Is Coffee Good for a Hangover?

Whether it’s in the heat of Summer, or the middle of Winter, those of us living in the UK and Ireland will almost always find a reason to have a drink.

Of course, no heavy night of drinking comes without its punishment.

Dehydration, disrupted sleep, headaches, weakness, mini-withdrawals, stomach pain, nausea, light and sound sensitivity, increased thirst, irritability and increased blood pressure are all lovely side-effects from a hangover, but perhaps this is for good reason.

Hangovers act as cruel reminders that we shouldn’t make a habit of overdoing it too often.

There’s no definitive cure for hangovers but that being said, there are certain things we can do to mitigate their effects. 

The more obvious ones involve eating, but not stuffing ourselves with a decent breakfast and slowly sipping water to address the dehydration issue. 

There are of course other options – one of those being our favourite hot beverage – coffee.  

Curing Hangovers Since 2018

Is Coffee Good for a Hangover?

Whilst there isn’t a ton of research on the effects of coffee on hangovers, more on mixing caffeinated drinks with alcohol. 

Mixing both caffeine and alcohol can be a bad idea, with caffeine masking some of the effects of alcohol by increasing alertness and providing the illusion of sonbriety. 

On the other hand, there is some evidence which suggests that despite being a diuretic, a cup of caffeinated excellence the morning after a big night can play its part. 

These benefits are especially apparent when paired with a painkiller such as ibuprofen.

How does coffee cure a hangover?

Here are some of the ways that coffee can cure a hangover:

Alertness

If you’ve planned your night of drinking on the one preceding a day off, well done. 

You shouldn’t have to worry too much about being bright-eyed and bushy-tailed and can hopefully sleep the living nightmare off. 

Unfortunately, some of us aren’t that wise and we need to be able to be awake the morning after a good dose of the devil’s nectar. 

Coffee with its adrenaline, caffeine and adenosine content will help boost focus and alertness to help us get out of bed and do our thing. 

Metabolism and Nausea

If the hangover has stripped you of your appetite or has left you feeling queasy, coffee can help get your metabolism going again. 

With a new, re-found ability to munch some grub, your body should have a bit more of the fuel required to get through the recovery process. 

Just be aware there genuinely is a limit of how much bacon any one person should eat when they’ve been enjoying a few scoops the night previous.

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Headaches

All the acetate produced by alcohol can lead to big stinking headaches.

Caffeine can block the acetate, thereby relieving a headache caused by withdrawal symptoms. 

Caffeine Withdrawal

Sometimes the main reason we drink coffee isn’t the taste, the alertness, or the myriad of other health benefits, but because we’re addicted to the caffeine itself. 

Most regular coffee drinkers have at least a mild caffeine addiction and if they have a hangover, the lack of coffee is likely to exacerbate the headache overindulgence has given you. 

In this sense, coffee isn’t really curing the hangover, merely reducing the risk of other issues compounding.

Myths behind coffee as a hangover cure?

It’s good to know the limitations of coffee as a hangover “cure”.

Firstly, although many films and television shows have shown coffee to sober people up, it really doesn’t have this effect.

The caffeine hit may improve your concentration and boost your energy levels, but a cup of Joe isn’t going to lower your blood alcohol level. 

Please don’t think that coffee will suddenly make you a safe driver!

Experiments on rats even suggested that a dose of caffeine after ingesting alcohol will do little to reverse cognitive impairment. 

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In fact, it may even worsen the inability to avoid unpleasant stimuli. 

Effectively, this means that a cup of coffee can make you believe you’re sober when you’re still hammered.

As mentioned before, if you are going to have a coffee, make sure you take plenty of water to balance out the already harsh dehydration.

Another issue is that caffeine restricts your blood vessels and elevates your blood pressure. 

If you already have a pounding headache and you drink a cup of coffee, there is a chance it may get a good bit worse.

Batch Coffee Hangover Plan!

There are a whole load of weird and wonderful things you can incorporate into any attempt at curing your hangover. 

Asparagus, Korean pear, ginseng and kudzu are all full of nutrients which may help restore what was lost from the booze and your body’s recovery, but how often do we have those in the cupboards?

If you can’t go back to sleep, try the following plan:

• Drink a glass of water.  Take your time with it, make sure it’s as cold and refreshing as possible.

• Have a little bit of coffee – a milky one with a non-dairy milk might work well

• Have another glass of water.

• Wait half an hour to an hour, then have a little bit of coffee

• Keep drinking that water and get some grub.

Remember, abstinence or moderating your intake is usually the best approach, but let’s face it – some of us are here for a good time, not a long time!