From time to time many people like to “let their hair down” a little and enjoy a drink or two… or three… or many more.
While it may be fun at the time, it’s usually not so fun the following morning.
Alas, the dreaded hangover.
How can you reduce the suffering you may ask? Sadly you can’t remove it completely. Currently, there are no scientifically proven cures for hangovers… yet.
However, there are a number of ways that you can soothe the pain and make hangovers a little more bearable. Some energy drinks contain vital ingredients that can reduce the effects of hangovers and make facing the day a little more possible.
Buckle in while we explore hangovers, and specifically, what are the best energy drinks for hangovers.
Energy Drink Ingredients that Reduce Hangover Effects
Vitamin B
B-group vitamins are some of the best vitamins that your body needs to fight hangovers. Unfortunately, due to alcohol’s diuretic nature, lots of B vitamins are lost from the body through urination.
Vitamin B is one of the main resources that help in eliminating alcohol from the body.
Vitamin B can be used to help prevent a hangover or at the very least make it feel more tolerable. It’s advisable to take some vitamin B supplements before drinking to prevent hangovers and also take some after drinking to ease it.
Fortunately, energy drinks are a great source of B-group vitamins. By extension, that means that energy drinks can help to reduce the severity of a hangover.
So which energy drinks contain Vitamin B?
The good news is, that almost all energy drinks contain a good amount of Vitamin B as it plays a vital role in energy metabolism.
Just check the label of your favourite energy drink and you’ll likely find that it is packed full of B-group vitamins.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C, otherwise known as ascorbic acid, is vital for our body and plays an important role in our immune system. It helps keep the immune system healthy and strong.
Besides that, Vitamin C helps the body to break down alcohol much faster. This is very important as this will ease hangover symptoms and make the effects of a hangover subside sooner.
Similar to Vitamin B, Vitamin C leaves the body when we visit the bathroom. Both of these groups of vitamins are water-soluble. As with Vitamin B, Vitamin C should be taken before and after drinking to help ease hangover symptoms.
What energy drinks contain Vitamin C?
Not nearly as many contain vitamin B, but you can still find vitamin C in some energy drinks. These include Zipfizz, Rockstar Recovery – Lemonade, and Bang Energy.
However, it should be noted that if there is a sufficient amount of Vitamin B and related compounds, Vitamin C is really not necessary.
Caffeine
From personal experience, I think that a small amount of caffeine while drinking and then another small amount of caffeine the following morning makes me feel noticeably better.
Energy drinks might actually be the perfect buddy for a hangover since they include a good amount of caffeine.
While a small number of energy drinks will probably make you feel much better the next day, if you have too many you will potentially feel worse overall.
Not to mention the fact that having too many energy drinks has other potential dangers. As with most things, moderation is key.
Milk Thistle
Milk Thistle is a purple flower that is a great natural remedy to cure hangovers. The extract from Milk Thistle protects your liver by preventing toxins from attaching to liver cells.
It eases a hangover by breaking down alcohol to detox it in the liver. That’s good as it will reduce hangover effects quickly. However, the smart move would have been not to be as crazy with the alcohol the night before.
Unfortunately, most energy drinks other than Rockstar Recovery Lemonade and Pussy (not available in the USA) don’t contain any milk thistle.
To put your mind at ease, there are many milk thistle supplements out there on the market. Therefore, rest easy even if the energy drink of your choice does not contain Milk Thistle.
Potassium
Like any other diuretic, alcohol depletes the level of potassium in the body. It induces urine causing the body to lose potassium.
Potassium helps to regulate the fluid balance in the body by acting as an electrolyte. Furthermore, it helps in regulating muscle and heart contractions. Indeed, potassium is important for a healthy heart.
Luckily, most energy drinks contain some potassium in them. Note that Rockstar energy drinks contain nearly twice as much potassium compared to other energy drinks. However, I think that this is not a good thing because too much potassium can be bad for you.
Magnesium
Magnesium helps to boost energy production which is important to help reduce hangover symptoms.
Magnesium also provides relief to neck and head muscle aches by reducing the muscle strain around that area. Consuming enough magnesium before or after drinking can help to ease hangover symptoms.
Ginger
Besides being known as a great ingredient in Asian cuisine, ginger serves as a great hangover remedy too.
Ginger contains tons of nutrients that are needed to ease hangovers. These include magnesium, potassium, vitamin B…, and the list goes on. Ginger is like an all-in-one remedy for a hangover.
It can help relieve nausea and pain too. That’s great, as it is able to counter hangover effects such as headache, dizziness, and the urge to vomit.
Unfortunately, it is extremely rare to find ginger in energy drinks.
Water
Drinking too much alcohol will cause dehydration in the body. Gulping down a glass of ice-cold water will help the body recover its lost minerals faster.
Ensure that you drink lots of water to rehydrate and it also helps make you feel a whole lot better.
What to Avoid During Hangovers
Greasy food
Contrary to popular belief, greasy food is better at preventing rather than curing hangovers. According to science, eating greasy food before drinking helps to slow down the absorption of alcohol which in turn helps to reduce the effects of a hangover.
Having greasy food after drinking too much alcohol will upset your stomach rather than make it feel better. This is because greasy food doesn’t absorb alcohol.
No matter how much you crave it, it is better not to eat greasy food while suffering from a hangover.
However, I think we all know that’s easier said than done!
Citrus
Citrus is a great source of vitamin C, especially after hangovers. Personally, I wouldn’t suggest the intake of large amounts of citrus during hangovers.
Citrus is quite harsh as it is acidic and may cause irritation to the stomach.
With a horrible hangover to deal with, I wouldn’t want to upset my stomach even more and make my day worse than it already is.
Hair of the Dog (drinking more alcohol)
Some people suggest a method known as ‘hair of the dog’ in order to ease hangovers. Hair of the dog refers to an expression where you drink more alcohol (a small amount!) while enduring a hangover.
Personally, I wouldn’t recommend drinking more alcohol during hangovers as we want to get rid of alcohol from our bodies instead of adding more fuel to the fire.
Sure, drinking when you have a hangover will make you feel slightly better than before. A few theories suggest that the consumption of more alcohol helps boost endorphins and raise the alcohol level in our blood. It is suggested that this helps reduce the uncomfortable feeling of a hangover.
However, those effects are only temporary. Soon you will begin to feel the hangover effect all over again or worse, it will be more dreadful than before.
How to Reduce Hangover Effects
Eat greasy food (Before not after consuming alcohol)
It’s not advisable to drink on an empty stomach. Try to fill your stomach before drinking because an empty stomach leads to faster intoxication according to the New York Times.
Filling up with greasy food before drinking might be a good choice. Greasy food helps to slow down the rate at that alcohol is absorbed into your bloodstream.
However, from an overall health perspective, I’m not sure I want to recommend this tactic to you. Then again, I guess drinking 10 vodkas isn’t great for your health either!
Drink water!
Drinking water will help to rehydrate your body.
Therefore, try to take some breaks in between alcoholic drinks by drinking some water. Accompany each glass of wine with another glass of water. This will greatly reduce the effects of a subsequent hangover.
Consume energy drinks.
Certain energy drinks might be considered an all-in-one package when it comes to reducing the effects of hangovers.
In addition to containing water, they almost always contain large amounts of B-group vitamins. They can also be key for replacing the loss of Vitamin C, Magnesium, and Potassium which are excreted from your body during and after drinking alcohol.
Therefore, consuming energy drinks before you drink could be a legitimate way for you to reduce the effects of hangovers. Drinking an energy drink the following morning may also help you to feel a little better for the same reasons. But, keep in mind, energy drinks don’t cure hangovers.
Does caffeine worsen hangovers?
Sorry to break the news but no, caffeine does not cure hangovers. In fact, caffeine is also a diuretic, like alcohol.
However, caffeine can increase the alertness of our brains. If you intend to consume caffeine, it may worsen your headache if you have too much.
If you are a caffeine addict, it’s better to consume some caffeine rather than none at all. As caffeine withdrawal can further increase the severity of your hangover.
Personally, I find that I little caffeine the morning after drinking makes me feel more alive, but the effects you experience may be different.
Do energy drinks cure hangovers?
Unfortunately, energy drinks don’t cure hangovers.
However, I find that the combination of ingredients in energy drinks usually makes me feel slightly better when I’m hungover.
I recommend not having too much caffeine though. In my opinion, energy drinks with 50 to 100mg of caffeine are best for hangovers because they give you a little spark, but they don’t blow your head off and make you feel worse than you already do.
Too much caffeine can make a hangover worse. I think it would be better to consume less caffeine if you really feel like having some.
My personal favourite energy drink is REIZE which has 50mg of caffeine per serving – enough to bring you back to life, but not enough to make your suffering worse.
Lots of energy drinks include taurine as one of their main ingredients as it is also great at increasing alertness.
Taurine helps in reducing hangover symptoms. According to studies, taurine has been shown to prevent the liver from swelling due to excessive consumption of alcohol.
Is Red Bull good for a hangover?
Just like any other energy drink, Red Bull doesn’t cure a hangover.
However, it does help to give you a little extra energy and increase your alertness. This can make you feel as though you are thinking a little more clearly, instead of being stuck in a fog of chaos.
An 8.4 fl. oz can of Red Bull contains 80mg of caffeine.
Red Bull has less caffeine than some other brands and certainly is NOT one of the strongest energy drinks in the world. This is vital, as consuming too much caffeine while hungover will further dehydrate your body.
Fun fact, did you know that Red Bull was once banned in France?
For a brief, here’s a quick rundown of what typically goes inside a can of Red Bull.
| Ingredients | Amount |
| Caffeine | 80 mg |
| Calories | 110 cal |
| Glucuronolactone | 600 mg |
| Niacin (Vitamin B3) | 5.1 µg |
| Pantothenic acid (Vitamin B5) | 5.1 µg |
| Pyridoxine (Vitamin B6) | 5 mg |
| Cobalamin (Vitamin B12) | 5.1 µg |
Best Energy Drinks for a Hangover
Zipfizz
Zipfizz is a powder, that, when added to water becomes an instant energy drink, just like REIZE. It has a good amount of caffeine (100mg per serving) in order to help with a hangover. Furthermore, it’s rich in Vitamin B, Vitamin C, Magnesium, and Potassium.
You can read more about Zipfizz here.
Monster Rehab
Similar to Zipfizz, Monster Rehab also comes in different flavours, 5 to be exact. It contains electrolytes, caffeine, milk thistle, Vitamin B, Vitamin C, etc. It should be noted that Monster Rehab is tea-based, unlike many other energy drinks.
Tea contains tannins which make hangovers worse.
Therefore, I think that there is a chance that Monster Rehab may make your hangover worse, despite all of the other hangover-fighting ingredients.
Rockstar Recovery-Lemonade
In my opinion, I think lemonade-flavoured Rockstar Recovery is one of the best energy drinks for a hangover.
Rockstar Recovery contains milk thistle, electrolytes, and taurine which are all crucial ingredients for reducing the severity of a hangover.
However, on the downside, it has quite a lot of caffeine with 160mg per serving, which I think is too much – especially when hungover.
Be warned, that it might make your headache worse if you are sensitive to caffeine.
Overall, I think it’s a great drink for hangovers despite the high caffeine content as it is quite rare to find a whole bunch of ingredients that help with hangovers in a single energy drink.
REIZE Energy Drink (10 out of 10)
If 160mg of caffeine is too much for you, you should consider REIZE as it contains a sensible 50mg of caffeine per serving. It contains enough caffeine to increase your alertness without worrying that it will worsen your hangover.
REIZE also contains taurine and vitamin B which also help in reducing hangover effects. Taurine prevents the swelling of the liver whilst vitamin B could ease the muscle pain from the night before and leaves you feeling more refreshed.
REIZE is infused with ginseng extract which helps to reduce hangover symptoms. Furthermore, ginseng extract will help to metabolise alcohol faster.
At around $1 per drink, REIZE is affordable and super convenient. Speaking of convenience, you can keep a couple of sachets in your pocket to mix with drinks while you’re out.
Give REIZE a try today and you might just find that it quickly becomes your drinking AND hangover energy drink of choice.