words Alexa Wang
Cannabidiol (CBD) gummies are becoming increasingly popular, especially the HometownHeroCBD.com ones with tasty flavors, safety, and positive effects. One rumor is that CBD can help eliminate the effects of a hangover. Unfortunately, the research isn’t there yet to support this popular internet belief. Our article will explain how CBD works and if it can help reduce hangover symptoms.
What Is a Hangover?
You had a fantastic night. You reconnected with old pals, and the conversation flowed effortlessly. But, then, with a throbbing headache and a dry mouth in an orbiting room, you wake up strangely early at 8 AM after sleeping from 2 AM. Those are the symptoms of a hangover, my friend.
Alcohol has numerous adverse effects on the body beyond dehydration. As a result of overindulging in alcohol, vasopressin, an antidiuretic hormone responsible for communicating to the kidneys to retain water, is suppressed. The functioning of this molecule is impeded as a consequence of alcohol, causing the human body to lose extra fluids and become dehydrated.
However, it’s not just alcohol that causes hangovers. When alcohol attacks your liver, it transforms into acetaldehyde, a harmful byproduct that promotes inflammation in the brain, liver, and other organs. Congeners and sulfites in alcoholic beverages have been shown to exacerbate hangover symptoms and cause headaches.
What Causes a Curse of Hangover?
Verbal overdose aside, dehydration is considered to be a key factor. Dehydration is responsible for the collection of symptoms such as headaches, grogginess, muscular weakness, tiredness, and so on. Alcohol is a diuretic in and of itself, making you go to the toilet more. Of course, you have lost a lot of fluid with all that. However, if you reach for another cocktail rather than water, you’ll only exacerbate the situation and risk having a hangover the next day.
Hangovers are not as simple to explain. Age and drinking style remain significant factors, but there are other influential things. Genetics, as well as how fast your body eliminates poisons, have a role. Your body has a toxin-processing factory built in. That processing facility requires certain nutrients, such as vitamins, minerals, and amino acids, to function correctly. If you’ve been drinking all night and go out in the morning when your body is dehydrated and depleted of nutrients, you’re more likely to get a hangover.
There are two alternate theories on hangovers:
- One theory suggests that a toxin called acetaldehyde builds up, causing symptoms like nausea or headache. The liver usually filters out this byproduct of alcohol, but it can build up and cause these issues when drinking in excess.
- The other theory claims that the immune system fuels a hangover with inflammatory signals known as cytokines. Cytokines typically fight infection, but when produced at the wrong time or in too high a quantity, they result in pain and discomfort.
What Does CBD Change?
Although ongoing research and effects may differ between individuals, CBD is commonly believed to provide several benefits. For example, many people report that it:
- Lessens anxiety;
- Improves sleep quality;
- Helps with nausea and vomiting;
- Alleviates pain such as muscle soreness and headaches;
- Has anti-inflammatory qualities etc.
When you’re hangover, CBD can do more than make you feel better by targeting the things that cause discomfort, like nausea, pain, and appetite.
The two significant neurotransmitters are 2-AG and anandamide. You might feel more pain or be more anxious when these transmitters are present in fewer quantities, but phytocannabinoids like CBD help to boost those levels, potentially reducing your symptoms. However, the argument for using CBD to treat a hangover isn’t straightforward.
Can CBD Cure a Hangover?
There is no scientific evidence or rationale suggesting that CBD would be effective in curing a hangover. If the cytokine theory holds, CBD could help reduce your hangover symptoms because it is an anti-inflammatory component. And while there is no research to support using CBD specifically for treating hangovers, you may find relief from some of the aches, pains, and nausea associated with a hangover.
If you’re feeling hungover, add broad-spectrum CBD to your morning tea. It’s individualized when it comes to how much one should take. If you’re new to CBD, start with a tiny dose (like 5mg) and gradually increase the amount. In a small study, blood concentrations of CBD were significantly higher in people who ate before taking CBD instead on an empty stomach. Therefore, if you can manage eating something, it might help your body absorb CBD better.
Even so, your best approach to avoiding a hangover is to have a potent offense. The most efficient technique to treat a hangover is to limit the amount of alcohol you consume the night before. Then, for each alcoholic beverage you consume, drink a glass of water or plain seltzer water. CBD may also help if you’re feeling stiff and sore the next day, but remember that you still need to hydrate!
So, Is it a Good Idea to Take CBD When You Have a Hangover?
If you’re debating whether or not CBD will help reduce your hangover symptoms, it comes down to a personal call. There’s no sound clinical evidence as of now that suggests CBD is helpful in this context. Some preliminary preclinical research gives us an idea of what future studies might find. If you believe CBD could make all the difference and you can stomach it, give it a try and see how it works.
