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You asked: Why does V8 cure hangovers?
by Mary - September 7, 2006 - 2:33 PM

mmmgood.jpgOne of our readers (okay, it was my friend Lisa) noticed a mention of “National Hangover Day” in our new-holiday contest — a day of bleary-eyed and queasy celebration on which “V8 will be vastly discounted.” Lisa wanted to know why V8 juice and other tomato products seem to cure hangovers — and, as an ardent subscriber to that theory, I did too! It seems the theory hasn’t been fully tested by science, but there are several reasons a big glass of the red stuff might help on a rough morning:

1. A lot of it boils down to dehydration. Tomatoes, those blessed vegetables fruits, are about 90 percent water. Quenching your thirst helps the liver and kidneys process the leftover alcohol in your system.

2. Too much drinky-drink also impairs the body’s ability to absorb vitamins, leaving you short. (Some scientists think many hangover symptoms can be blamed on a lack of B12.) Tomatoes and tomato products are high in many nutrients, particularly vitamin C and lycopene.

3. Through a series of chemical reactions that are way too complex for this blog, drinking limits the liver’s ability to supply the brain with glucose, leading to fatigue, weakness, mood swings, and decreased attention and concentration. V8 isn’t quite as good on this count as orange juice — an 8-ounce can provides 10 grams of carbohydrates (8 of them sugars) compared to 25 for the same amount of OJ — but it’s less acidic, so at least it’s easier on the stomach.

As for the other hangover culprits — an alcohol byproduct called acetaldehyde and a type of impurity in liquors and cheap wines known as a congener — I can’t seem to find any evidence that tomato juice interacts with them, but I will continue to conduct trials of my own.

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Comments (8)

  1. What about the age-old theory that a single drink is the best hangover cure? I have been told that it helps lessen the effects of a dramatic drop in the blood alcohol level. Friends of mine who are doctors swear this is true, but then, they are also roaring drunks. And I have to admit that, empirically, it does work, but I’m a roaring drunk too, so I’m less inclined to trust my own experience.

    posted by Becky on 9-7-2006 at 2:50 pm

  2. So in other words… a good ol’ bloody mary will do the trick? Sounds good to me.

    posted by Meghan on 9-7-2006 at 4:29 pm

  3. Hair of the dog- works every time, though often leads to yet another hangover…in which case you’ll need the hair of the dog-works every time, though….

    posted by Laura on 9-6-2007 at 2:12 am

  4. Good advice. Another tip is to have some food in your stomach before drinking to help delay absorption of alcohol. Drinking slowly helps too. Women are affected by alcohol more than men.
    A good plan to help detoxify alcohol and prevent a hangover is to take 50 mgs each of B1, B2, B3, 400mcg folic acid,100mcg of B12, 15-30 mg. of zinc and 300-500 mg of magnesium and a good antioxidant with food before drinking. Also taking 1000mg
    Vitamin C every 2 hours is helpful.
    I know of someone who swears by 1 tbsp Brewer’s Yeast Powder to clear a hangover quickly should the demon stuff get the better of you.

    posted by daisy on 1-21-2008 at 12:31 am

  5. I am going to petition both the Food and Drug Administration and the Catholic church to recognize v8 as an official “Miracle Cure.” Not just for alcoholic hangovers, but also works wonders for cocaine-based and opiate induced hangovers, as well. See you on the floor, -Eddie.

    posted by eddie on 4-10-2008 at 2:19 pm

  6. This is way to avoid the hangovercure. Drink as many 8 oz glasses of water as you had mixed drinks/beers BEFORE you go to bed. Also take 3 asprin, and eat a pbj sandwich.

    posted by David@used computers on 8-19-2008 at 9:39 am

  7. I am always in favor of using herbal and natural products atleast we don’t have to worry about the after effects.

    posted by Thompson@Cheap computer on 3-31-2009 at 4:55 am

  8. Great article! Lycopene really helps hangovers. One of the products I was recommended to was Zaca and they carry an organic hangover patch. This contains 11 ingredients including lycopene and vitamin c.

    It really does work too!

    posted by James on 5-14-2009 at 6:49 pm

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