants like ZBiotics. In addition, data shows these products are often bought in bulk, whether for an event like a bachelorette party or a wedding, or simply because the user never wants to be without.
The most common cure for hangovers has long been hydration. While brands like Pedialyte previously dominated the market, several brands have launched with a new approach that’s not just about general hydration. Waterboy, in particular, has its Weekend Recovery, $25, an electrolyte powder drink that targets the effects of drinking. In particular, the brand significantly upped the amount of electrolytes — each packet contains 3,200 mg. In addition, its formula includes L-Theanine to ease anxiety and ginger to prevent nausea and vomiting.
“The idea for Waterboy was as simple as, ‘Can I take something as good as the electrolytes in Pedialyte and then add other things on top that someone needs after a night out?,’” said Waterboy cofounder Mike Xhaxho.
His ethos proved correct, as the brand is now in Walmart, Wegman’s, Target and, soon to be, Sprouts.
Similarly, “Call Her Daddy” podcast host Alex Cooper recently launched Unwell Hydration, a drink brand infused with electrolytes, vitamins and caffeine to prepare for nights out and replenish the morning after.
While electrolytes are crucial for replenishing after a night out, some brands have taken it a step further, developing products that could impact how the body processes alcohol — whether via the gut or the liver — and in turn preventing or lessening the effects of the eventual hangover.
For example, ZBiotics has taken a gut-focused approach with its Pre-Alcohol, $36, a flavorless shot that should be taken before drinking.
“The key ingredient is a probiotic bacteria that we genetically engineered to break down a byproduct of alcohol called acetaldehyde [which] is most responsible for the way you feel the next day,” said ZBiotics founder and chief executive officer Zack Abbott, noting that the gut isn’t as efficient as the liver at breaking it down — therefore, he opted to focus on the gut’s response.
With one bottle, responsible drinking and a decent night’s sleep, Abbott said users “should feel great the next day.”
Rachel Kaplan Grossman and Brynn Evans promise similar results with their respective products H-Proof The Anytime You Drink Vitamin, $59, and Joyn Alcohol Flush and Hangover Reducer, $25, which focus more on supporting liver function and replenishing lost nutrients.
Evans was inspired to start Joyn, available at Urban Outfitters and Anthropologie, after constantly experiencing alcohol flush.
“Something that’s very common in Asian culture is getting red when you drink, because we don’t have the enzyme to break down alcohol,” she said.
Therefore, Joyn’s list of ingredients, including antioxidant N-acetyl cysteine and DHM aim to break down the alcohol, while also replenishing nutrients that are lost to both diminish redness and improve hangovers.
Meanwhile, H-Proof’s The Anytime You Drink Vitamin, which has two patents and is available at The Vitamin Shoppe, employs 16 active ingredients to boost the speed at which the body metabolizes alcohol and replenishing lost nutrients. It should be taken after your last drink or after every five drinks, per Grossman.
“This allows your body to front load on enzyme production before you begin the intake of alcohol,” she said, adding that you can take another dose in the morning for an added boost.
For Grossman and many founders in this space, product reviews are often profound, with some saying they are able to have a few drinks for the first time in years without the morning after pain.
“They’ve had to give up that celebratory ritual, and this product allows them to do that again,” Grossman said.
And if after all the electrolytes and supplements, the pain still doesn’t subside, there’s the HungovrAF Cap, $40, to slide over the head and eyes for a cold, dark environment until the hangover passes.
“When you wake up and your head is absolutely pounding, and the light hurts and everything hurts, that’s when I would slip it on,” said HungovrAF founder Lauren Ferry.
Whether its a cap or supplement, here’s a closer look at some of the products on the market to prevent and cure hangovers:
Waterboy Weekend Recovery, $25
Waterboy’s Weekend Recovery combines 3,200 mg of electrolytes for hydration with vitamins B and C to replenish nutrients, L-Theanine to reduce anxiety and ginger to address nausea.
HungovrAF Cooling Headache & Hangover Cap, $40
For lingering hangovers and head pain, HungovrAF’s cap provides cooling compression to ease tension.
ZBiotics Pre-Alcohol, $36
ZBiotics Pre-Alcohol modified prebiotic breaks down the toxins created by alcohol in the gut, ideally limiting the morning after impact of drinking.
H-Proof The Anytime You Drink Vitamin, $59
H-Proof’s The Anytime You Drink Vitamin, available in flavored chewable tablets, employs B vitamins, liver supporters, antioxidants, vitamin C, zinc and electrolytes for a more refreshed wakeup.
Joyn Alcohol Flush and Hangover Reducer, $25
With dihydromyricetin, milk thistle, B vitamins and more, Joyn’s hero product addresses both alcohol flush and the after effects of drinking.
Unwell Hydration, $15
Unwell Hydration combines electrolytes with vitamin B and caffeine for an easier morning wakeup.
The Patch Brand Recovery Patch, $24
This wellness patch, which can be worn before, during and after drinking, uses glutathione, vitamin B12, milk thistle, dihydromyricetin and more to prevent severe hangovers.
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