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Is vitamin water good for hangovers? It’s a surprisingly common question and one that doesn’t have a simple answer.
Vitamin water is all the rage nowadays with so many different brands on the market. Most of which claim to enhance performance, hydration, and focus to mention a few.
But is vitamin water good for hangovers as well?
In this article, we aim to clear things up by taking a closer look at vitamin water for hangovers. Firstly, we’ll look at the nutrients in vitamin water before seeing if any are beneficial for recovery.
Causes of a hangover
The science of hangovers isn’t straightforward. There are several different factors that play a part.
Ultimately, hangovers are caused by drinking too much alcohol, too quickly. During periods of overindulgence, blood alcohol levels rise and this build-up has damaging effects on the body.
Although the exact cause of a hangover is still debated, scientists believe the following play an important part:
1) Inflammation: When alcohol is metabolized in your liver, toxic by-products are formed. In simple terms, these by-products react with your cells causing inflammation.(1)
2) Reduced sleep quality: Alcohol blocks your brain from reaching REM sleep. The REM stage of sleep is crucial for waking up fully rested.
3) Dehydration: You may already know that drinking too much alcohol causes dehydration. It’s because alcohol blocks the release of a hormone called ADH which, in turn, makes your kidneys flush out water.
So, for vitamin water to be good for hangovers, it’ll need to mitigate some of the damaging effects of alcohol. Next up, we’ll take a closer look at what vitamin water is actually made of to see if it’s got any benefits for a hangover.
What’s in vitamin water
There are many different brands of vitamin water on the market. So, for simplicity, we’ll use the ingredients table of one of the most popular brands.
Looking at the ingredients label, you can see vitamin water contains quite a few nutrients. It’s a great source of Vitamin B3, B6, and B12 and a bottle provides your daily required amount.
In addition, it contains vitamin C, vitamin A, manganese, and magnesium.
Aside from the vitamins and minerals mentioned, Vitaminwater also has quite a lot of sugar in the form of fructose. So any nutritional benefits need to be weighed up against the high sugar content.
That said, there are a few potential things in it that could be good for hangovers.
Is vitamin water good for a hangover?
So, now on to the all-important question. Is vitamin water good for hangovers?
By the time you’ve woken up with a hangover, the damage from alcohol has been done. Any measures you take at this stage will only patch over some of your symptoms. And the only real thing that’ll heal your hangover is time, water, and rest.
It’s not just the case with vitamin water. Most things you take when you’re already hungover can only help so much.
With that said, if you drink vitamin water at the end of your night, it may be more beneficial.
Mainly because of the hydration benefits. Aside from this, the B vitamins are important in the normal metabolism of the food and drink we consume and this includes alcohol. Vitamin C is also a natural antioxidant that can support your natural defenses. You can find out more about this in our article about vitamins for hangovers.
However, it’s important for us to mention that by no means is vitamin-infused water going to speed up alcohol metabolism or prevent hangover symptoms.
Is vitamin water a hangover cure?
You’ve probably already guessed the answer to this question. Vitamin water is definitely not a hangover cure.
If you are expecting to drink vitamin water and wake up with no hangover, you're going to be disappointed. . In fact, a true hangover "cure" doesn’t exist.
That’s because, as mentioned earlier, hangovers are caused by so many different factors and most are not preventable.
Best vitamin water for hangovers
It doesn’t really matter which type or brand of vitamin water you decide to go for. Most will contain a range of vitamins and minerals.
The branding will say some are better for focus, energy, or whatever else. However, the main difference is usually flavoring, sugar content, and the dosing of the vitamins.
Ultimately, it’s really not going to make a difference which one you chose.
Anything else to consider?
Hangovers are a sign from your body that you’ve been drinking too much alcohol for your liver to handle. Trying to remedy your hangover with vitamin water, or anything else is not the best approach.
The best way to “cure” a hangover is by preventing it from happening in the first place. That means, drinking less alcohol, slowing down how fast you drink, keeping well hydrated, and eating before you go out. It all comes down to how you prepare for your night of drinking.
In addition, you may want to consider sticking to lighter-colored drinks because they have fewer congeners. These are by-products produced when certain types of alcohol are produced and aged. You can read more about this here: congeners and hangovers.
Vitamin water for hangovers – Final verdict
That brings us to the end of our look into vitamin water for hangovers.
Whether vitamin water is good for hangovers hasn’t been tested in research studies. However, the added nutrients may help.
That said, whatever effect it has will be small and vitamin water will certainly not prevent or cure hangovers. Check out our article on B vitamins for hangovers for some more info.