The pounding headache, nausea, and fatigue after a heavy booze, likely experienced by many people at some point in life, is something everyone would prefer to avoid. What if there was a simple trick to prevent this unpleasant aftermath? According to a doctor, it just involves a small food item, consumed before indulging in a few drinks.
Cheese is a delicious and nutrient-rich food that has a surprising role in preventing hangovers, according to Dr. Neena Chandrasekaran, a pulmonary critical care physician in South Florida. Eating a piece of cheese before drinking could be the key to preventing those dreaded hangover symptoms, suggests Dr.Chandrasekaran in a recent TikTok video.
“If you are going for a night out on the town, and you are going to drink alcohol, eating cheese before drinking alcohol can decrease your risk of having a hangover,” she said in the video, ending with a note of caution: “No alcohol is better than any alcohol.”
The unique combination of protein, fat, and complex carbohydrates in cheese makes it an ideal pre-drinking snack, she explained. These macronutrients help coat the stomach lining, slowing the absorption of alcohol into the bloodstream. By doing so, cheese may reduce the sudden spike in blood alcohol levels, potentially lessening the severity of hangover symptoms.
“Cheese can help the body metabolize alcohol better and prevent liver damage. Cheese also replenishes nutrients because it is full of b vitamin and calcium,” Dr. Chandrasekaran said.
Both calcium, which is crucial for nerve and muscle function, and B vitamins, which play a key role in energy production and metabolism, can become depleted when consuming alcohol. Eating cheese before drinking may help counteract these effects, offering additional support to the body.
A recent study from Seoul found that probiotic cheese containing Lactococcus lactis LB1022 and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum LB1418 can speed up alcohol metabolism by enhancing key liver enzymes- alcohol dehydrogenase and aldehyde dehydrogenase. The researchers noted that the cheese, activated pathways that reduce fat buildup and inflammation in the liver, offering protective benefits against alcohol-related damage.
Experts recommend drinking plenty of water while consuming alcohol to prevent dehydration, which is a major contributor to hangover symptoms like headaches and fatigue. Consuming bananas, watermelon, oranges, eggs, and ginger may also help ease symptoms of hangovers by replenishing lost nutrients, maintaining hydration, and supporting metabolism.
