Hangover cure myths: why no cure exists, and what actually helps

Why there is no hangover cure

A hangover is not one problem. Alcohol disrupts sleep, irritates the stomach, increases urine output, triggers immune signaling and leaves behind acetaldehyde as it is broken down. A single remedy would have to fix all of that at once, and nothing has been shown to.

A 2005 systematic review in the BMJ looked at every randomized trial it could find and concluded that no compelling evidence exists that any conventional or complementary intervention prevents or treats hangover. A 2022 review in Addiction covered 21 placebo-controlled trials with 386 people in total. No two trials tested the same thing, and every result was rated very low quality. For the full picture of what science says about a hangover cure, see our main guide.

Sources: Pittler et al., 2005: Interventions for preventing or treating hangover; Roberts et al., 2022: Pharmacologically active hangover interventions; Swift & Davidson, 1998: Alcohol hangover, mechanisms and mediators

Myth: hair of the dog

Having another drink in the morning can dull how you feel for a short time, but it adds more alcohol for your body to process and pushes the hangover later rather than ending it. It also restarts impairment. Public-health guidance is clear that more alcohol is not a hangover remedy, and a pattern of morning drinking is a reason to talk to a clinician.

Sources: Hangovers: causes, remedies, and safety

Myth: coffee cures a hangover

Coffee may make you feel more alert, and if you drink it every day, skipping it could add a caffeine-withdrawal headache. That is the real case for your usual cup. Coffee does not lower blood alcohol, speed up alcohol metabolism or reverse impairment. Interestingly, it is also not the dehydrator it is said to be: in a hydration trial, coffee was retained about as well as water over four hours.

Sources: How the body metabolizes alcohol; Maughan et al., 2016: A beverage hydration index (13 drinks compared)

Do showers help hangovers? Does working out?

A shower can feel refreshing, and that is a fine reason to take one. It does not change BAC or clear acetaldehyde. A cold shower is not a way to sober someone up, and it is dangerous for a person who is very drunk.

Exercise is similar. The liver does almost all of the work of clearing alcohol, and only small amounts leave through breath, urine and sweat, so a workout does not meaningfully speed that up. Hard exercise while you are dehydrated, short on sleep and possibly still impaired raises the risk of injury. If you want to move, a gentle walk and plenty of water is the sensible version.

Sources: How the body metabolizes alcohol; Hangovers: causes, remedies, and safety

Myth: a greasy breakfast soaks up the alcohol

By the morning, the alcohol you drank has already been absorbed. Food cannot soak it back up. Eating before and while you drink is different: food in the stomach slows how quickly alcohol reaches the bloodstream. The morning after, simple food can help if you feel shaky or nauseated, but a fry-up is comfort, not a cure.

Sources: How the body metabolizes alcohol; Swift & Davidson, 1998: Alcohol hangover, mechanisms and mediators

Myth: a pill or drink that cures hangovers

Hangover pills, drinks and IV drips are sold with confident language, but the trial evidence behind any single ingredient is thin. In the 2022 review, a few ingredients, including clove extract, L-cysteine and red ginseng, each had one small positive study, all rated very low quality. That is a reason for more research, not a cure.

The same standard applies to us. No supplement, Joyrise included, is a hangover cure. Joyrise is an Alcohol Metabolizing Aid: a DHM supplement built around dihydromyricetin. The capsule label says to take 3 capsules while consuming alcohol, or before bed. Do not exceed 3 servings (9 capsules) per day. Much of the alcohol-related DHM evidence is preclinical, and Joyrise does not lower BAC, reverse impairment, or make driving safe. Read the full directions and warnings on our Alcohol Metabolizing Aid capsules page before you buy.

Sources: Roberts et al., 2022: Pharmacologically active hangover interventions; Joyrise capsules: product page and current label; Shen et al., 2012: DHM and alcohol-related signaling

What actually helps

Recovery runs on time. These steps may make the wait more comfortable:

• Water, sipped steadily; an oral rehydration solution if you have been sick.
• Simple food if your stomach allows.
• Sleep and a lighter schedule; poor sleep is linked to worse hangovers.
• If you consider a pain reliever, read our guide on Advil or Tylenol for a hangover and ask a pharmacist.
• Confusion, vomiting while barely responsive, slow or irregular breathing, or a person you cannot wake: call 911. That is alcohol poisoning, not a hangover.

Sources: Ayre et al., 2021: Hangover severity, sleep and cognitive performance; Understanding the dangers of alcohol overdose