PREPARE WITH PRICKLY PEAR
While most over-the-counter hangover remedies won’t help much, there’s one supplement that may do you some good -- but you'll have to plan ahead. If you take prickly pear extract several hours before you drink, it might lower your day-after symptoms by about half. Experts don't know how it works, but the extract has a protein that curbs the inflammation you can get from drinking too much. That may help hold off a hangover.
Pears
WATER
H2O is a must to cure a hangover. As you likely know from the frequent trips to the bathroom during a night of debauchery, alcohol is a diuretic and can cause dehydration. Before falling into bed, down 4 or 5 glasses of water, And the next time you go out or drink remember to have a glass of water with every drink—and alternate between the two to replace lost fluids as you go.
Bottled Water
COFFEE
Lots of people—hungover or not—use a cup of joe to wake up and feel alert at work. But a trip to DOME or MUZZBUZZ won't give you lasting benefits, and caffeine can both treat and cause headaches and migraines, so this one is a personal preference. If you do down a cup to cure a hangover, be sure to drink water, too, since studies suggest caffeine causes dehydration.
Coffee
THE BEST CURE: PREVENTION
You're a grown adult, you know to drink responsibly. But just in case you forgot: Limit your drinks to about one every hour. Your body metabolizes each drink in about 60 to 75 minutes, Experts say. Drink faster, and your blood alcohol level rises faster and you risk a hangover. Eat before you drink and follow "I'll have a beer and a glass of water" rule when ordering—and drink the water, don't let it just sit on the table. And how's this for sobering: In research, “moderate drinking” by a man is defined as two drinks a day. More than five in one sitting is considered "heavy drinking." So think before you order that extra round.