Low-sugar hangover recovery: What to take and when

There’s nothing fun about having a hangover. Even if you aimed to take it steady the night before, it’s easy to wake up feeling worse-for-wear the next morning.

Headaches, fatigue, nausea, shakiness, anxiety, and light and sound sensitivity are all common hangover symptoms you might experience. And they’re all problems that you’ll want to overcome quickly.

When a hangover strikes, most of us have go-to foods and drinks we turn to to try to bounce back and not waste the day. Grabbing energy drinks for a quick boost, basking in the comfort of chocolate, or pouring a glass of orange juice to replenish lost vitamins and minerals are all common choices. What do they have in common? They’re all high in sugar, which you might think gives you an energy boost to get you back to your best faster. But does it?

Here’s the honest answer: the research says sugar doesn’t cause hangovers, and it doesn’t make them worse either. But it doesn’t fix them, and the ‘sugar rush’ you’re hoping for doesn’t really exist. A low-sugar approach is about steady energy, proper hydration and skipping the slump — not about blaming sugar for the hangover.

Let’s look at what the science actually says about sugar and hangovers, and explore some ideas for low-sugar hangover recovery.

Does sugar cause hangovers?

No. Alcohol is what causes hangover symptoms. And, contrary to popular belief, the sugar in your drinks doesn’t appear to make a hangover worse. In a controlled trial of 109 volunteers, giving people fructose or glucose either alongside alcohol or twelve hours later during the hangover made no significant difference to how intense the hangover was, and didn’t change how quickly the body cleared the alcohol. A later review of hangover research found that blood sugar levels weren’t significantly linked to hangover severity either.

The volume of alcohol that leads to a hangover varies from person to person. Factors such as size, genetics, sleep and what you’ve eaten all affect how bad your symptoms are. So where does sugar come into it?

• Sugary sweetness often masks the taste of alcohol, especially in drinks like cocktails and alcopops. This can make drinks more palatable and easier to consume, which can lead to you drinking more alcohol than you might realise — and it’s the alcohol, not the sugar, that sets up tomorrow’s hangover.
• Alcohol can lower your blood sugar. Your liver normally tops up blood glucose between meals, but alcohol interferes with that process, particularly if you haven’t eaten. When blood sugar falls, the body releases hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol, which can leave you feeling shaky, sweaty and irritable. In the trial above, glucose and fructose actually helped counter those metabolic effects — it just didn’t change the hangover itself.
• The energy drink you reach for the morning after won’t rehydrate you any better than water, and the added sugar comes with extra calories and, as the NHS points out, it can damage your teeth.

How much sugar do alcoholic drinks contain?

The amount of sugar in alcoholic drinks varies. Spirits such as vodka and gin usually contain little to no sugar on their own. But when flavoured or mixed into a cocktail, the sugar content rises rapidly.

Light beers often contain less sugar than regular lager and ale, while strong beers and fruited craft beers can contain much more. Dry wines also typically contain less sugar than sweet wines. Check the label to find the exact amount of sugar in your drink of choice, or use our handy table of typical figures, taken from manufacturers’ nutrition labels, for popular alcoholic drinks.

One myth worth clearing up while we’re here: swapping to a diet mixer doesn’t make the night ‘lighter’. In a small randomised trial, vodka mixed with a diet mixer emptied from the stomach faster and produced a higher peak blood alcohol level than the same drink made with a regular, sugar-containing mixer. Sugar isn’t the villain of the night — the alcohol is, so the number of drinks matters far more than what’s in the mixer.

Should you avoid sugar to get over a hangover?

Sipping on sugary drinks and eating foods high in sugar are common tactics to help ease a hangover. But why do we turn to energy drinks, chocolate, and biscuits when we’re not feeling our best?

A drop in blood sugar after drinking can trigger a craving for sugary items that promise quick energy, reinforcing your need to reach for those snacks. And doing so isn’t necessarily wrong. A small amount of sugar after a big night can help top up glucose levels, which alcohol can push down if you haven’t eaten. The problem is going big on it.

Loading up on sugary foods or drinks won’t get you back to your best any faster, for a few reasons:

• The ‘sugar rush’ is a myth. A 2019 meta-analysis of 31 studies found that carbohydrates gave no boost to any aspect of mood, and that people actually reported more fatigue and less alertness in the hour after eating them. When you’re already flat, that’s the last thing you need.
• Sugar doesn’t rehydrate you. The fluid and electrolytes do that work; the sugar in an energy drink adds calories, not hydration.
• Very sweet foods and drinks can sit heavily on a stomach that’s already feeling delicate, and for some people that adds to the queasiness.

When it comes to banishing wasted days and getting back to your best, low-sugar options give you the steady energy and hydration you’re looking for, without the slump.

The best low-sugar hangover methods

Choosing low-sugar foods and drinks for hangover recovery can help you rehydrate, top up the vitamins and minerals you’ve lost, provide slow-release energy, and keep your blood sugar steady. And as a bonus, many are also lower in calories, so they can support your overall wellness.

For a low-sugar approach to the morning after, give these ideas a try:

• Drink plenty of water rather than sports drinks to rehydrate. The NHS suggests six to eight glasses of fluid during a typical day, but you may need more if you’re dehydrated.
• Add electrolytes to a glass of water or try low-sugar isotonic sports drinks that replace lost minerals without a big hit of sugar.
• Try Humans Against. Each sachet contains just 3g of glucose, alongside sodium and citric acid, which help in the replacement of lost water and body salt, plus vitamin C, magnesium and B vitamins, which contribute to normal energy-yielding metabolism and the reduction of tiredness and fatigue.
• Snack on fresh fruit such as bananas, oranges, pears, watermelon, and mangoes. They do still contain sugar, but it comes packaged with water, fibre, vitamins and minerals, so it’s a far better bet than a bag of sweets.
• Go for slow-release carbohydrates: porridge, wholegrain toast or crackers. If you want a little sweetness, a drizzle of honey on top is a gentler option than a doughnut or an energy drink.
• Have eggs for breakfast. They’re a good source of protein and of the amino acid cysteine, and they contain barely any sugar — which is why they’re a staple of the foods people reach for after a heavy night.
• Heat some chicken noodle soup. The broth counts towards your fluids, the salt replaces some of the sodium you’ve lost, and it has very little sugar.

Why are low-sugar hangover methods a better option?

Low-sugar hangover methods support your recovery by giving you what your body actually needs the morning after — fluids, electrolytes, steady energy and a decent meal — rather than a sugar hit that leaves you flat an hour later.

Eating and drinking foods and beverages that contain low amounts of sugar or natural sugars can help keep your blood sugar steady. That helps you avoid the spike-and-slump pattern that can leave you feeling more tired.

Too much sugar also means having to face several other side effects, including the fact that it’s high in calories and bad for your teeth.

What to take and when for low-sugar hangover recovery

Eating and drinking the right things at the right time is key to effective low-sugar hangover recovery. Avoid wasted mornings with this simple schedule:

• Before bed: Drink a glass or two of water to rehydrate before you go to sleep. If you’re hungry, avoid anything sugary and choose foods that are easy to digest. Crackers or toast will gently top up your blood sugar, while fresh fruit helps with hydration.
• In the morning: Drink a big glass of water first thing in the morning to hydrate and add a sachet of Humans Against to another glass of water — it contains 24 active ingredients, including vitamins, minerals, amino acids and plant extracts. Vitamin C, magnesium and B vitamins contribute to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue, and you can read more about what’s in it and why on the science page. Eat a breakfast that includes low-sugar, bland carbohydrates for steady energy. Toast is a good choice, and you can top it with eggs, avocado, or banana for additional protein, vitamins, and minerals to support your recovery.
• Throughout the day: keep drinking plenty of water to stay hydrated. If you’re still sluggish, consider a low-sugar electrolyte drink. Eating three meals that include a balanced mix of carbohydrates, protein, and vitamins helps replace what you’ve lost and keeps your blood sugar steady.
  

Low-sugar vs high-sugar hangover recovery

Low-sugar food items support overall wellness and can provide the energy you need when hungover without a sugar spike. Compare the sugar content of some food and drinks commonly used the morning after in our handy table (typical figures from manufacturers’ labels and standard portions).

Understanding how alcohol and sugar affect your body helps you make the right choices the morning after. Sugar won’t rescue a hangover — but steady energy, proper hydration and a decent meal will help you make the most of the day.