How to reduce the effects of a hangover?

From the medical professionals:

There is no one thing that cures a hangover except time. But there are a few things you can do to relieve the symptoms—the headache, nausea, and fatigue.

1. Drink fruit juice. “Fruit juice contains a form of sugar called fructose, which helps the body burn alcohol faster,” explains Seymour Diamond, M.D., director of the Diamond Headache Clinic in Chicago, Illinois. A large glass of orange juice or tomato juice, in other words, will help accelerate removal of the alcohol still in your system the morning after.

2. Eat crackers and honey. Honey is a very concentrated source of fructose. Believe it or not, sauerkraut juice is said by some to neutralize congeners. (More proof that sometimes the cure is worse than the disease!)

3. Get some pain relief. A headache is invariably a part of the package that goes with a hangover. “You can take aspirin, acetaminophen, or ibuprofen but you don’t want anything stronger,” Dr. Diamond says. “With more potent pain relievers, you run the risk of habituation, and you don’t want the first problem to start another problem.”

4. Willow bark is a natural, organic pain reliever, according to Kenneth Blum, Ph.D., chief of the Addictive Diseases Division at the U. of Texas Health Sciences Center at San Antonio. “It contains a natural form of salicylate, the active ingredient in aspirin.”

5. Drink bouillon. Broth made from bouillon cubes or any homemade soup broth will help replace the salt and potassium your body loses when you drink, Dr. Diamond says.

6. Replenish your water supply. “Alcohol causes dehydration of your body cells,” says John Brick, Ph.D., chief of research at the Center of Alcohol Studies of Rutgers State University of New Jersey. “Drinking plenty of water before you go to bed and again when you get up the morning after may help relieve discomfort caused by dehydration.”

7. Take B-complex vitamins. Drinking drains the body of these valuable vitamins. Research shows your system turns to B vitamins when it is under stress—and overtaxing the body with too much booze, beer, or wine definitely qualifies as stress, says Dr. Blum. Replenishing your body with a B-complex vitamin capsule can help shorten the duration of your hangover.

8. Eat amino acids. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. Like vitamins and minerals, they can also be depleted by use of alcohol. Dr. Blum says that replenishing amino acids plays a role in repairing the ravages of a hangover. Amino acids are also available in capsule form at most health food stores.

9. Have two cups of coffee. (I know this contradicts previous advice, but you didn’t expect consistency, did you?) “Coffee acts as a vasoconstrictor—something that reduces the swelling of blood vessels that causes headache,” Dr. Diamond says. “Coffee can do a great deal to relieve the headaches associated with hangovers.” But don’t drink too much.

10. If you have a headache, cool/cold compresses may help.

11. Eat a good meal. If you can tolerate it, that is. A balanced meal will replace the loss of essential nutrients, explains Dr. Blum. But keep the meal light; no fats or fried foods. Toast, cereal, fruit and yogurt are easier to digest than eggs and dairy. (Chicken soup, anyone? It may not help, but it couldn’t hurt!)

Thanks to advisors:

a) Kenneth Blum, Ph.D., is chief of the Addictive Diseases Division of the University of Texas Health Sciences Center at San Antonio
b) John Brick, Ph.D., is chief of research in the Division of Education and Training at Rutgers State University of New Jersey’s Center of Alcohol Studies in Piscataway, New Jersey
c) Seymour Diamond, M.D., is director of the Diamond Headache Clinic and the inpatient headache unit at Louis A. Weiss Memorial Hospital in Chicago, Illinois. He also is executive director of the National Headache Foundation. He has co-written several books on headaches.
d) Van Lierer, Ph.D., is director of research and owner of Decision Systems, a research and development firm in Stanford, California. He is a former cognitive psychologist at Stanford U
e) Mack Mitchell, M.D., is a vice president of the Alcoholic Beverage Medical Research Foundation in Baltimore, Maryland, and assistant professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University.

From the Nutritionists:

Try some of the following herbs before and after drinking to reduce toxins and free radicals produced by them as well as herbs to nourish the nervous system. V-8 juice along with cucumber is an excellent carrier for your herbs and the two alone will help to replenish salts, vitamins, minerals and water your body is screaming for.

1. Willow bark
2) Scullcap
3) Ginseng
4) Chamomile
5) Green Tea
6) Nux vomica
7) Kava and Valerian (take these two only after all the alcohol has cleared your system.)